05/14/2025
In 2024 I gave up alcohol for Lent, (that was a total of 46 calendar days if you're wondering). Mind you, no small task for a 40 year plus drinker.
Surprisingly, I found that it really wasn't that hard for me after the first couple of weeks. But Easter Sunday, March 31st, I cracked open a cold one and it was game on again. (The attached picture was me at the solar eclipse gathering we had on April 8th, 2024, just a week after starting to drink again). It didn't take long for me to get back to my old ways.
Alcohol was truly a controlling force in my life. I didn't just drink "some" or "most" days of the week...I drank EVERY day. Literally months at a time without a day off from drinking.
Plans were ALWAYS made around alcohol. Anywhere I went, a cooler of beer had to be iced down. If the fridge got down to only having 1 - 30 pack left, I got concerned...when was the next time I would be near a beer store so I could stock up?
I wasn't driving drunk, (anymore). That pretty much ended with a DWI back in 2014. (That's a whole different story I'll share with you sometime). So of course when we went to a party or gathering where there would be alcohol consumption, I selfishly put the driving responsibilities on my wife to get us home.
Fast forward to January 2025. My conscience had been telling me for a while, that maybe it's time. Maybe it's time to end the morning grogginess, the afternoon/evening buzz, the sleep deprived nights.
So I decided to give this, "dry January" thing a try. And 4 months later, I'm still alcohol free. I feel great, sleep great, have more energy, probably lost a little weight & saving money. Mentally, it feels really good to know that alcohol isn't controlling me anymore.
I honestly don't see myself going back to drinking. I'm not one to "never say never", but my mindset is different now. I've overcome a lot of the triggers that kept me drinking before & quite frankly, I'm enjoying sober life.
Hopefully sharing my story & updates will help someone else. My friends and family know me as a lifelong "alcoholic", (even though I NEVER thought of myself as an alcoholic), so this is a pretty big deal for me. I'll share updates, my personal alcohol journey & some positive meditations & reflections, here and on a new Facebook group I created - "Zen & Sober: Guided Meditations for Alcohol Free Living". Would love for you to join and/or share with anyone that you think might benefit from the group - especially those who want to quit but are struggling.
There truly is life after alcohol, and it's available to anyone that is "ready" to quit drinking. Love you guys!
