This is the first post in a series, so far, of four posts.

Depending on who we are and what we believe, the human mind can be anything from a beautiful place of wonder, awe and love to a cesspool of depravity.  The rarities are the poles.  Call it the notion that there’s a bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of bad in the best of us.

Either way, and wherever one fits on the spectrum, our conscious minds consist of thoughts. How the thoughts get there, God only knows, and I certainly don’t care.  To me, they just happen and knowing this is good enough.

It’s what we do with these thoughts that makes a difference.

Not unlike the poles mentioned earlier, betwixt good and bad, we also have a wide spectrum of what thoughts mean to people.  Take my wife, who truly believes that almost every thought that enters her head has validity and should be pondered.  There are others who could be bothered, if they cared.  The same rules apply here.  Most of us are somewhere in the middle.  The closer you get to the poles, the rarer the air.

This series of posts will be have to do with what I’ve learned about my brain over the last 20 years and change of sobriety, and how I learned to deal with my thoughts as they pertain to my very real and nefarious alcoholism.  This series, the concept behind dealing with thoughts, does not require one be an alcoholic.

I have no degree in psychology or psychiatry.  I am a professional only in my day job – and in that alcoholism, whether you believe it is a disease or not, is one of the nastiest, most destructive problems of the mind and body we know of.  Half of the “disease”, if you will allow me the dalliance, involves thought, reaction to thought and obsession.  By the way, it’s that obsession part that renders willpower utterly useless, for those who don’t know.

What I am offering is not necessarily an end of “stinkin’ thinkin’, I do not believe there is an end zone that one can cross, but a complete mastery of it, which thereby ends the toxicity.  I started out applying these principles to alcoholism, found they worked so well that I should apply them to all aspects of my life.  The following is why I’m such a happy guy…

Finally, for those who have an overactive mind, with a fair amount of practice, there is a fair chance you can end up with peace and quiet. I’m talking about the ability to shut down the hamster wheel in our head, at will.

No gimmicks, no silly posing or body movements, no special tricks and no smoke and mirrors. No bullshit.

I know this works, because I was once hopeless. Today, I’m free… or close enough to it to jump up and down and be happy…

I had no choice in learning this, for me it was life or death. Then it became misery or happiness. I chose life and happiness, and will pass on what I’ve learned. Free of charge, for anyone who can use it.

There is light at the end of this tunnel and it isn’t a train. It’s freedom. And freedom is sexy, baby.

Stay tuned….