I think that the decision to quit the booze would have been more difficult if I had nothing meaningful to replace it with. Like if on Saturday nights I sat at home with an endless stream of TV dinners for the rest of my life, it would be very tempting to go back to the party scene or at very least hit the bar with some friends for some old fashioned revelry. For about 9 years, I was that guy that would always show up with 6-pack in hand and be down to drink hard. And for a while I thought that having that persona made me fun and interesting. But now I just think that it made me lame. Less successful. Less able to social interact when alcohol wasn’t present, because I wasn’t “drunk enough for this”.
I’m very happy with the new life that i am building without alcohol, and it has made it easy that every day I have several meaningful things to do. In the past 12 days, I have made the decision to apply for a promoted position at my job (which I am doing today), have made good headway on my PT school apps, have spent more time practicing BJJ and working toward my Combatives belt, volunteered more at the fire station and for community events, contacted my realtor and property management companies to explore possibilities to turn my home into an investment property, built the foundations of my financial house stronger, and enjoyed my healthier and happier lifestyle.
For several years I debated making this life change, and although I do wish that I had done so sooner, I am very happy that I have finally pulled the trigger on this decision. I was apprehensive to losing friends that I have historically drank while hanging out with. Maybe a few will drift away. Maybe not. But the happiness I feel about my new life is more than worth any small liabilities that may come along. I will say that I have yet to be really tested, like skipping an important event or choosing to remain sober during a wedding reception where everyone else is drinking. But I am good for the challenges and accept them with open arms. Because I am the boss of my own life and lions are not swayed by the opinions of sheep.
Iron Sharpens Iron 