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    Home - How to Incorporate Fun and Play into Recovery
    LAUGHING WITHOUT LIQUOR

    How to Incorporate Fun and Play into Recovery

    Tamar RoutlyBy Tamar RoutlyJuly 6, 202232 Mins Read
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    Online besties, Tamar Medford and Lane Kennedy share their life experiences and hilarious adventures as two women living in long-term recovery. (Which is often messy!) With over 35 years of continuous sobriety, Tamar & Lane support women over 40 who have hit the f*ck it button and find themselves asking WTF! Now What?


    INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (TRANSCRIPTION IS NOT PERFECT)

    Lane: I’m ready. So nice. You should get some,

    Tamar: can you spray some over here?

    Lane: Yeah. It’s like Rosewood. It’s so nice.

    Tamar: That was fun.

    Lane: What was fun? 

    Tamar: The spray, the spray. Oh yeah. I love the spray. I do the spray in the morning. I do the spray in the afternoon. I don’t do the spray at night. Lane: I should get some for the nighttime too. It’s fun. That’s what we’re talking about. How to have fun, how to have a playful life. I realized probably after I had my son, that my life had lost joy in play. Like I was just like, I am a mother. This is all I do.

    Lane: The kid goes on my boob. I walk a stroller. Like it was just dreadful. It was dreadful, dreadful. So moms out there, I hear you. I get you. I know you there’s been other times in my recovery when it hasn’t been fun either though I’ve been just so serious about work, as my work addiction, being an entrepreneur and starting companies and selling companies, and no fun. Danger zone.

    Tamar: The danger zone is right. Yeah, truly. I remember one of my fears, which now when I look back at it, it kind of seems a little twisted, but I always thought that if I quit drinking, I’m never going to have fun again, but. It wasn’t fun anymore. Like, I don’t even remember most of the evenings. So I’m like here, I’m sitting here going, I don’t want to give up alcohol because how am I going to have fun?

    But then I don’t even remember the so-called fun, which was not fun because I usually was reminded the next morning that I needed to apologize to a bunch of people for something I didn’t even realize I did. So that scared me. Like, I’m like, how am I going to have fun anymore? My life’s over.

    Lane: Life is over in recovery. I don’t think so. I don’t think so. I, I do remember, uh, going out and living it up, like, you know, sitting there at, um, Oh, that Mexican place up on fountain. So good. The chips, the guac, the margaritas. It always started great. Yeah. And then go into a girl bar and then dance on the freaking bar.

    And then who knows what happened like that? Wasn’t fun after that point, like, it was fun at the Mexican place. And then it was fun as we went into girl bar and then it wasn’t fun anymore. That wasn’t fun, but you know what wasn’t fun either is the hangover the next day. So I don’t miss that at all. And I guess you’re right. There’s something great about remembering what I do now. Like there’s something great about knowing and being present. Like I know I’m not going to get up on the restaurant table and dance, like. 

    Tamar: I know how to dance.

    Lane: I remember watching, you know, they had the little girls dancing up on the bar, you know, the little tables that they’re in the cages and stuff.

    And I remember thinking to myself, I could do that.

    I could do that. Like, So grandiose. No, that wasn’t cool. It wasn’t fun. So ridiculous. 

    Tamar: Like I thought I was the best dancer on the face of the planet. Like I was like, I know when I dance the running man like I was the eighties, eighties, nineties were my favorite.

    And like, I went to eighties nights at the bar all the time. That was the best little bit. Yeah. As much as I dress up. I’m not a, I’m not fancy. Right. But yeah, we did a little bit just no heels because that never worked out well. Oh, I wore heels every day. No, not me. Usually. There were no shoes on at the end of the night.

    Lane: Yeah, no shoes. Where are my shoes?

    Tamar: That’s not fun.

    Lane: No, not. At all. So yeah, there is the sense of, again, the delusion of wellness occurs when we can get sober and we’re like, oh yeah, that was so fun. That was so fun. And now I’m sober. I’m not going to have a good time. I’m going to be a loser. 

    Tamar: It’s way better. And you know what I think adds to this before we go into the sober part of it is that. Drinking is so glorified. Like if you look at commercials on TV, it’s like crack open that beer and look how what a fun night. Like we just got back from Mexico and I went to this, they had this roof, top bar, and the foam pool party and all that.

    And I’m like, I want. See it. Right. So I went up there and I made it like 20 minutes before I was like, okay, no, this is, does not look like it was sloppy. And it’s, you know, but if you look on under the videos, it’s like, wow, like that was my goal before I got sober.

    Lane: But that thinking fantasizing, the romanticizing.

    Yes. That is the true addict alcoholic. Like everything was bigger, brighter, lovely. Fancier fun. Oh yeah. But no. 

    Tamar: So my number one goal, I thought that I had to change the way I looked on the outside to fix you. I wasn’t the inside, so I didn’t quit drinking right away. I just started excessively exercising, but I told my trainer at the time, I’m like, she’s like, what’s your number one goal?

    I said I want to lose 75 pounds so I can wear a bikini and feel comfortable in my skin and go to a Las Vegas pool party. And she kind of looked at me. She was in recovery. So that was probably her first like, yep. This one needs to quit. Um, that was my goal. Cause the glorification of it all. And I’ve been to those things. Vegas go to a pool party. 

    Lane: I have been to those parties, they are horrendous. 

    Tamar: I know. I got into a lot of trouble. The last time I went to one of those. 

    Lane: Did you wear the little butt thong?

    I always look at the girls with them, but I’m always like, that’s fascinating. I love them because I don’t wear butt thongs. I am never going to, it’s not this body, this being, but I always love it when they’re out there because I’m like, oh, Isn’t that interesting. The female form, it’s wonderful.

    Tamar: So if I were drinking. I would think that I would look good. I’d be like until you see pictures. Thank God. Facebook did not exist all that much in mine. I started in my drinking days. I did have to wipe out quite a few pictures, but like there are times where cause you have to wait to right. To print the pictures out or you looked at the digital ones. It’s like, oh my God, when did that happen? And I looked comfortable in my half my bathing suit there. Right? 

    Lane: Oh yeah. When the bathing suits like over here and you’re like, ah, my butt’s hanging out. What is going on? Not fun, no fun. So, yeah, we get sober and we’re thinking, oh yeah, I’m going to miss out on all that fun.

    I was having. That was the community. The connected calm life. Okay. Let’s get serious, but we’re talking about fun. So yes, we get sober and we’re like, uh, okay, how do I have fun?

    And this isn’t going to be fun. There are certain stages in your recovery when it’s just not fun. I mean, you know, there are some times when it’s like the dark night of the soul, but you got to go through it to get to the other side, to have fun. The dips and valleys, but that’s life. Right? I think in life, you know, I have a lot of people in my life who are, would never identify as an alcoholic would never identify as normal.

    They’re just beings humans on the planet, enjoying their life. But you know, they, they have experienced the highs and low, right. And they’re able to have like half a glass of wine. Right. Uh, but they also enjoy their life. They’re present for their life. Kind of freaks me out because as somebody who’s in recovery, I have to be intentional about that.

    I have, it’s like a different path for me,

    Tamar: So weird. And you know, it’s interesting that when you say half a glass of wine, my head still goes to like baffled.

    Lane: Why

    Tamar: What’s the point of that? I know I’m like, how are you going to drink the rest of that? That’s

    Lane: Crazy. I know people like that. It’s my husband. I’m like, what, what are you doing?

    Tamar: It’s like mystical

    Lane: Oh they’re different beings. They are truly different beings. Yeah. I think there are differences. 

    Tamar: We use that word. They are different beings.

    Lane: Yeah. It’s still the love them. I love them so much. They inspire me.

    Tamar: I agree. Yeah. So before we hit record, we were talking about the pink. Oh, God. Yeah. So I think a lot of people at the first, I think the first couple months, I would not say I was on the pink cloud. It was like an, oh my God. My life is over. Then my marriage ended shortly after that. And then I was like, giddy up, make it happen. Right. And then I was on this pink cloud because I started hanging out with a lot of people.

    I started socializing and going out and I was like, I have a life. Like, this is exciting. 

    Lane: You know, I so exciting when you get in that crew people and you’re out every night and go into Denny’s or go into the whatever, playing bowling, whatever it is that right. People in recovery know how to have fun.

    Tamar: I would stay up till 11 Lane. I mean, 11 that’s late for me. 

    Lane: Oh my, yeah, that is late for you even every once in a while. I’d go to a concert and be up past midnight. Wow. That was fun. Okay. But like, I remembered everything, everything I did. Yeah. But I think I was riding on this really fine line. 

    Lane: How long did it take you to get into that crew of people?

    Right. Where you’re like out every night and doing fun things. Like how long from the moment you stepped into your recovery? To that moment where you’re like, oh my God, I’m with the cool people.

    Tamar: I think it was about two to three months because I was still married when I got sober. So I wasn’t doing as much.

    And because I was still trying to manage my marriage that was falling apart. And after I left that, I moved in with a roommate, and then it was like, I can do whatever I want. And I started to explore that life and I was sociable and I had a car, so I’d pick people up and we’d go out and. Yeah, it was like, I remember one of my friends, we were still sober together.

    Um, we used to, she didn’t have a car at the time. She would walk everywhere, but we became like, if you’re new in recovery, we’re going to pick you up. Yup. We’re going to take you out and then we’re going to go eat. And that was our thing. Or we would have ice cream before.

    Right. And then, yeah, cause we were all hopped up and, but we were like the fun, the fun people we would get in, get in, get in the fun wagon until I lost my car until it was repossessed. No consequences of addiction. Yeah. That’s what happens. Hmm. What about your fun?

    Lane: I’m just thinking back to that, like how long it took me to get.

    To that group of people. So I think it was that two months, mark sounds about right. Two to three months. Uh, I was kind of fortunate because that was with somebody who was very popular and we would walk into a meeting place and people would be like, Ooh. Um, and so people kind of migrated where I was like, don’t talk to me.

    Don’t I don’t want anybody around me. But then like the magic happened and I was like thrown in the car and picked up and let’s go here and let’s do that. And just be quiet and order the fries, get extra ketchup. Like I was told what to do to have fun. And then I looked and then I was suddenly like looking forward to it.

    You know, oh, this is what I’m doing on Wednesday. This one I’m doing on Thursday. This is what I’m doing on Friday. Like, everything was mapped out for me. So easy. Yeah. Oh my God. And so much fun.

    Tamar: It was fun. 

    Lane: I think those early years were so much

    Tamar: I rode that pink cloud for the good first year.

    So when, when was the, I have to ask this question, when was the first time you danced sober and was it. 

    Lane: I have no idea. I cannot remember that at all. Hmm. I cannot remember. I’m sure. I went out to a club and there we were dancing awkwardly and I didn’t get up at the bar. Right. Like I had a really, I don’t know. I don’t know when it was when I started dancing.

    Tamar: I went to an event. I think it was probably about nine months in and danced for the first time.

    And I was like, oh wow. This, uh, don’t feel as good as I used to. Like, it almost felt rusty, but you know what I was with, like the people that I was with at the time. I mean, yes,

    Lane: Yes, I know I’m, I’m having a memory, uh, There was a barbecue or a party that I was introduced to. And that’s where I dance. I just had this flashback of it.

    And I was maybe six months sober because I got sober, you know, at the end of the year. So it was like June, you know, come summertime, summertime fun with the pool parties and in Los Angeles. Girls are topless in little bikinis, lots of chips and guac, and no margaritas.

    Tamar: And you don’t need that to have fun. 

    Lane: No, no, no. We were just like playing pool, like in the pool, playing with the ball. Ridiculous. You know, barbecuing, the music was always loud. It was great.

    Tamar: I think that perception, right? Cause we’re we go like it’s like we glorify drinking that in some fun activity. And I feel for kids actually in teens right now that look at adults and think, wow, they’re having fun.

    Like, that must mean that if I do that, I’m going to have fun, which as we know, can get you into that way younger. And you’re more susceptible to substance abuse, but like, there’s this perception that when you don’t drink, you’re not going to have fun anymore. And I remember. That first year being around other server people and just laughing so hard, I was crying and the feeling you get in your body from that.

    And I still do that today. I mean, we did that the other day and it’s like that feeling, it just sits with you and you’re like, that felt so good. Yeah. Like we missed out on all that.

    Lane: Yeah. Completely missed out on that when you’re drinking. Yeah. But now we get like double doses. Now when I’m laughing, I am full-body belly laughing.

    Yeah. So good. What have I ever laughed like this before? Because this ever right. Like, I’ll always go back to that. Like, I haven’t laughed as hard and, uh, but it’s, it’s such a unique experience and feeling to just be in the present moment and just enjoy that laughter and the, whatever it is that’s happening. Whatever it is. I mean, Adrian and I laugh all the time and just like jokes, right? He’s such a joker.

    Tamar: Yeah. Well, you do try and cheat at board games. I don’t cheat. It’s a misunderstanding,

    Lane: so, okay. Play and fun, play and fun. What else? So we can have fun in early recovery. We can have fun at five years of recovery, 10, 15, and 20, it just looks different. Right. Cause what I’m doing now, doesn’t look anything like a five-year-old recovery person or even a 20-year-old person. It’s just different. My funniest changes because also like, yes, I’ve matured in my recovery from aging forward. It’s a perspective of like what fun is or what play is and plays one of my values. So it’s really important for me thinking things. 

    Tamar: So give us some examples. What do you do for fun today and play a lot, blah, blah, blah?

    Lane: I bought tickets for the music. And I had one of my sober sisters meet me there. That was super fun. Um, I just bought burlesque tickets, which is going to be an amazing show. Um, travel is amazing fun. Yup. Uh, when I think about the play though, like I need to keep play front and center in my mind, like the, uh, kind of more extreme sports, the ATV. The rock bouldering, the zip-lining, you know, the white rat, white water rafting. I like, get me going, like, let’s do this. Let’s I have not jumped out of a plane yet. And I don’t think I want to do that. 

    Tamar: That’s scary. 

    Lane: Yeah. I’m not there. No, I don’t think that’s where I want to go. But for me, it’s like having an adventure and then being, just going back to being in the present moment. Witnessing like my son playing or at like, right. It’s just being in that present moment and being aware of like, oh my God, this is so fun. Or this is ridiculous. Yeah. What about you?

    Tamar: One of the things I started doing regularly is having people over for a games night, once a month. And then I’m part of another sober group that does it once a month as well.

    And we picked different things to do. And like we’ll pick the most. Our goal is always to bring a new, bizarre game into the fold and it’s always like everybody’s cheeks hurt, like, and. It’s so much fun and it’s so simple. And the other thing is that the group that I hang out with a lot of them are very, they like to set goals.

    They like, you know, like, um, two of my friends right now are, are competing in a fitness competition this weekend. So a bunch of us are going out there to support and be their cheerleader. And then we’re all going out for dinners. Okay. Do you have pom-poms? No, we don’t, but I’m sure we’ll get something. You have to get some pompoms.

    What is it? That’s tomorrow? 

    Lane: Look it up on YouTube,

    Tamar: But we’re like when we go to these things because all of us are doing things right. Have a lot of the stuff that I do online. Uh, my friends would come and support me on that kind of stuff. And we do the same and we’re like the loudest people in the room.

    Like we don’t even need alcohol at the restaurant tomorrow night. We will be the loudest people there. It’s fun. It is fun.

    Lane: And it’s nice to have again, I go back to that crew or the community, like being able to do that with others. So good. Yes. Getting into that group. Uh, we used to have a really big group of crazy.

    Again, we’d go bowling and bowling is not the coolest thing, but it’s super cool when you have a bunch of people in recovery bowling. Cause they’d take it seriously.

    Tamar: I know we’re very competitive people,

    Lane: Very competitive, but playful and fun, so good. Uh, but there’s something to be said about that. Available, like just that statement being available to enjoy and play because a lot of people will get stuck in like, what are they going to think of me? Uh, what if I say something wrong? What if I do something wrong? What if I look stupid? There’s a lot of talking in the brain, um, that causes problems and keeps you away from that fun. Time takes time just saying time, takes time.

    But I think it’s a gift that you want to give yourself and just jump in both feet, plan something, both feet in. I’m going to do this. I’m going to call six of my girls and we’re going to plan a trip to Vegas. I’m going to go off. And I’m going to be like, just, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to get the most outrageous outfit. How fun is that? Okay, wait a minute. Let’s talk about that. 

    Lane: Get crazy outfits I’m in. Yes. Okay. If you’re listening and you want to go to meet us in Vegas. Go on to your server. Now, what, ask a question and just say, I want to go to Vegas,

    Tamar: let’s do a poll

    Lane: Or join the community.

    Tamar: It’s happening. It’s happening.

    Lane: How great would that be? That would be so much fun.

    Tamar: And we’re doing a retreat next year. So make sure there’s going to be, you know, what I’d love to do at the retreat. I know a lot of it’s going to be mindfulness and stuff, but I think at night we should do like a silent. Oh, yeah.

    Do you know how fun it is? I mean, when you’re listening to music and you’re, you know, have the headphones on and dancing, that’s great. But how funny it is to take off the headphones and not hear the music and watch

    that, that was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Yeah. So the event will have a silent disco,

    Lane: silent disco, for sure. Yeah. Uh, Vegas for sure.

    Tamar: I mean, what else let’s do that? I think you know what, one of my favorite things, and I did this in high school too. I was a total shit in high school, but I love to make people laugh.

    Your joke. I’m a joker. It’s just, it. There are lots of things that light me up about life. 

    Lane: You’re a joker. Do you tell jokes or do you do like intentionally set up jokes?

    Tamar: Okay. So I don’t tell jokes. 

    Lane: I don’t tell jokes because like my son, he knows jokes, right? Yeah. He’s like trying to no jokes.

    He’ll learn a new joke and he’ll come home and tell me, I’m always like work on the delivery buddy, but that was a great joke.

    Tamar: I’m not, I don’t remember. Like I’ll always mess up the punchline or whatever sort of joke jokes are not my thing, but I will joke around about things or situations, you know, um, when I’m having a conversation with a friend and we say something and I’m not afraid to poke fun at myself, got it.

    And do silly things to make them laugh because I believe that laughter is so incredibly healing. Yes. That is my mission in life, right. Is to make people smile. Like I want to make people smile.

    Lane: Well, your mission in life is to make ladies, people want the life they love. So they never go back. 

    Tamar:  Yes that is my mission.

    Right? Like that’s your mission. There is laughter. It’s part of that. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Cause if you hang out, we’ll laugh. We’ll laugh. 100%.

    Lane: Uh, can we just get back to play for a minute? I think I think we’re missing something with play. We were going down that path about not thinking you were good enough or not enjoying because let’s just women in recovery.

    I’m just going to say, women, um, are very heady and, uh, oftentimes not very kind to themselves. Yeah. We’ll stop the fun. So besides just jumping in the middle of the boat and saying, I’m going to do this, what’s something else. What’s a baby step. She can take<

    Tamar: To learn how to play?

    Lane: I caught you off guard. Seriously.

    Tamar: Yeah, you did. One for lane one, nothing. Why don’t you start us off and then I’ll get my brain like.

    Lane: So I think again, calling the friend, like having that core community of friends and just running things by. Like I’m thinking about, I want to go out of my, like the lines here. I want to push myself and I want to go to Vegas. It’s going to make me. So being saying the plan, saying it out loud, like including somebody in this vision of the play. So then the friend can cause you to know, the friends probably like, like I am like, let’s go.

    Oh, okay. So having that kind of energy to bounce off them and then they know like, oh yeah, Karen, she’s a little shy. She might need some support. Right. So telling your friend, like I need a little support. I want to have fun. I want to, I want to put more play into my life. How do I do this? I want to go to Vegas.

    Tamar: I think community too because I think that, you know, when I’m around and this is, this is interesting because when I’m around people that I know well, they, if I tell them I’m shy, they laugh at me because they’re like, you’re not shy. Like you will go out and I will flirt with anyone. Right. That’s just who I am.

    Like, I go to the checkout. I will flirt. Like, I just, I don’t know why, but I just, I have this thing with flirting. That’s why I haven’t stayed single for very long. 

    Lane: So I’m trying to keep even imagining you being a flirt. This is so interesting. I can’t wait to go to Vegas with you, I know. Well, we’re going soon.

    Tamar:  So, but like I, you know, I remember being at a concert with another sober sister once and she was like, I can’t. Yeah, right. And I think flirting is very playful. And so we were at a, we were at a concert and two cute guys were sitting, you know, standing within 10 feet. And she’s like, I want to learn how to flirt.

    Like, you’re good at it. Let’s show me something. And I said, okay, we’re going to walk up. So we’re close to them and something will probably happen. And then we’ll just, we have to find something funny to say, So some drunk guy came in the middle of us and kind of like almost built his beer on the really cute guy. And he turned around, I’m like, do you want me to go beat the crap out of him because I’ll do that for you. And he’s like, would you? And I said, yeah, obviously you have great hair and he’s like, fuck you. And so they turned around and started laughing and they’re like, can we buy you a drink? Now? Of course, we weren’t drinking.

    We’re like, oh, that’s cool. But thanks. And we talked with them the whole show. I mean, they had girlfriends. The act of flirting was very playful. 

    Lane: And I think that I call that just being friendly.

    Tamar: So do I, but it was pointed out to me that that was flirting. Oh, maybe that’s my problem. Yeah. But, you know, I think that it’s, it matters who we surround ourselves with because when we surround ourselves with people who we trust that we know we can do something crazy and they’re either going to laugh or be like, oh dear, but they’re not going to judge us for it and not shame us for it.

    That allows us those baby steps to come out of our shells. Yes. 

    Lane: Get on the bandwagon, meet us in Vegas, made us in Vegas dates will be short. 

    Tamar: So the cool thing is we have a, uh, challenge.

    Lane: Yeah. We’re going to do the fun challenge. Playful challenge. You have to be in the community though.

    Lane: Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, it’s, you know, the cost of a chai latte.

    Tamar: I’m like you made it sound so sad. Five bucks, five

    Lane: bucks to support the show and become a member and then have fun with the challenge. And then you can always go back to the challenge, but then you can always go back to all kinds of other things that are inside the community.

    So let’s talk about this, uh, 30-day challenge that we’re running right now around. What’s going on with it. 

    Tamar: So if you listened to the connected calm moment podcast,

    Lane: Are you listening to it? 

    Tamar: I hope you are. And it’s just, it’s just three to four minutes. So if you seriously, if you’re one of those people, that’s like, I love podcasts, but I have no time to listen to podcasts.

    This is the podcast that you need to listen to. Yes. So

    Lane: three minutes, four minutes at max.

    Tamar: Every week in June, if you listen on Saturday, we’re going to be talking about our challenge. So the first week, are we going to tell them what fun we’re doing? No, I don’t think we should give that away.

    No, no, no, no. Giving that away. So every week we’re going to be doing something fun that you can partake in and you never know, there might be prizes.

    Lane: There are prizes. I love prizes. It’s fun. It’s playful. So you’re going to want to join the connected, calm life, uh, and get in on this super fun challenge.

    It’s for a month it’s for a month. And I think there’s something also about also, I want to say that, you know, fun, it’s like a skill set, honestly. You have to use your muscles to use it. It’s like mindfulness, you have to use your empathy. You have to use your compassion. You have to use the present moment, right?

    It’s a skill set that you learn how to use and sobriety in recovery. It’s like we forget because we get stuck on the railroad track or just like, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot one way. This is it, right? It’s just like the same thing every day, every day in and out. Choo choo choo. That’s another one for you, all you moms who I love, uh, we don’t want to be that way.

    We want to invite you to explore the unlimited possibilities of play.

    Tamar: So join us. That’ll be fun. And then you’ll find out more about Vegas too. If you’re in the county, I’m stoked about God. I know.

    Lane: Yes. I mean, we could do that in July. I mean, hello? I think so. My birthday, boom!

    Tamar: Lane’s birthday in Vegas.

    Yes. So if you join the community, obviously you’re going to have a lot of fun. We’ve got retreats. We’ve got weekly gatherings. There’s so much stuff in the courses. 

    Lane: Yeah. There’s a lot of stuff. Meditations, mindfulness.

    Tamar: There’s a lot. If you want to change your life, come join us. Yeah. That’s what it is, huh?

    Right? Yeah. You’re sober. No one will give you the now. Yeah. And we have the academy coming up the academy. 

    Lane: You want to talk about that?

    Tamar: I would like to talk about that a little bit. Okay. Do it. So we like neuroscience, meditation hypnotherapy. So just imagine a journey if you will, of getting more clarity and direction in your life, you know, so if you’re kind of at the point where you’re like now, Yeah, right.

    Maybe you’re a mom and you’re like, I’m doing everything for everyone else. Like what about me? What makes me happy? I know a lot of people, not just mothers that suffer from that, but if you want to gain more clarity and direction in your life, the first part of the now what academy is going to be focused on that purpose flow values, which are important.

    And I think that’ll, that’ll help you set goals. And then we go through, this is I’m so excited about this. Then Lane’s going to take over and do teach you about meditation. Can you talk a little bit about it’s way more than

    Lane: It’s more than that. I mean, that’s, you know, I was thinking about this today of how like people think, oh, meditation I’ll take five minutes, but when you, when somebody steps into making a drastic change, which I think the, now what a cat.

    Invites you to do. It’s like, you’re at that point. And you could be like two years sober, five years over 20 are sober 30 or sober, right? It’s like you’re at that place in your life where you want something different because what you’ve been doing is done and tired. So when I talk about meditation, mindfulness, and breathwork, it’s, you’re going inside to have a total shift of perspective.

    So working with, again, with the beliefs and what Tamara is talking about, and then this internal dialogue you will start to have transformation. A will occur guaranteed, like guaranteed to work. 

    Tamar: Yep. And it’s, it’s mind-blowing. I did a hypnotherapy session with you and I cried after like I bawled and I was like, what’s happening.

    Right, but it was good. Like, I got the sense of freedom and it was like, oh, and actually since then, because this has been part of my journey. I have not been Jay once since that. Right. So imagine the behavioral change part, the beliefs, the mindset, emotional intelligence, subconscious mind, right. Priming our environment and neuroplasticity, like actually understanding how your brain works and why we do what we do and how we can change it.

    It’s so fun.

    Lane: It’s I’m just thinking about learning for me. I’m one of these people that I love to learn, so it’s fun. And there’s something about how you teach and how I teach it, that makes to play. Like there’s an element of play within this because of who we are. Right. So it’s not like you’re going to a class.

    You’re like, oh my God, just boring. Super fun. Now, what academy is waiting for you? That’s all I have. I’m done.

    Tamar: That’s going to be our intro song. I’m going to do a sound clip of that and put that on the website. So you can go to the website right now. We have a waitlist. If you go to www.thenowwhatacademy.com. You can

    put yourself on the waitlist. And you’re going to get a discount if you put yourself on that’s right. 

    Lane: Yeah. Get on the list. 

    Tamar: Yep. It’s coming fun with us. I know. We’ll teach you how to do it. 

    Lane: Drinking is not an option. Hurting yourself is not an option, but playing and having fun are both high priorities. I hope that you will take the next. I don’t know, five minutes, 10 moments, and just reflect on how you could have some really fun moments either today, tomorrow, or this weekend. Yeah. I’m really glad to be here. 

    Tamar: I know I’m so glad to be here. I’m so glad we did this. And if you, go back to the website that youresobernowwhat.com hit the ask us button. If you, if you like, you can ask us anything, ask us any questions to suggest any topics, but also tell us how you have fun, because we’ll share that out and then we can give more people fun.

    Yeah. Yeah. Perfect. That’s a wrap.

    Lane: I think that’s a wrap just like that. Thanks for being with us. Make sure to subscribe and hang out with us and we’ll see you soon.


    Listen:

    Apple Podcasts * Spotify * Google Podcasts


    RECOVERY PODCASTLAND: There are so many solid, binge-worthy podcasts out there. But with new episodes coming out weekly, it’s impossible to keep up.  The Sober Curator is here to help as we’re busy curating and creating original podcast content with recovery in mind.

    Sober Curator Pro Tip: For a quick hit of recovery, listen to our recommended podcasts when you’re driving, walking your dogs, working out, cleaning the house, working on a craft project, getting ready in the morning, or making a meal.


    Resources Are Available

    If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

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    Tamar Routly
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    Tamar Routly is the founder of Podcast Impact Studio, where she helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs stop performing and start connecting. A podcast producer, coach, and woman in recovery, Tamar knows that the most powerful stories are the ones we’ve been afraid to tell. She’s here because this community gets it — and so does she.

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