You made it to day 7 of #SoberOctober Pat yourself on the back, that’s a big fucking deal and a huge accomplishment. One week of consistently doing anything is challenging—so don’t minimize what a milestone this is. It’s a cause for celebration and taking a moment to reflect on what has been working for you—and take a look at some of the things standing in your way.

One of the biggest defects of character I encountered in early sobriety was self-pity. I felt like the biggest loser and every single day was a pity party—table for one. It’s an easy, comfortable place to retreat to and since I got sober and had absolutely no coping tools--I didn’t handle it well. It was me against the world.

One of the most effective antidotes to self-pity has been gratitude. A lot of lip service has been paid to gratitude in our new age self-help addicted society. Everyone from Oprah to Deepak to Tony Robbins has preached the good word of getting grateful. But it's not bullshit. ...