Sobriety is a beautiful place. I’ve been here a while and love it, but there was a time when I thought drinking was an incredible experience. I would sip on a drink and think, “I’ll do this forever. How could I ever give this up.” I’m thrilled I quit, though. The sober life I have today is exceptional.

If drinking and using were better than my sober life, I’d go back to drinking and using. The truth is I’ve created a better life in sobriety than I had in my addiction, and that’s one of the big lessons of staying sober: make your sober life amazing, and you will not want to go back to what you did before.

For me, addiction was a struggle. I had to lie (to myself and others) about everything. My relationships sucked because everything was about me. I used guy friends to serve as a wingman, and I emotionally neglected women. Much of this was my focus and desire to drink, have fun, and party without consequences - or so I thought. However, the consequences did arrive in abundance.

As a sober man, I feel emotions, and that’s wonderful. It’s not all about me, and I don’t want it to be. I enjoy caring for others. Without the crutch of substances, I navigate life's ups and downs, discovering inner strength and resilience I never knew I had.

Sobriety brought control to my life. No longer at the mercy of a substance, I’m in the driver's seat. This control extends to my physical health as well. My body has healed from the damage of addiction, and I see improvements in my energy levels. Sobriety isn't just about removing something negative from your life; it's about adding much more.

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