Recovery on the Brain

AFF Newsletter on Substack #13

Welcome to the AFF Newsletter on Substack.

I had a conversation with a fellow dad in recovery recently and he said something interesting regarding the way our brains work in sobriety.

We were talking about different business ventures he had been involved with during his 13+ years free from the shackles of alcohol.

He alluded to the fact that he had switched multiple times to different niches in early sobriety because his brain was still acting as if it were ‘under the influence’.

I totally got what he was suggesting and that was one of the reasons why I launched this Recovery Club section of the AFF Newsletter - more on that later.

He highlighted the fact that it had taken him until this point to realise his calling/purpose in terms of business and now he is flourishing.

I’ve been battling my calling/purpose in sobriety (with regard to business) since day one and I imagine I will for a little while longer.

You see, I still feel like, after 5+ years sober, I’ve got some lingering hangovers - for lack of a better word - from my drinking days.

This isn’t the case for everyone. Some people quit drinking and life almost carries on without too much difference, while others totally change everything, including their thinking.

I guess I’d place myself somewhere in the middle.

My life has dramatically changed without booze, yet certain areas feel like I’m still stuck with the habit.

There is no right answer in recovery. Everyone has a different path. As long as booze is no longer in the picture then we have the ability to write a new ending to our story - one where we don’t die a drunken mess.

But the struggle to overcome old behaviours, or to bounce around from idea to idea - like we used to bounce from bar to bar - is still real.

As I mentioned earlier, I started this Recovery Club newsletter because I want to talk more about recovery and reaffirm its importance in my life, and hopefully do the same for you.

For a long time, I hadn’t really considered myself as someone who was “in recovery” but that’s exactly what I am.

The conversation I had with my friend really hit home and then during my walk yesterday I realised I needed to share this.

I need to remember that it’s ok to be in recovery. I spent 20+ years drinking and it’s forgivable to think that it might take a number of years in order to shake some of the things that came with that.

Although I don’t have the urge to drink, I realise now that I still have work to do in other areas of my life.

I understand that it’s ok not to know my calling/purpose yet, especially in terms of business, and that it’s ok to try different things.

I will also try not to get discouraged when someone unsubscribes from this newsletter because I know that the messages will reach whoever needs them.

On that note, thank you to those who responded to the last newsletter.

Here is one I will share with you as it resonated with me:

If you liked today’s edition, have a question or just want to reach out, then please use the links below.

Thank you for reading.

Take care and have a great day,

AFF