Everybody experiences dark times in their lives. Many people are experiencing those dark times right now, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it requires a significant change in order to see you through the darkness and into a brighter future. Today’s guest has some experience with that sort of change.  Dr. Dominika Uhrikova was on day number 273 of her alcohol-free journey at the time when this podcast was recorded. A year ago, Dominika says that she was very depressed, in such a dark place that she wasn’t sure that she would be able to go on for another year. But now, in 2020, despite all of the unique challenges of this year, she says that she’s experiencing her best year yet.  “I am doing great. I am doing amazing. I know it may sound fake. But this is actually how I feel, and I didn’t always feel this way.” In today’s episode, Dominika explains that alcohol was always a part of her life. She came from a culture that normalized social drinking to a large extent, and she was influenced by that culture. She found herself in difficult circumstances – embroiled in a toxic relationship, feeling depressed, unsure of her own ability to reliably interpret her own experiences, and feeling largely out of control of her own life. She needed to make a change. So one day, Dominika booked a flight to Bali and there, she got to work on uncovering the root causes of her problems.  Before she left Bali, she joined One Year No Beer, knowing that it wasn’t enough for her to spend a month far away from home working on herself – she needed a community and ongoing support after she returned home as well. For Dominika, One Year No Beer was that community and provided the support that she needed.  Dominika discusses how One Year No Beer, especially the online community, helped her and provided her with support and resources. Not only did she become a part of the community, but she also elected to join a MasterMind program as well, after she was no longer feeling regular cravings for alcohol. She discusses what she learned about herself during this program. Dominika also shares some of the hobbies and interests she’s been developing along the way during her alcohol-free journey, and what she sees for herself in the future. Listen in to learn more about Dominika’s experiences and progress in the ONYB community and in the MasterMind program.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode of the One Year No Beer podcast is hosted by a guest host, Chris Laping. Chris is sitting in for Ruari and Jen Fairburns as they take some time to mourn the recent loss of Ruari’s father. In this episode, you’ll hear Chris interview his wife, Kristine Laping, about her One Year No Beer journey. Chris and Kristine begin the discussion by talking about the reasons why Kristine decided to make a change in her relationship with alcohol. As Kristine explains, an outside observer may have questioned why she wanted to make that kind of change in her lifestyle in the first place. She was doing well outwardly – she’d achieved professional success, was in a stable relationship, and was a loving parent. She was active and maintained a healthy diet. Although drinking was an everyday occurrence for Kristine, she also maintained boundaries, like not drinking before dinner time. But Kristine also had some health issues – that disappeared after she stopped drinking – and was starting to experience severe hangovers, even when she didn’t drink very much. And she became concerned with her own preoccupation with drinking. “All of that to say, I really took that life experience and now that I'm alcohol-free, I am able to just look at life a lot differently.” Kristine first gave up drinking for a few weeks at the suggestion of an acupuncturist, who she was seeing for a health issue. However, that attempt to stop drinking entirely. It was Chris who first discovered One Year No Beer, and when he decided to give the 28-day challenge a try, Kristine decided that she would do the same. After completing the 28-day challenge, they decided to go back to drinking in moderation, but it soon became clear to Kristine that moderation just wasn’t working for her. So, she decided to go back to One Year No Beer for a longer challenge. From that point, Kristine became more involved and invested in the One Year No Beer community, and started to really notice the benefits of abstaining from alcohol entirely. Listen in to hear more about how Kristine’s journey progressed over the past two years, working with the Mastermind program, and what she has to say to members who are new to the alcohol-free challenge.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Schapper leads an interesting life. He’s a musician who plays with a band, and an academic who’s currently working on writing a book. And on top of that, he’s a dad and a husband. He’s also a One Year No Beer member who’s joining today’s podcast to discuss what his alcohol-free journey has been like.  Drew joined One Year No Beer in September 2018 and has about 520 days alcohol-free as of this recording. In today’s interview, he explains that he’d been a binge drinker since he was about 13 years old. He found himself struggling with binge drinking as time went on, and he found himself doing things that were putting his marriage in jeopardy.  “Initially, I was so worried about what people would think and all this kind of stuff, but then I realized they’re wrapped up in their own things, problems, and whatever.” Drew talks about what it was like for him to find One Year No Beer and start his alcohol-free journey. He initially looked into AA but found that it wasn’t the right fit for him. However, he liked the challenge aspect of OYNB and decided to give that a try instead. He started out with a 28-day challenge and moved on to three months and then a year.  Drew credits the community at One Year No Beer with helping him when he felt like he might be ready to backslide. He describes going out with his band to perform shortly after he started his alcohol-free journey and seeing the pints of beer in the venue where he was performing. He knew that he wanted to drink and turned to the ONYB forum for help to resist, and that was what got him through the crisis.  Listen in to hear more about Drew’s journey, his work and writing, and how he benefitted from and contributed to the One Year No Beer community.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the idea of creating spaces for people who want to change their relationship with alcohol continues to grow, it’s only natural that people will start to create spaces for those who want to change their relationship with alcohol and also have life experiences and perspectives that are outside of the majority. That’s what today’s guest, Scott Pearson, is doing with Proud and Sober, an online social platform geared toward supporting those in the LGBT+ community who have decided to change their relationships with alcohol.  In today’s episode, Scott describes his own experiences with getting sober. He explains that he knew when he was 25 that he needed to stop drinking, but he grappled with the decision for a couple of years before finally giving the alcohol up for good. He talks about the specific challenges faced by people in their 20s who want to give up drinking in an alcohol-soaked youth culture.  “I just woke up one morning after way too many drinks the night before and I knew that that was it.” Scott discovered that there was a sober community out there that was willing to help and support people on their journey to becoming alcohol-free, and that community helped him on his journey as well. However, he also found that there were far fewer young people speaking about the experience of giving up alcohol. He also discovered that there weren’t many LGBT+ people who were talking publicly about what it was like to give up drinking. Scott wanted to hear more of those voices, and that desire is what gave him the idea to work on creating Proud and Sober.  In today’s interview, Scott also talks about the importance of allyship, and what it really means to be an ally. He describes situations that he experienced when he felt alone and could have used an ally. He also speaks about the universal nature of allyship – how the definition of allyship is fundamentally the same to the Black community, the LGBT+ community, the Jewish community, and so on. He discusses the actions that an ally should take and how they can speak up for the communities that they’re allied with. Listen to the episode to hear more about Scott’s journey and his goals for the future.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Scott Pearson’s Links Website: https://www.proudandsober.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proudandsober/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year No Beer can change your relationship with alcohol. But it can also open the door for you to change your life on even more fundamental levels, and that’s what you’ll hear discussed in today’s episode.  In today’s show, Ruari speaks with Chris Laping, Jen, and Damien about the MasterMind program. Chris begins by sharing his One Year No Beer journey and how he got involved in the leadership of the MasterMind program. He explains how he was drawn to the MasterMind program in the first place and what it was like to jump into it. He describes what happens during the MasterMind program and what parts of the program he was most affected by. He also talks about the changes and reactions that he sees from others who are going through the MasterMind program.  “Sometimes, the smallest tweaks in our life create a breakthrough.” Jen joins the group to talk about her own experiences with OYNB and joining the MasterMind program. Jen is a 365, One Year No Beer Legend and she also participated during every single day of her time in the MasterMind program. She explains that she almost decided not to sign up for the program, but that doing so was the right decision because it helped her get past the hump in her alcohol-free journey. She explains what changed for her and what surprised her about her experience in the MasterMind program.  Damien was part of the April MasterMind program. He explains where he was in his life when he found the One Year No Beer program – a driven corporate man, focused on success, who was looking for ways to improve himself, and specifically to get more time. Eventually, he came to the realization that what he needed to do was to stop drinking. He found the 28 Day Challenge on Amazon and later joined the online group. In March, he was still part of the group and working on staying alcohol-free, but he was at a low point in many ways. Around that time, he saw the ad for the MasterMind group and decided to go for it.  During today’s conversation, Ruari and the others also read and respond to comments from group members. Listen in to today’s episode for insights about how OYNB and MasterMind can help you change your life and make it into the life that you’ve always wanted.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB MasterMind Program: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/mastermind/ OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dani Stevens is a motivational speaker and a social media powerhouse. She runs a lifestyle website with a focus on health, wellness, and nutrition and has amassed a large following on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. She’s also a mom to four children. She joins the podcast today to talk about her life and her own personal journey with alcohol.  Dani is originally from Melbourne, Australia, and currently lives between Byron Bay and Gold Coast where, she explains, the sun shines 300 days a year. In today’s interview, Dani describes where it all started – how she had four children under the age of six, and how her life changed when she began using a hashtag on Instagram to talk about making healthy choices for her family.  “We’re here to really guide these humans because, in today’s world, there are just so many lost children because parents are lost.” Dani describes what it was like to suddenly have that recognition and what her goals are for posting about healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition. She talks about the importance of doing what you can do with the resources that you have available.  Dani also talks about her experiences with alcohol. Despite being known for speaking and posting about healthy choices, Dani developed a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol. She describes using alcohol to avoid things that she couldn’t cope with, to numb herself, and to avoid searching within to find answers about the things that were bothering her. Things came to a head for Dani when her oldest son called her on the contradiction between her messages to others about healthy living and her own unhealthy behaviors.  At the time of this recording, Dani has 148 days of sobriety. She talks about what she learned about drinking from watching her parents and how children generally learn from their parents’ actions and behaviors. She talks about the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people and the difficulties of navigating social situations when you’re not drinking. She also discusses some of the projects that she’s working on and things that she’s looking forward to.   LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  DANI STEVENS’S LINKS Website: https://danistevens.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danistevens/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danistevens/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks to the tragic killing of a black man by a white police officer in Minnesota, the world is experiencing a period of unrest – and perhaps of enlightenment as well. People around the world are questioning their own beliefs about race and the way that their institutions handle racial issues and conflict. The conversations that have sprung up from this incident and the subsequent outcry of protests and demonstrations are often difficult, but they’re necessary. Today’s guest, Andre Norman, has his own story to tell and an important perspective to contribute.  Andre Norman’s story isn’t what most people would expect. Andre grew up in poverty, underachieved in school, and started down a path of criminality in middle school. As a young man, Andre was sentenced to over a hundred years in prison, and there he became known as one of the top gang leaders in his state. It looked as though that was going to be his life for the rest of his life, however long that happened to be. But then something changed.  “I got a whole building full of people with the same capacity, have the same skill set, but the world doesn't see them as valuable.” Andre describes his moment of epiphany as God speaking to him. It was just a brief statement, but it was long enough for Andre to reconsider what he was doing, and it sparked a change. Instead of fighting other prisoners, Andre began fighting to get out and to become successful. He set goals for himself. He was going to get out. He was going to go to Harvard. He was going to be a success. And he didn’t just set goals, he made a plan to achieve those goals. He got his GED. He attended counseling and anger management. He spent time in the law library of the prison, learning the law.  And Andre’s plans were successful. He worked long and hard on himself, and 14 years later, he was let out of prison. He became a Harvard fellow and an international speaker. He’s known as the Ambassador of Hope. He’s negotiated with riot leaders in prisons. He teaches other prisoners how they can turn their lives around. He works with families who have experienced tragedy, such as the father of Michael Brown from Ferguson, Missouri.  In today’s episode, Andre shares his story in his own words, and talks about the meaning of privilege and the effects of racism on Black people and Black communities. Andre also talks about his work with people who are struggling with addictions and other difficulties. Andre’s message is uniquely suited for this moment in history, so listen in to hear it in his own words.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  ANDRE NORMAN’S LINKS Andre Norman’s Website: https://andrenorman.com/  Andre on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrenorman21 Andre on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrenorman/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s always interesting to hear the stories of regular people who change their relationship with alcohol and end up changing their lives in the process. What can you do when you’re not being held back by alcohol? Could you have amazing adventures and achieve physical feats that you previously didn’t believe you were capable of? Today’s guest did.  When Athena Simpson decided to give One Year No Beer a try, she was remembering a time in the past when she’d given up drinking for a significant period of time. She remembered what she felt like during that period, and she wanted to see if she could achieve that feeling again. She knew that she was drinking too much, so she decided to sign up for a One Year No Beer challenge and give that a try.  “I just remembered feeling superhuman and I wanted that feeling back.” The experience wasn’t without its difficulties. Athena says that she didn’t do much over the first month without alcohol, other than sleep. She recalls seeing others in the group who were further along in their alcohol-free journeys and wondering if she could achieve anything like that. But slowly, she started working on other parts of herself as well. One important thing she did was rejoin a class she had tried before – an aerial silks class that involved doing physical tricks with silks hanging from the ceilings. She remembers that when she’d taken the class before, she often came to class hungover and didn’t make much progress. Without the hangovers to contend with, she gained skills and became more and more interested in the activity. At the same time, Athena was struggling with both her working and living situation. Feeling empowered by her new skills and her success at staying alcohol-free, Athena decided to join a Circus Collective which allowed her to do a residency with circus performers, to live and train with them. She applied and was accepted and headed to Indonesia. As Athena says, she was literally running away to join the circus.  The residency was an amazing experience for Athena. She learned the routine, trained, sustained an injury and recovered, and even ended up performing on a mainstage at a Guatemalan New Year’s Eve festival.  Athena’s journey wasn’t all idyllic. In today’s interview, she discusses grappling with feelings of anger and learning tools to cope with periodic waves of depression. But she’s also had some incredible experiences and major personal growth. She’s gotten to do things that she probably never would have been able to do if she was still drinking regularly. And at the time of this episode, she’s reached 500 days alcohol-free. Athena’s story shows just how transformative an alcohol-free challenge can be.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Changing your relationship with alcohol is a process, and the more you understand about how your body works, how alcohol works, and what the interactions between alcohol and your body actually do, the more tools you’ll have available to you to make the adjustments that you need to make. Today’s guest, William Porter, has not only learned a lot about alcohol and how it works, but he’s also written a book on the subject to share the information.  William is the author of Alcohol Explained, and he joins the podcast today to talk about his own journey with alcohol and the process of writing the book, as well as answer some questions from the community about alcohol.  “I think if you understand something, you got a far better chance of getting to grips with it.” During today’s podcast, William talks about how he began drinking at a young age and how it impacted his life. He explains how he kept drinking even after he managed to quit smoking, and how the resources that helped him quit smoking weren’t quite as effective at helping him to give up alcohol. He discusses in detail what he learned about how alcohol affects the mind and body, why it’s so difficult to quit, and why it causes some of the feelings that it does.  William also talks about the reasons why he doesn’t recommend moderation and why he doesn’t believe that approaching alcohol with a moderation mindset works. He also answers some important questions about things like dealing with sugar cravings, how to talk to other people about drinking, and what kind of sober tools he uses.  LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/  WILLIAM PORTER’S LINKS Alcohol Explained: http://www.alcoholexplained.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever tried to get rid of a bad habit – or even develop a new good habit, you know how difficult it can be to change your behavior. Today’s guest has a lot to share about the real keys to success when it comes to changing behavior – and they’re not what you think.  BJ Fogg is the person behind the Fogg Behavior Model. If you’re not familiar with it, the Fogg Behavior Model is built around a simple formula: behavior change = (motivation)(ability)(prompts). Essentially, behavior happens when these three things come together at the same time: motivation, ability, and a prompt.  “If you wanted to play the guitar, for example, you wouldn’t sit down and try to play the hardest song. You would start with easier songs, develop skills, and then step up to something more challenging.” In today’s episode, BJ talks about changing behavior generally, and also about how his concepts of changing behavior can be applied to people who are trying to change their behavior as it pertains to alcohol. He also talks about the need for different approaches when it comes to untangling unwanted behavior. BJ also takes the time to talk about his own personal journey with alcohol. He’s been alcohol-free for two years now, and during today’s interview, he discusses living in wine country, learning to appreciate wine and drink socially as an adult, and why he decided to give it up. He also explains the benefits that he experienced by giving up alcohol. Listen to the episode to learn more about BJ’s professional expertise and personal experience. LINKS & RESOURCES  OYNB LINKS OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/ OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/ OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/ OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/ OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/ BJ FOGG’S LINKS BJ’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LC9KDP5/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices