A Higher Standard: Why Alcohol No Longer Fits My Life

    Anyone on this journey who wasn't physically addicted to alcohol can sometimes feel conflicted about their decision to quit drinking and think, "Was it really that bad?"

    If you're asking yourself that question, then yes, it really is that bad. 

    One of my most important tips when you're sober-curious is never to compare your drinking to anyone else because there is always going to be someone whose problems and consequences of drinking alcohol are seemingly more serious than yours.  For example, I was lucky enough to never land in jail, I never got a DUI, and I never lost my job, home, or kids due to drinking alcohol.  But that doesn't mean that alcohol wasn't a problem it just means I was lucky that I never got caught.  And when you are comparing your drinking to someone else you're never seeing the full picture.

    When you see a picture on social media of beautiful ladies holding their fancy glasses at a winery, or a bunch of football fans tailgating at the game, or margaritas and chips on the patio as you're passing by the restaurants, the FOMO can begin to sneak in.  But let me remind you of what you don't see:

The chase of the buzz, one drink will never be enough.

Dehydration setting in.

The disrupted sleep from peeing 3x a night.

The anxiety.

The shame.

The regret.

The hangover.

The fatigue.

The cycle you didn't realize you're stuck in.

    The list could continue and I assure you that my list was way longer.  And I had had enough.  Maybe on the outside a lot of people would assume my drinking wasn't bad enough to quit for good.  But one thing it was was that it wasn't good enough.

    It wasn't good enough that I was dragging myself out of bed to attend my kid's football games in the heat the next morning with a hangover from hell. Was it good enough that as I sat there and sweat my body oozed alcohol trying everywhere possible to rid itself of poison?  Was it good enough that when the hangover set in I was damaging my liver even further with medicine to help with the pounding headache?

    When I took an extended break from drinking (I took a few) I saw the bigger picture.  I took the time to think about the reality of alcohol and what its purpose is.  I started reading "quit-lit" and listening to podcasts about the truth of what alcohol actually does to the brain and body.  I allowed myself the time and space to see what life might look like if alcohol was removed.  I also went back to my old ways more times than I wished I had, but that is truly when I learned.  And what I learned is that alcohol isn't good enough for me.  It's not adding anything to my precious little life.  In fact, it's doing the complete opposite and stealing everything I ever wanted, which is just to be the best version of myself for myself and for my family and friends.

    Also - why in the world would I ever do anything to risk causing harm to this:

Nope...alcohol isn't good enough to belong in my life.  My life has a higher standard.  I am mindful of what I allow my energy to be given to and alcohol doesn't get to steal the gift of being fully present in the richness that life has to offer.