The Blog
Recovery Requires Action: There’s a Feast in Front of You
Recovery requires action, and there are a million things out there being offered—different paths, different approaches, different people.
To be honest, there are probably too many options. At times, it can feel overwhelming. Trying to decide what fits best is something you can only learn through trial and error—and you can only do that by picking a place to start.
Something will fit you. Something will resonate.
It’s like sitting in front of an enormous feast—a table full of food that makes your mouth water, prepared by a diverse group of people, presented in a way that makes you want it all.
People who want to help are everywhere. Programs designed to support you. Communities that understand what you’re going through.
Opportunities are everywhere. There is something for everyone. There’s a lot of great information out there if you’re willing to look for it. If you’re not sure where to begin, tools like SAMHSA’s treatment locator can help you find support near you.
But none of it matters unless you make the choice to sit down at the table and eat.
This One Is On You!
I have some good news and some bad news. I always bury the bad with the good, so let’s start with the bad.
No one can pull out the chair, take a seat at the table, and start to indulge in that feast of options but you. There is no one who can say the right thing, or compel you with pleas, requests, or demands that will drive you to figure out what’s needed to take back control of your life. That first choice has to come from you.
It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It can be embarrassing. It forces you to look at yourself and make an honest assessment of who and where you are, versus who and where you want to be.
The truth can be tough. But accepting it—and choosing to make a change—is the first step toward being able to experience all the good that life has to offer.
You can have the best support in the world, but if you’re not willing to engage with it, nothing changes.
Staying the course will not make things any better.
So I encourage you—sit down and eat.
The Good News: There’s Something For Everyone!
Here’s the good news.
There are more options available to you than you probably realize. Different paths, different programs, different people—all offering support in their own way.
You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do. You don’t have to define your path on day one. You just need to make the choice to start filling your plate.
There isn’t just one way to do this. There isn’t one program that works for everyone. What works for someone else might not work for you—and that’s okay.
The goal isn’t to find the perfect answer right away. The goal is to start somewhere.
You can find support in a lot of places:
- Treatment programs and outpatient services
- Therapists and counselors
- Peer support groups and recovery communities
- Sponsors, coaches, and accountability partners
Sometimes it’s through a referral. Sometimes it’s through a conversation. Sometimes it’s as simple as walking into a meeting or reaching out to someone who’s been there before.
There are people in the world who have tried everything that is out there – people who have dedicated their lives to helping others find the path that works for them.
You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. You don’t have to know the start and the finish before you begin. You just have to start – by choosing what looks right to you in this moment and taking the first step.
Once you do, you’ll realize something important:
There is a place for you at the table. There are people around the table that want to share the feast with you. There are ways of approaching the feast that you have never considered.
You will find what works for you.
And if you fill your plate – and make the choice to eat – you will find your way forward.
The Excuses That Keep You Stuck
“I’ll start tomorrow.”
“I just need to get through this weekend.”
“I have too much going on right now.”
There will always be a reason to wait.
But waiting is what keeps you exactly where you are.
At some point, you have to stop negotiating with yourself and start taking action.
The Rewards Are Beyond Your Expectations
If you commit—really commit—and do the work, it will work.
If you sit down with people who can help—whether that’s True North Sober Support or any of the many strong coaches and professionals in this space—you will find a path forward. And the result is a life with more peace, less driven by the negative thoughts that weigh on you today, and a growing sense of pride in what you’re building.
It likely won’t be linear. You will have setbacks. It won’t be perfect—but part of the growth comes from those imperfections. Learning to see them, and choosing how to move through them, becomes something you can be proud of.
It won’t happen all at once. In fact, it takes time.
But time takes time. And one day, you realize that the time you’ve invested has brought rewards you didn’t think were possible.
Things begin to shift.
The frustration doesn’t control you the same way. The anger softens. The weight becomes more manageable.
You start to see things differently.
And in those moments, you begin to find something that may have been missing for a long time—joy.
I know – Because I’ve Lived It
For a really long time, I lived a life that I think many people would think was really pretty darn good. I have had a great career, traveled, I have 2 beautiful daughters, and I really can’t complain about much when it comes to what I’ve been blessed with in life. In fact, I really thought I had it made.
What I didn’t know is what I was missing. Yes, I have been blessed with a wonderful life. But for far too long I was stuck. Angry. Anxious. Impatient. I didn’t truly enjoy anything. I would always worry. Even my best times were clouded with a sense that someone was about to pull back the curtain and reveal the warts that were being covered up.
I felt like I was being left behind and misunderstood.
What changed wasn’t everything around me.
What changed was my willingness to stop trying to control everything and start doing the work in front of me.
To listen. To follow. To take what was being offered.
To eat.
It’s Not Perfect – But It’s So Much Better
Life doesn’t suddenly become easy.
There are still challenges. Still hard days. There are things that frustrate me daily.
But it becomes more manageable. Less heavy. More aligned.
Today, I see challenges as opportunities to grow. I pay attention to—and recognize—the small victories and messages that are around us every day. I see them now, and I appreciate them.
There is a peace that can be found—not because everything is perfect, but because you’re moving in the right direction, and you have faith that things are aligning as they should.
Maybe even more important than all of that—I no longer look for solutions in places that don’t serve me. I don’t make every right choice, but I no longer make the ones that destroy what I’ve worked so hard to build.
The Decision Is In Your Hands
You can keep waiting.
You can keep making excuses.
If you’re looking for another perspective on making that decision, there are resources out there that can help—like this article from You Are Accountable.
Regardless of where you start – accept where you are. Be willing to learn. Be willing to work.
There is a path for you.
There are people ready to help you walk it.
But you have to move.
You have to choose to eat.
Be the first to comment