Dear Sober Queens,
would lay it one brick at a time with one of those little levels with the bubble in the middle and it took us a year. My brother and I after school and all through the winter. ”Oprah : “At one time, you all were complaining about the wall. This is the moment when your father walks in and says…. ”Will : “Yeah. He snatched the brick out of my hand and said 'look, stop thinking about the wall, there ain't no wall. It's just THIS BRICK. CONCENTRATE ON THIS BRICK. Lay one brick perfectly, then go to the next brick and lay that one perfectly. Stop thinking about the wall, there ain't no wall. Slowly, the lesson dawned on me, as soon as I was thinking of one brick, and yes it was a small idea, I thought, of course I can lay one brick perfectly, and then I can lay the next brick perfectly and that idea blossomed in my mind and it became the single most critical thing I have ever experienced in my life when anything happens and it becomes overwhelming, I stop and think one brick. Over the past thirty years, like all of us, I have dealt with failure, loss, humiliation, divorce, death. I've had my life threatened, my money taken away from me, my privacy invaded, my family disintegrated. Every single day, still, I got up, mixed concrete and laid another brick. No matter what you are going through, there is always another brick sitting right there in
front of you, waiting to be laid. The only question is, are you going to get up and lay it." - Will Smith That was a real BOOM moment for me last year as I wax daily about doing the next right thing and so often women go….BUT….. and I tell them keep it simple. Make tea. Connect with a meeting if you need it. Chat to a sober friend about the weather or your feelings - whatever is the next right thing to protect your golden ticket - YOUR sobriety. Stop looking at the wall and see the wall of sobriety is built, one brick at time. Each connection, morning email, the magazine, the voices of wisdom in support meetings and chat groups - ALL OF IT is a brick that you can control and can place in the wall that is a peaceful perimeter of sober sisterhood in a week that be chaotic and crazy so ladies, I urge you to pick up one brick, the wall will take care of itself.
Last year, before THAT punch, Will Smith's book has been described by Oprah as the best memoir she has ever read and in her Apple TV interview with him, it certainly did not fail to deliver on nuggets of hard fought wisdom from Will's life. It is not a sober book which in many ways is refreshing as my brain often hits the wall on absorption of more information and facts. In the interview with Oprah last year he tells the most powerful of stories about his childhood and I remember thinking BOOM as he tells what he believes to be, the greatest lesson of his life. Will Smith speaking of his Dad says… “ On the side he had an ice business, so he had a shop. The wall was crumbling, so he wanted me and my brother Harry…he wanted us to both to rebuild the wall as he thought this would be a good job for both of us. ”Oprah : “So you were nine years old at the time? Harry is three years younger. ”Will : “He gets us started, does the demo and tears the whole thing down, it's probably about 12ft high and 20ft long and he wants us to build it one brick at a time. And it was as demoralising seeing the hole when he tore the wall down and we knew we were going to have to build this wall.. I was certain that I was going to live and die building the wall. He had us mixing the concrete out on the sidewalk and would we
Lots of love,
Susan x
HOLA SOBER | MADRID
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