The 1% in Recovery Successful Gamblers & Alcoholics Stopping Addiction

Text and Be HeardGambling doesn’t just take your money; it steals your attention, your calm, and your time. We explore how the “it’s just entertainment” narrative is crafted by an industry that plays the long game while your brain chases short-term highs. Our guest on the Entrepreneurs on Fire podcast with John Lee Dumas, is recovery educator Hugo, and he explains what actually happens neurologically during a bet, why even a $5 wager spikes anxiety, and how the rush mirrors stimulant patterns on brain maps. We look at why gambling feels “productive” compared to other vices, and how that illusion keeps people locked in and losing money.From slot machine payout math to sportsbook design, we unpack the mechanics that ensure that the house wins. Hugo connects the dots between flashy Vegas spectacles, live betting on your phone, and subtle marketing that targets younger audiences through colors, sounds, and constant odds talk during broadcasts. With State endorsements normalizing sports betting and fantasy leagues blurring lines, it’s no accident teens and families are surrounded by wagering cues. The result is a drip-feed that trains the subconscious and erodes daily focus.We turn from diagnosis to solutions with clear, practical steps. Hugo outlines how to spot early warning signs—compulsive score checking, secrecy, emotional distance—and then lays out accessible recovery moves that rebuild healthy neurochemistry. Replace the artificial spike with free dopamine from small goals, serotonin from sun, gratitude or meditation, endorphins from movement, exercise or laughter, and oxytocin from hugs, petting dogs and real connection. Add structure with therapy, peer support, and environmental safeguards, and you’ll feel productivity return as a side effect of a richer life. If the story you’ve heard is that gambling makes games more exciting, this conversation offers a better one: your presence, your relationships, and your health are the real win.If this resonates, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show. Ready to take a step? Download Hugo’s Free Recovery Growth Scorecard at www.lifeiswonderful.love and start rebuilding today.Listen to Entrepreneurs On Fire podcast.  Support the showRecovery is Beautiful. Go Live Your Best Life!!Facebook Group - Recovery Freedom Circle | FacebookYour EQ is Your IQYouTube - Life Is Wonderful Hugo VRecovery Freedom CircleThe System That Understands Recovery, Builds Character and Helps People Have Better Relationships.A Life Changing Solution, Saves You Time, 18 weekswww.lifeiswonderful.love Instagram - Lifeiswonderful.LoveTikTok - Lifeiswonderful.LovePinterest - Lifeiswonderful.LoveX - LifeWonderLoveLinkedIn - Hugo Vrsalovic LinkedIn - The 1% in Recovery

Text and Be HeardWhat if recovery didn’t feel like holding your breath, but like getting your life back? We’re setting a clear course for the year: a deeper push into gambling recovery, stronger support for college mental health, and daily practices that turn emotional intelligence into your edge. The world is loud with sportsbooks, prediction markets, and “risk-free” promos; we unpack how the odds stack up, why chasing is a trap, and what it takes to step out of the loop for good.We share why abstinence alone rarely delivers peace, and how to build real freedom instead. That means anchoring your routines to natural dopamine and neuroplasticity, using tools like the Recovery Growth Scorecard, the 18-week Recovery Freedom Circle, and the Strong Leader, Strong Character course. We revisit the wisdom of 12-step work while challenging the fear that lingers when you only tick the boxes. The goal isn’t counting days. The goal is a life where gambling doesn’t register.We also lift the lens to where the pressure hits hardest: campuses flooded with betting ads and same-day thrills. Grades, aid, and mental health are on the line. We offer practical ways to push back, build resilience, and reclaim attention from the constant lure of quick wins. To plant seeds earlier, we preview our bilingual children’s book, Discover My Feelings, and playful dances that give kids a vocabulary for emotions—because strong EQ in childhood grows stronger choices later.Season Eight is about depth, clarity, and action. Expect honest talk about the house edge, simple practices that actually move the needle, and a steady path toward total freedom from gambling. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find a way out of the loop.Support the showRecovery is Beautiful. Go Live Your Best Life!!Facebook Group - Recovery Freedom Circle | FacebookYour EQ is Your IQYouTube - Life Is Wonderful Hugo VRecovery Freedom CircleThe System That Understands Recovery, Builds Character and Helps People Have Better Relationships.A Life Changing Solution, Saves You Time, 18 weekswww.lifeiswonderful.love Instagram - Lifeiswonderful.LoveTikTok - Lifeiswonderful.LovePinterest - Lifeiswonderful.LoveX - LifeWonderLoveLinkedIn - Hugo Vrsalovic LinkedIn - The 1% in Recovery

Text and Be HeardWant a recovery blueprint that actually sticks? We dive into the heart of Step 12 through Ubuntu—“I am because we are”—and show how elevating others transforms your mind, your spirit, and your relationships. This isn’t theory. We map out practical ways to carry the message: a simple scorecard to reinforce healthy habits, a Top 10 list of people to uplift, and small, repeatable acts that build trust, intimacy, and resilience.We talk about how service triggers natural dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin, giving you sustainable motivation while your brain rewires for recovery. Then we connect the dots between maturity, listening, schedule, and silence—four daily practices that turn good intentions into reliable character. You’ll hear personal stories that show why presence matters more than perfection, from early nudges toward generosity to immersive service with teens who needed round-the-clock support. Each example underscores a single truth: when you help someone feel safe, seen, and stronger, you grow too.As we expand from self-work to community impact, we anchor the journey in humility—living in the sunshine of the spirit and remembering we’re one person in a vast world, yet still responsible for our corner. Whether you’re early in recovery or fortifying long-term sobriety, you’ll leave with a clear plan: show up for your partner and family, strengthen ties at work and in community, and practice small, consistent actions that add up to spiritual momentum. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs encouragement, and leave a review with one name you plan to uplift this week.Support the showRecovery is Beautiful. Go Live Your Best Life!!Facebook Group - Recovery Freedom Circle | FacebookYour EQ is Your IQYouTube - Life Is Wonderful Hugo VRecovery Freedom CircleThe System That Understands Recovery, Builds Character and Helps People Have Better Relationships.A Life Changing Solution, Saves You Time, 18 weekswww.lifeiswonderful.love Instagram - Lifeiswonderful.LoveTikTok - Lifeiswonderful.LovePinterest - Lifeiswonderful.LoveX - LifeWonderLoveLinkedIn - Hugo Vrsalovic LinkedIn - The 1% in Recovery

Text and Be HeardA holiday sunrise, a warm ocean breeze, and a conversation that cuts to the bone of recovery. Jay P. joins us to explore why quitting the bet can be tougher than quitting the bottle, and how the serenity prayer became a daily operating system for real peace of mind. We open with a simple, powerful frame: train your brain toward natural dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin so you’re not hunting relief in places designed to take more than they give.Jay’s story maps a pattern many “double winners” recognize. Alcohol numbs, but gambling seduces with hope—the next card, the next line, the next live bet to make it all back. That loop weaponizes uncertainty. We unpack the allure of the bailout win and why a big score often makes the problem worse by hardwiring belief in a system you can’t beat. We also tackle the modern sports betting machine: odds baked into broadcasts, ads that never let up, and kids absorbing it all from the couch. Legalization brings access and harm, yet also funding streams for hotlines and treatment.The theme that anchors everything is peace. Holidays magnify triggers, but with honest tools—meetings, community, and a clear boundary around the “first”—calm becomes possible. We trade frantic fixes for simple practices: work hard at what matters, laugh daily, love without keeping score, and choose routines that reward presence over rush. If you’re feeling the pull from your screen or your old stories, this conversation offers a steady hand and a sane plan. If it resonates, share it with someone who needs a lifeline, hit follow, and leave a review to help others find the show.Support the showRecovery is Beautiful. Go Live Your Best Life!!Facebook Group - Recovery Freedom Circle | FacebookYour EQ is Your IQYouTube - Life Is Wonderful Hugo VRecovery Freedom CircleThe System That Understands Recovery, Builds Character and Helps People Have Better Relationships.A Life Changing Solution, Saves You Time, 18 weekswww.lifeiswonderful.love Instagram - Lifeiswonderful.LoveTikTok - Lifeiswonderful.LovePinterest - Lifeiswonderful.LoveX - LifeWonderLoveLinkedIn - Hugo Vrsalovic LinkedIn - The 1% in Recovery

Text and Be HeardQuiet isn’t empty space; it’s the room where your next right move becomes clear. We dig into Step 11 with a practical lens—how prayer and meditation actually work when you strip away the noise, schedule real silence, and let your nervous system settle. Along the way we share simple rituals that compound: a weekly retreat hour in a chapel or park, a slow walk under trees, exercise or movement, and even the everyday magic of walking your dog for a hit of oxytocin and a reset of focus.You will hear why church services can inspire but rarely deliver deep quiet, and how pairing Step 10’s scheduling with Step 11’s stillness turns intentions into routines that stick. We talk neuroplasticity in plain terms—natural dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins stabilize when you unplug—and why silence sharpens discernment around work, relationships, and recovery choices. Nature plays a starring role: lakes, tall trees, and open sky reduce mental clutter and restore attention. Comfortable quiet with people you trust also matters; sometimes the strongest bond is sharing a meal without needing to fill the air.If you’re starting recovery on your own or looking to strengthen it, this conversation gives you a simple framework: pray to frame the question, meditate to clear the channel, then sit in silence long enough to hear guidance. Track small wins with the Free Recovery Growth Scorecard, breathe on purpose to lower anxiety, and let daily walks become your moving meditation. When you’re ready to decide—keep going or pivot—you’ll have the calm and clarity to choose well.If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a quiet nudge, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then take ten minutes today: breathe, sit, and listen. Your next step is waiting in the silence.Support the showRecovery is Beautiful. Go Live Your Best Life!!Facebook Group - Recovery Freedom Circle | FacebookYour EQ is Your IQYouTube - Life Is Wonderful Hugo VRecovery Freedom CircleThe System That Understands Recovery, Builds Character and Helps People Have Better Relationships.A Life Changing Solution, Saves You Time, 18 weekswww.lifeiswonderful.love Instagram - Lifeiswonderful.LoveTikTok - Lifeiswonderful.LovePinterest - Lifeiswonderful.LoveX - LifeWonderLoveLinkedIn - Hugo Vrsalovic LinkedIn - The 1% in Recovery