Hello Sobriety

Fair enough. Maybe I didn't need to swear or repeat myself, but I need to be super clear, and sometimes swearing (and repeating) helps. DO THE FUCKING WORK. Okay, fine. I’ll do the work. But first, what does that even mean? "Do the work"? What work? When I first quit drinking, I immersed myself in podcasts, mostly about AA and its members sharing their stories. One phrase echoed repeatedly: “doing the steps.” For me, as a non-AA member (but still a damn, dumb drinker all the same), this translated to “do the work.” But again, what was that? In AA, it’s clearly defined. Everyone knows the steps and the order in which to do them. But if you aren’t in AA and you understand “steps” as “work,” then what? This is my loose interpretation of what it means when someone tells you to “do the work” in early, mid, and forever sobriety. To begin, the meaning of “do the work” changes. When I first quit drinking in September 2022, it meant not picking up a drink today. My “work” was to s...

Have you ever wanted something so much that it was all you could think about or talk about? I have. I wanted to be laid off so I could embark on my grandest adventure yet! I planned to sell all my belongings, buy a van, and hit the road—living the Vantastic Life!! That was my dream! But first, I needed to leave my job, which deep down terrified me. I had a great job. Well, by great, I mean it paid very, very well and had top-notch health insurance. It basically gave me everything I needed to live a stable, settled life. The only thing was, that's not what I wanted anymore. The job I dreamed of leaving was once the job I dreamed of having. And at first, it was everything I hoped for! But over time, I changed. I grew. I wanted more. But leaving on my own accord was just too terrifying. So instead, I left it up to the universe. Yep. I prayed, over and over, that the universe would lay me off. And, well... it did. On February 15, 2017, I was called to HR and let go. At first, I felt li...