Get Sober, Stay Sober, Have Fun In Sobriety- AA, NA

Alcoholics Anonymous

I'm not here to tell you what you should or shouldn't do.  However, I've become wildly successful after maintaining connections in the rooms.  I couldn't have done what I'm doing without continuously working the steps, staying in contact with a sponsor, and socializing with young adults my age in the rooms!  90 meetings in 90 days had an extremely compounded affect on my sobriety in the beginning.  It allowed me to stay connected with my peers, get outside doing stuff with positive people, encouragement to stay sober and it really had a ripple affect on my sobriety.  I felt more alive, more free and wise, grateful for everything I have and cleared my head from all the chaos that went on before my 90 in 90.  Speak up in meetings, be proud of your sobriety, honestly if I can do it, you can to.  Act as if you are a good person and soon enough you will become one.  You can't change your addiction in one day.  You can change your sobriety in 30 days.  Figuring out what goals I REALLY wanted, reasons for why I wanted them, and a plan of action really prepared me for building a strong network of sober friends, frequent contact with my sponsor and the willingness to turn my life over to a higher power.  Growing up I was a good kid, upbeat and optimistic, using led me down hill quickly, I acted out in childish way.  Everyone makes mistakes, therefore, I decided I wasn't alone and I said heck with it I'm going to give it a shot because it will be better than using.  I now know my hard work has payed off and continues to pay off in numerous ways.  There are countless people I've met throughout my journey who have seriously helped get me to where I am today.  If it weren't for them, I don't know where I would be.  Young in sobriety, is the beginning, not the end.  Know deep down what it is your fighting for.  You aren't the disease, you are, responsible for your sobriety.  When you fall down, land on your back, if you can look up, you can get up!  Never lose confidence, because it will lose you, if you have lost faith, act as you would if you were the most confident version of yourself and allow your brain to rewire itself.  The more bold decisions you make, the more assertive you become, the more you'll build new habits which allow you to rewire your brain.  You control the dopamine in your brain, if you want to be the happiest person ever, start faking it.  At some point, you'll increase, over time, the natural dopamine level in your brain for good!  At that point, it will be hard, to deplete it because you naturally built it up, so you'll feel so good, do really well, and take good care of yourself so falling back down wouldn't be an option.  Buster Douglas, beat Mike Tyson, his mom told all her friends in town her son was going to knock Mike Tyson out!  A couple of days before Buster Douglas fought, his mom passed away.  Before she died he didn't want her telling all of her friends that he was going to beat Mike Tyson, he knew the odds were against him and it was a slim to nothing chance that he'd get through three rounds.  After his mom died, he made a promise to himself, that he wouldn't let his mom down, and he was the first person to ever beat Mike Tyson!  This means a lot to me, it shows character, true colors and that if you put your mind to anything you can achieve it.  Never look at the odds, remember Buster Douglas, next time life smacks you in the face and find your reason to get back up and fight back and live the life you want! 

Benchmark Students How To Get Driven Around for FREE! ($20 dollars inside)

Hey for anybody who is in the Redlands and San Bernardino area I found an awesome promotion code that will gives you $20 dollars for free in Lyft credit!  Lyft is the better version of Uber.  Don't have a car and need free rides this summer?  Make sure to pass this promotion code onto your friends and family because every time you create a new account for Lyft after you put in this promotion code you'll be credited $20 immediately into your account! 

PROMOTION CODE = 100DOLLARPROMO

step 1) download lyft in app store

step 2) enter promo code -> 100DOLLARPROMO

step 3) get $20 dollars free instantly to ride downtown redlands or wherever you'd like

Second Nature Entrada

Tribe# 1

When I decided to go into the Wilderness I had no idea what Second Nature Entrada really was about or what I was getting myself into.  I'm a recovering alcoholic and discovered that if I didn't do anything about my disease I was going no where with my life.  It was one of the scariest yet worthwhile decisions I have ever made in my life.  I drove into Utah into a town called Saint George, where I checked in with the administration and submitted my request to go into the woods.  I realized at the time being that I was committing to anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks out in the wilderness.  My only alternative after signing the documents, stating that I am submitting myself to agree to all of the field restrictions and rules.  One being, if I decided that I wanted to leave, I wouldn't be offered a ride.  Matter of fact my only alternative would be to hike 40 or so miles out to the nearest town, which is Saint George.  In fact toward the end of my journey at the treatment in the woods, one of my friends from my tribe, number, one actually after graduating from his entire stay, hiked out of the woods, to Saint George.  He hiked over 80 miles, from the mountains in Nevada, to Utah Saint George in a matter of 4 days!  That's insane.  I learned so much while on my journey out there.  I literally transformed, into a better version of myself, my confidence sky rocketed, I was free from all of the garbage that was consuming energy from me.  It gave me a fresh new sight on life and as hard as it was .  Is as worth it it was.  In the next few months, I'll be writing a book, on the time I was in Second Nature Entrada, everything I saw out there, how I felt along the way and every detail on what I went through!  It will be a great read for anybody who's thinking about sending somebody there truly care about into treatment even if you just want a good read maybe like hiking or are yourself like I was considering on admitting yourself into a treatment center and want to learn more about one of the most intense life changing decisions I've ever made in my life.  Since then, I'm now focused on getting my bachelors degree in Business Communications at a 4 year school, have an intern 30 hours a week, with financial documentation and am wanting to create my own business soon!  Anyway if you like what you've read and think that you or someone you know might find this interesting, feel free to save this blog, or comment and I will do my best to get back to you answering any questions you might have!  I think everybody deserves a second shot at life, I think anonymity is something that's great, during times like these.  In the face of adversity; focus on the big idea, what is it that you want.  Really, because I'm chasing my dreams, I believe that that's what life is about.  I highly encourage everybody to take advantage of this new year.  To embrace sometimes once in a lifetime decision that can give you an.

Beware of Benchmark Transitions the young Adult School in Redlands, CA

There was a lot of secrets that I exposed to my parents that never left Benchmark Staff!

They were never revealed to existing and former students nor incoming prospects.......

PLEASE, talk to my parents before you witness what they hide. 

Janie and Don, don't give a damn about your kid. Every student will tell you, she's fake, and immediately says "welcome to our family" we are full of love... or some crook line like that

DO NOT send ANYONE to this facility as it needs to be investigated and shut down!

I will not get any further in depth, about the secrets, but they have yet to come.

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Now Benchmark Transitions, we've been building a case, so the sooner you deny these allegations.

That is former Michael Crawford student in November of 2008, and most recent students (over 20) have joined forces to reveal what the truth is.  And how it impacted us..... And many more left unsaid. But these will be SERIOUS cases and investigations on the staff who've bent the rules and broke the laws. Hiding this, let alone, is terrible. Janie make a fucking dirt list cause you got too many plates you've been holding and soon they'll drop and break cause lies and deceit do not change lives and karma speaks for itself.

P.S. There are some great staff members, a few, are amazing. But why not let the students speak out. This is similar to the football coach molesting his college team and nobody saying anything........ He's now arrested on multiple charges. As benchmark is one and the traumatic experiences have gone too far.