I didn’t plan to be an alcoholic. I didn’t plan to live a life of recovery. But here I am, seven years in, leading a pretty kick-ass life. A better life than the one I contemplated over most nights after a glass or two (Rather, bottle or two) of wine. I thought all of my problems would be solved when… When I got a pay raise. When I got a promotion and found the love of my life, you see the pattern. Once one or all of those conditions were met, I would not have to drink so much. Problem solved!
Here are seven actual things that happened for me by putting down the bottle on August 23, 2015.
1.) I had free time to try new things! Travel, write a book, obtain certifications, truly show up for my family, do crafts!
2.) People became kinder & less critical
3.) Silence became a gift rather than a fear
4.) I became the woman I’d want my future husband to marry
5.) The recovery community became my extended family
6.) Because I got sober I got the promotion, the husband, the kid
7.) I get to be there for others along this journey and that is a gift I could never have expected.
Connection is the opposite of addiction.
And for all of that, I am truly grateful! Thank you for seven incredible years!
SPEAK OUT! SPEAK LOUD! at The Sober Curator is a celebration of authentic voices in recovery—echoing Madonna’s call to “Express yourself!” Here, readers and contributors take the spotlight, sharing transformative sobriety journeys, creative talents, and new avenues of self-expression discovered along the way. Through videos, poems, art, essays, opinion pieces, and music, we break the silence that often surrounds addiction, replacing it with connection, hope, and inspiration.
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SOBER SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Alaimo, Career Happiness Coach, Author of Pearls & Probation – Adventures of an Alcoholic Good Girl and The X Factor
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