2013 was a phenomenal year! It was my first full calendar year clean and sober. And with all of the wonderful drunken holidays, oh hell, who am I kidding...every day used to be a good day to drink. But without alcohol, I have seen and experienced so many changes in my life...all for the better. I would have never thought or said that at the beginning of 2012. If nothing else, I truly believe I have become a more well rounded and better person in general.
It was a year filled with many emotional ups and downs, but instead of picking up a bottle of booze, I chose to face each moment head on. There have been plenty of learning experiences, such as my trip to California, where I was so overcome with emotion from simply getting on a plane, and having so much support for my endeavours, that it became impossible to perform my best in competition. But given time to reflect, the competition was only a small part of why I was on that trip in the first place. The kindness and generosity shown to me by the strongman community far outweighs bringing home a duffle bag full of free stuff...although, the duffle bag was pretty cool! And I can't even begin to explain everything I learned about myself in one blog.
The year was also full of physical changes that were not necessarily in my original game plan, but game plans have a tendency to change by halftime anyway. I really didn't have any specific goals, except to lift heavy (and never, ever squat again). After my first strongman competition in March, all of that changed. Strongman competitors are passionate about what they do; not for the all mighty dollar (with the exception of a select few), but for the love of the sport. With each contest came bigger goals, and the desire to learn anything and everything about the upcoming events; which also meant facing the challenge of changing all of my lifting techniques...starting from scratch. But hey, how hard can it be after deciding to start my life over. I will be able to answer that in 2018...if I am lucky. :)
So, on the final day of 2013, I thank everyone that has been a part of my journey. From the simple words of encouragement, they mean the absolute world to me; to those who have guided me on this windey ass road, I will never stop listening and learning; and to those who are a part of my daily routine of work, lifting, and enjoying life. It will be difficult to top this amazing year, but I will do my best. My journey is far from over. I still have a lot to learn, even more weight to lift, and definitely more writing to do!
LIVE, LOVE, & LIFT in 2014!
Showing posts with label lifting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifting. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Why Not Me?!
If there is one thing I truly believe in, it is that everything happens for a reason. Did I have a less than perfect childhood? Sure. Do I have a crappy squat? Definitely. Did I almost drink myself to death? Absolutely. But I am somehow still alive, constantly working to improve my squat, and striving daily to gain a better understanding of my life with and without alcohol. Now, is it possible for me to define that specific reason, for example, why I decided to give up alcohol cold turkey after so many years?! Nope, I don't have a damn clue...at least not yet. But I will keep you posted.
A little over a year and a half without a tall frosty mug, and I am still surprised and amazed when good things happen to me. I am also extremely thankful. Thankful to be alive, thankful to be given yet another shot at life, thankful for having people that never gave up on me and continue to support my progress, and thankful for each and every new day...even when the alarm goes off at 4am.
One of the most difficult things I have faced during my sobriety is learning how to live life again. And, honestly, I still struggle with it. From the early days of re-learning how to fuel my body, to developing goals, to dealing with all the "new" emotions that come with sobriety. And there are many times that I ask, why me, in the sense of why do I get a fresh start. There are a ton of people that fail miserably at trying to attain a successful life through sobriety. But some how, with the help of and encouragement from quite a few friends, my mindset is slowly changing to, why not me?! People believe in me and my capabilities, which in turn, have provided me the opportunity to learn to appreciate success and appreciate failure...because ultimately any failure only provides the fuel to create success. And with 20+ years full of drunken failures, thats a lot of fuel.
So why go through all the ups and downs, why fight for sobriety, why change my life at almost 40 years old? Besides the fact that I wasn't quite ready to be dropped into a six foot hole in the ground, and just being physically and mentally exhausted from keeping so much of me covered up, I really could not tell you the motivation behind my life changing decision. Was it a need to be successful again? Maybe. I have always had a strong internal drive which pushes me when I set my sights on something.
In the last month or so, I have been given several unexpected opportunities to pursue the things I truly love. I have spent countless blogs talking about my pursuits in lifting, and another one about the changes at work. But recently, I have been asked to start covering specific crossfit events as a blog writer. I also began training clients again. Additionally, I have been offered an opportunity to do more training at a new (opening soon) weight loss and wellness center. With all of the upcoming opportunities, it is time to accept that all of this has happened due to my fight to become...well, to become me. As a professional drunk, I would have squandered these opportunities one way or another; but I intend to put as much passion into these pursuits as I do my lifting. I believe these opportunities to be a once in a lifetime chance to be successful again. They exist for a specific reason, and all provided by people who believe in me. There is and can be success through sobriety. So spread the word to anyone you know that is fighting to regain life through sobriety, and tell them, why not you?!
A little over a year and a half without a tall frosty mug, and I am still surprised and amazed when good things happen to me. I am also extremely thankful. Thankful to be alive, thankful to be given yet another shot at life, thankful for having people that never gave up on me and continue to support my progress, and thankful for each and every new day...even when the alarm goes off at 4am.
One of the most difficult things I have faced during my sobriety is learning how to live life again. And, honestly, I still struggle with it. From the early days of re-learning how to fuel my body, to developing goals, to dealing with all the "new" emotions that come with sobriety. And there are many times that I ask, why me, in the sense of why do I get a fresh start. There are a ton of people that fail miserably at trying to attain a successful life through sobriety. But some how, with the help of and encouragement from quite a few friends, my mindset is slowly changing to, why not me?! People believe in me and my capabilities, which in turn, have provided me the opportunity to learn to appreciate success and appreciate failure...because ultimately any failure only provides the fuel to create success. And with 20+ years full of drunken failures, thats a lot of fuel.
So why go through all the ups and downs, why fight for sobriety, why change my life at almost 40 years old? Besides the fact that I wasn't quite ready to be dropped into a six foot hole in the ground, and just being physically and mentally exhausted from keeping so much of me covered up, I really could not tell you the motivation behind my life changing decision. Was it a need to be successful again? Maybe. I have always had a strong internal drive which pushes me when I set my sights on something.
In the last month or so, I have been given several unexpected opportunities to pursue the things I truly love. I have spent countless blogs talking about my pursuits in lifting, and another one about the changes at work. But recently, I have been asked to start covering specific crossfit events as a blog writer. I also began training clients again. Additionally, I have been offered an opportunity to do more training at a new (opening soon) weight loss and wellness center. With all of the upcoming opportunities, it is time to accept that all of this has happened due to my fight to become...well, to become me. As a professional drunk, I would have squandered these opportunities one way or another; but I intend to put as much passion into these pursuits as I do my lifting. I believe these opportunities to be a once in a lifetime chance to be successful again. They exist for a specific reason, and all provided by people who believe in me. There is and can be success through sobriety. So spread the word to anyone you know that is fighting to regain life through sobriety, and tell them, why not you?!
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