People of a certain age look at me funny when I say, “Thanks, but I don’t drink.” It’s sort of a quizzical look, brimming with analysis and questions they lack the nerve to ask.

I can imagine what they’re thinking (but almost never say out loud)…and not just because I’m psychic.

“Really? Not even a glass of wine or a beer? Not even a sip?”

“Are you an alcoholic?”

“Is someone you’re close to an alcoholic?”

“Are you Mormon?”

“Are you dieting? Low carb? Gluten-free?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“What kind of a person doesn’t drink?”

For some, the idea of not drinking is incomprehensible. They may even say something like, “Well, good for you,” as they look at me with a mixture of confusion and pity.

But I’m not an alcoholic, and I’m not Mormon.

The truth is, I’ve realized something at an age much younger than most people figure this out:

Alcohol just doesn’t agree with me.

This all started about 5 years ago when I was pregnant with Adam. I got an intuitive hit that he had been an alcoholic in a past life, so it would be best for him if I drank nothing – not even a sip of wine – while I was pregnant with him.

“OK,” I said to my guides (and his). “I can do that.”

But then after he was born, I breastfed, as I did with all my kids. So that was another six or nine months (who can remember?) of no drinking. At all.

Now if you are a drinker, even a social drinker, you might think I was counting the days until breastfeeding was over, jonesing to get that first glass of wine or that first Malibu and root beer (don’t laugh; it’s delicious!) but I really wasn’t. I hadn’t had a drink in a year and a half, and frankly, I didn’t miss it.

And the first time I did have a glass of wine after that stint of total abstinence, I thought I was going to pass out. Seriously.

But the real kicker happened the next day.

See, when I was in college (and drinking like a fish…I mean, come on, I was FROM New Orleans and was IN New Orleans for college!) I almost never had hangover. As long as I didn’t mix drinks, I was never hangin’ (as they say in the Big Easy). In fact, I could probably count on one hand (OK, maybe two hands) all the times I’ve ever in my life had a hangover.

But that one glass of wine! It kicked my ass!! I was so tired the next day, all I could think about was how it wasn’t worth it.

And the next time a social event arose, where wine was prevalent, I only had half a glass of wine.

Still exhausted the next day.

Then about 2 years went by and I didn’t have a drop. Until recently…

My husband had some blood work done and we got the partial results back and tried to interpret those ourselves. YIKES. We were pretty stressed, until we got the full results back and confirmed all was well.

After those 2 hours of intense stress, he said, “I think I’ll have a drink” and I said, “Me, too!” and I poured myself a Malibu and lemonade.

After the first sip, I felt I had to lie down.

What a far cry from my college days!!

Then I was testing a bunch of foods and ingredients on the five-finger substance test (which I teach in Pendulum Mojo) and I found out: alcohol is actually TOXIC to my body.

Damn. Explains a lot.

And think about this: when you tap into Universal consciousness as often as I do (as my JOB in fact, but also as such a huge part of my personal life, too, and how I operate), mood-altering substances such as alcohol, drugs, marijuana, etc. will DULL your psychic senses.

In other words, I wouldn’t be as good at being a Spiritual Ass Kicker if I drank and smoked, and, you know, smoked.

What the people who give me looks of pity don’t realize is that I DON’T MISS IT. It’s not like trying to say no to fried foods or candy or pecan pie. I just don’t want it.

Would I like to enjoy a glass of wine on occasion, especially at a fancy meal? Yeah, probably. But when that happens I just ask myself, “Will it be worth it if I’m exhausted all day tomorrow.”

Nope. If it was, I’d do it. But to me, it’s not.

By now you can probably see I’m not preaching to you, or telling you that you should quit drinking (or smoking pot, or whatever). I’m just inviting you to consider that one day, it may make more sense to you to stop than to keep doing it. And if that happens, people may give you some weird-ass looks.

Lucky for me, I’ve done TONS of clearing around not caring what other people think. 😉

And I can help you with that too (along with a wine addiction, or whatever else you’re having a hard time giving up!)

For now, I’ll keep the two vices I have, thanks very much. Video games and swearing.

And you can drink to that.