Month: December 2013

Clear Goggles = A Sobering Thought

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cropped-team-photo-21.pngI decided back in March of this year to stop drinking.  It was a decision I made on my own but the impact has been felt by all of those around me.  My wife never directly asked me to stop drinking, neither did my family or friends but I think they have shared in the joy it has brought me (us).  I can’t say this for sure or speak on their behalf but I think throughout this last year I have become a better husband, father, friend, boss, brother, son, and person.  Along with hard work, commitment, prayer and my friends/family I was able to harness my passion to be successful and “addictive personality” and shift it into a direction with no  booze involved 🙂

 In the day to day lives of many people we are constantly stressed out, freaked out, overwhelmed, tired, rundown, and in turn (myself included) drink to “escape” the pressures of everyday life.  My friend Kanye West made me think when he said “The plan was to drink until the pain over, But what’s worse, the pain or the hangover” in one of his songs…   I started to think about why I was drinking… It was no longer to have a casual drink with friends, it was too dull the stress, pain, and reality that came along with my work and drive to be successful.  I realized my drive to be successful was either going to be a good thing or a bad thing; and at that moment I realized it was up to me.  It was time for a change…

 

I reevaluated my life and what my goals were and more importantly why those were my goals.  I came to the conclusion that I don’t have to make a lot of money but I want to.  Once I verbalized that out loud I was able to alleviate the pressure… Don’t get me wrong I still want to be rich (like really rich) but now it is just fun.    I had put very high expectations on myself and in turn my “wounds” were somewhat self-inflicted. 

Positives of no drinking:

  1. My relationship with my wife/family
  2. Better focus at work
  3. Better fitness
  4. Better eating choices
  5. More productive throughout the day (no Saturday morning hangovers)
  6. Better creativity at work on how to achieve my goals
  7. Acquired skill on how to deal with stresses
  8. Deeper, more meaningful relationships
  9. Clearer vision of where I want to go

Negatives:

1.none

I challenge everyone to reevaluate their reasons for doing what they do whether it is drinking or something else….  Life changing.