Friday Conversations: Annie Grace

Annie Grace’s Book is Not About Alcohol

Okay; Annie’s book This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness, and Change Your Life actually IS about alcohol. But in my opinion, it’s about alcohol in the same sense that Hemingway’s classic The Old Man and the Sea is about fishing. Sure, Hemingway wrapped his tale in the metaphors of fishing, but the story is about fighting a colossal battle against an almost impossible set of foes and difficult circumstances, believing in himself, and ultimately overcoming all those challenges and inspiring others with his story.

Annie’s story is one of overcoming an unhealthy relationship with alcohol (hint: there is actually no “healthy” relationship with alcohol). She decided to dive into researching it on her own, to try and understand her own behavior and take back control of her own life. It wasn’t easy, but she’s now eight years into her new, free life, and she’s changing the world.

I’m going to do a Self-Brain Surgery Saturday episode about alcohol sometime. But for today, let Annie show you how she found a path to freedom through research and a commitment to discovering the truth. Here’s what she now believes, in her own words:

* I believe (and the science says!) that a positive approach is far more effective than a negative approach.

* Scare tactics & willpower don’t work over the long term and true, lasting change comes from positive desire.

* As a first step we must put down the weapons of shame and blame. Let ourselves off the hook and then understand our power.

* We are not powerless. In fact, the more we know and understand, the more powerful we become.

* There is no ‘right way’, but I have found that the path to changing your thinking, and therefore your desire, can be the most fun and least painful way to change.

Here’s the “official” story from her great website:

At 26, Annie Grace was the youngest Vice President in a multinational company’s history, and her drinking career began in earnest; by 35, she was in a global C-level marketing role, responsible for 28 countries. Drinking close to two bottles of wine a night became a ritual. Annie Grace’s professional success came at a personal price she no longer wanted to pay. She knew alcohol was no longer serving her. Yet, she didn’t want to suffer through life in a daily battle for sobriety, feeling deprived and constantly trying to avoid temptation.

Annie Grace revamped her own relationship with alcohol — she stripped it of its power and changed her beliefs about booze being a reward — and today she helps others across the globe do the same. Her approach helps people where rehabs have not. She’s created a brand new way to look at the role of alcohol in our lives, establishing a safe space for those who question their drinking but haven’t self-diagnosed as alcoholics stuck in denial of an incurable disease. Annie Grace preaches compassion, knowing its power over shame and blame is the best way to achieve lasting change. And, she offers a proven alternative to the largely ineffective recipe for so-called “success”—the one that says anything less than 100% abstinence is failure. Annie Grace doesn’t teach people how to be sober; she helps them quash their desire to drink in the first place.

Annie’s 30-day Alcohol Experiment is, in her words, “An effortless way to interrupt your patterns, restore your health and get back in touch with the version of yourself that didn’t need alcohol to relax or enjoy life.” She’s helped millions of people around the world break free from the power of alcohol, nicotine, and other behaviors that limit lives and steal joy. You can try it for free here:

Annie Grace’s official photo

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