ONE YEAR. THE MIRACLE.

The first journal entry in the book is the one I wrote on the morning I woke up with one year alcohol free. What an uplifting way to start!

April 9th, 2022 - one year off the sauce. This was like any other feeling I have ever had. For a long time, it seemed impossible. When I was taking breaks from drinking, a week was forever. I strung months together white knuckling it here and there but never dreamed I would go a year. 

I never dreamed it because I never wanted it. Then a few really bad months ending with a car accident and I knew that it wasn’t something that I could want anymore.  

I knew that I NEEDED IT.  If I wanted to take control of my life, live well, and be a good man, I needed to give up the thought that I could control my relationship with alcohol. Technically, I can control it, but the only way to do that is to cut it out completely.

That’s when the work truly started. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Despite overcoming alcohol abuse and (slowly) becoming proud of being in recovery I still kept it quiet from most people because of, well, a myriad of things. Shame, embarrassment, doubt, self-confidence…the list is a long one. 

As you know since you’re reading this, I let you all in at my 2 year mark.  However, the books journey began at the 1 year mark. My morning journaling routine shifted into journal analysis, reflection and more intentional writing. I wanted to start writing months earlier when the idea for the book started to bounce around my head, but it didn’t feel right. I felt like I needed a full year of sobriety to began the book.

It’s a shorter excerpt to download this week as next week we’ll have Journal 1 to look at.  Also, last week was a long one and balance is important.

In other exciting news, we’ve almost landed on an editor which is one step closer to our self-published version of NYTFG.  Hopefully we’ll have a timeline for the purchase availability in the very near future.

Thanks for being here. Talk to you next week.

- Mathias John