Give yourself a pat on the back

Whether you are newly sober, or have been living without alcohol for some time, you deserve a big humungous pat on the back. Because every day that you choose to face in the raw – without numbing or avoiding – is a day that you prove yourself to be brave and amazing.

It’s not just the first action of removing alcohol from your life that makes you brave and amazing. It’s continuing to take action day after day to not drink and deal with all that life throws at you that is truly incredible.

Sometimes taking the booze away uncovers a whole bunch of other issues that need to be dealt with.

Sometimes taking the booze away isn’t the fast-train to blissful happiness.

The only absolute truth is that the booze isn’t going to help at all with the underlying issues. So taking the booze away is THE most important first step.. but maybe it leads to some other hard work or tough decisions. Gritty things that need to be dealt with, tricky situations that need to be managed.

We still have to manage our lives, we still have to manage our finances and manage our health and manage other people. We still have to help our family members and support our friends and navigate our way through the tricky waters of life. But because we are choosing to do it while staying raw, real and recovered, that makes us brave and amazing. So give yourself a pat on the back.

I say big bloody kudos to anyone who chooses sobriety. Big bloody kudos to anyone who chooses to put themselves first in the midst of the messy maelstrom of life. Big bloody kudos to those who fight cravings, beat back hard-wired (bullshit) beliefs about alcohol’s benefits, and reshape themselves as a sober person.

And big bloody kudos to anyone who commits to living as a fully emotional sober human being.

Big Bloody Kudos to you all.

Go pat yourself on the back.

You deserve it.