Living an alcohol-free life
This sentence has five words, yet two steal the limelight.
“Alcohol-free”
AKA, Giving up something.
AKA, Not having something.
AKA, Less.
AKA Living a lesser life.
Incorrect.
Alcohol-free high jacked the sentence.
There has indeed been a change ‘pre’ and ‘post’ sober living.
But not the one suggested.
The two words which ought to have stood out are:
“Living life”
On the surface, things might not look so very different;
I look the same;
My address is unchanged;
I am still husband, dad, son, and friend to the same people;
So what has changed?
How I live my life;
AKA How I manage the details;
AKA How I cope with difficulties;
Specifically, how do I cope with the unpleasant feelings that accompany some of those difficulties?
It is here where the rubber hits the road.
It is here, in this private and secret place buried within me, where I am sensitive and vulnerable, that the true metamorphosis occurs.
It is here where the magic happens.
Pre sober living, I coped using an avoidance strategy where I numbed my feelings to sleep. I didn’t fix anything. I pushed it all under the carpet. It mounted up. This method created further problems. A vicious cycle. Downward. I do not recommend it!
Post sober living, I engage with myself more and acknowledge my feelings. I look to resolve the issues that arise. Consequently, I feel growth and forward motion. I feel happy.
The two lifestyles might look similar on the surface, but beneath, they are as far from each other as the East is from the West.