Sober Snacks #12

Bite size tips & stories to help you not drink today. For the sober and sober curious looking for digestible, on-the-go sober-positive content. These are the stories and lifestyle tips of people who don’t drink. Enjoy :)

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Tell us about yourself!

I am a Certified Addictions Recovery Coach, CDAC Intern, Master Empowerment, Spirituality, & Law of Attraction Coach. I am a drug War veteran and managed to survive a life long addiction to using and selling heroin. This position enabled me to spend most of my time doing life … On the installment plan. I have seven years in remission next month and I just need to help people on the largest scale possible, which was my reason for creating my blog. I can’t seem to find any opioid specific blogs, or anything else for that matter. We need to know that someone out there has survived this shit. I am also a 42 year-old mother to a precocious 6 year old girl and a mischievous 2 year old little boy. (It’s never too late!) 😉 I was the worst of the worst. Just like you I should be long gone. I have watched all of the people I love fall in the war against drugs. For some reason I’m one of the last people standing, and I take that very seriously. I want to help people heal and build a community of like minded souls free of judgement of any kind. People in my small town used to bet, even using their children’s lives, that I would never change, and I agreed. I live a great life now and I’m happy. I own a 300k home, drive nice cars, and help others every day. My message: If I can do what I’ve done, then you can definitely do what your going to have to do, and I will do my best to aid you every step of the way. You are NOT alone. I am far from perfect, which is why my blog is called Progressing Not Perfecting (PNP). If I can get sober starting with nothing than you can get sober, whether you starting back at nothing or whether you have more support or family. All you have to is decide that you deserve more than your addiction has served you, and you so do.

What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

There are so many! I love reading (thank you Audible.) Anything by Florence Scovel Shinn, Vishen Lakhiani, Robert Monroe, Joe Dispenza, or Abraham Hicks. ALL game changers. Feeling Grateful by Kobe Yamada. I read this to my children. Also, Starborne by Solara.

Within your sobriety, what is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc.)

Investing in myself of course! I always struggled with the whole self-hatred for things that happened to me that I had no control of thing. I think this is the case for most of us, but with my sobriety came a hunger for knowledge that words could never do justice. I want a Mindvalley membership so so badly but I couldn’t justify spending that much on 1 year of membership, and of course I would have had to use a credit card, but I read somewhere that investing in yourself is necessary for your own evolution, and that was all I needed. It was well spent and Mindvalley teaches you everything they didn’t teach in schools. So worth it. I also got my life Coach certification and many areas of specialty. Never hesitate to invest in yourself! Go on. Do it!

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love and only discovered after you got into sobriety?

Supernatural! It saved my life. It really has. It’s a virtual reality fitness game. I am hooked. It’s helped me lose a ton of weight, get off most of my meds, returned the circulation to my hands which my addiction had badly damaged, cured my depression, and the list goes on and on. It’s a bit absurd because NOBODY can look cool doing it, and I have ALWAYS hated any kind of organized movement, but not Supernatural. All the things fly at you and you have to hit them based on color and position which tells you type of hit. It keeps my brain function on point and I am so passionate about it because I think it could help those hard case recovery cases just like I was. I have no affiliation with them and I don’t get paid to say this. The beauty in the life like scenery from ACROSS the world is breath taking. I recommend Oculus Quest 2 for all people in Recovery. The places I am able to meditate is out of this world beautiful. The colors are so fresh and vibrant. Words just can’t do it justice. It’s not just a video game its a improver of lives. lol. Get one! They aren’t too expensive and I have found the entire set on OfferUp brand new for as low as 150. So worth the investment. I also began meditating in recovery and investing in crypto! I have made a lot of money and I know how much we all love that. I taught myself every part. Nobody guided me or answered my questions. Crypto is how I found the Oculus. I was interested in gaming tokens, so I figured out I would check them out myself. So so glad I did.

Which area has changed the most, and for the better, in sobriety: health, wealth, relationships, spirituality?

Everything. I mean it’s kinda a given. I knew I had to make some major changes when I found myself pregnant at the age of 35 when a few months prior the guy I was seeing died of an OD and my best friend went to jail for 5 years for allegedly selling him the drugs that killed him. The only thing I have ever been good at was hustling. It’s all I knew. I took that skill and again I invested in myself and I started a business called Label Hoard. My first business. Nothing huge just a few shops online. I would find crazy cheap distributors and buy items that were trending at a seriously discounted price, and then resell them at an insane but not over the top profit. This satiated my need to hustle and filled the void that selling drugs had been filling in me. The problem was the time needed to do all of it. The one thing I have come to cherish the most is time. Time is so very precious, and I never have close to enough, so my first business fell to the wayside, which was to be expected because I have to be helping people. It’s kinda my thing. I’m not going to lie. I still make horrible decisions and I am struggling horribly right now because after a tree fell on my house I decided to take a trip to Puerto Rico and as it turns out it was definitely not a good idea, but I just want my kids to see the world and I wouldn’t give that trip up for anything. You see that there? I went to Puerto Rico! This was not something I EVER in a million years thought could be possible. Everything is different. It’s like I am a whole new person. I thought I would be dead by now. I also think having my kids so late in life was a great idea for me. Though unplanned they had such a profound effect on me, my life, my thinking, etc. Change your thinking and watch the magic happen.

When someone asks you, “why don’t you drink,” what do you say?

Honestly I live in a very small town and there isn’t anyone that doesn’t know my story. I was the example of the town. The first heroin raid. Everybody knows me and everyone supports me in my recovery. I even still help people that I used to sell drugs too. I am at a place in my recovery where I am able to connect with them or give them rides and I tell them all to call me when they have had enough. I am waiting on my best friend to make that call to me right now. I let him stay with us when he got out of jail and he did great until his mom died. It was hard. I knew he had relapsed and I tried not to enable him but I couldn’t turn my back on him. Everyone gave up on me and I don’t give up on anyone. Clients or personal relationships. He ended up taking some of my money and he is off and running. Wanted and he needs to turn himself in. He isn’t ready. The only thing I will say to him when he messages is “You done yet? You tired yet? You ready for my help yet?” I have an issue with loyalty. Loyalty is great and all for it’s to my own detriment. I’m too loyal to people that aren’t loyal to me. A curse. Anyways, I haven't ever had anyone ask me why I don’t drink or drug because they all know why, I guess.