For sober people, as if trying not to drink isn’t hard enough, we also have to live in a world that is filled with alcohol. It’s everywhere we turn; we can’t get away from it even if we want to. Unless you choose to live off the grid, I suppose.

But, if you’re like me and live very much on the grid, you know that having confidence in your choice to live without alcohol doesn’t come easy. Drinking is normal. Not drinking isn’t.

As they say in some circles, it works if you work it. The same goes for being secure and confident in your sobriety.

Saying goodbye to booze allowed me to find myself. I’m out of a boozy haze. I’m no longer numbing my personality with poison. I know who I am now. I’m motivated and much more confident than ever before. But it didn’t happen overnight.

Loud-Mouthed Party Girl Turned Sobriety Activist

There’s only one way to describe how I felt when I first quit drinking: scared. I was scared because I didn’t know another way. I was known for a lot of things, but I didn’t even know myself.

After I quit drinking, the mask started to slowly come off. I started to realize that much of the way I had been living wasn’t my true self. This “unmasking” was a big learning curve for me.

I had always been the life of the party, and I only cared about myself. I did what I wanted, when I wanted to, and I didn’t care who I upset in the process. Although I wasn’t physically dependent on it, much of my happiness revolved around alcohol.

Today, I’m a new person. I speak openly about my choice to live alcohol-free. The more I do this, the more secure I feel about my decision and its normalness of it for me. Because of this, my confidence has skyrocketed. I’m motivated. I still put myself first but not at the expense of others.

If you would have told me five years ago that I’d be supporting people on their sobriety journeys, and telling the entire world about mine…I would have laughed in your face. Similarly, if you told me that I’d have a side-gig that was born off of a writing hobby, I would tell you to shut the front door.

Maybe you’re thinking, “yeah Blair, but I’m not like you…” Ok fine, we’re not all the same but we are all responsible for putting ourselves out there, however that looks. We’re responsible for creating a life we love.

Example Time!

Maybe you’re unhappy with your job or want to make a big career change, but you’re scared. Ripping the Band-Aid off doesn’t mean walking into work today and telling your boss to (insert rude comment here).

It means starting the process.

If we’re still talking about quitting your job: Start researching your options. Get your resume in order. Reach out to others on the path you want to be on and get their advice. Save money. Make a plan. Get yourself on track to be where you want to be five, ten, or even two years from now.

No one will do it for you. You have to make the moves. You are in the driver’s seat.

And your life depends on it.

Switching jobs is only one example, but you can use this to motivate you for anything. So, if you do only one thing after reading this, just start thinking about your next move to put yourself in the situation that you want to be in.

Rip off that Band-Aid!

THE FACTS OF (AF) LIFE: You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have THE FACTS OF (AF) LIFE. So you’re sober, now what? Well, you’re in the right spot. This is the place to be for all things AF (alcohol-free) living as Sober Curator Blair Sharp weighs in on her viewpoint of parenting and maintaining a sober lifestyle.

#QUITLIT: Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. #QUITLIT is our curated list of addiction and recovery book reviews. From addiction and recovery memoirs to fiction and self-help, we believe all Sober Curators should be well-read. You can also find us on Goodreads here.

What’s on your nightstand? We want to hear about what you’re reading right now and the addiction and recovery books you can’t live without. Email us at thesobercurator@gmail.com

Resources Are Available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.