Andy
Addiction might have been the hardest thing I have ever dealt with.
From losing everything I once held dear, to hitting rock bottom; these were the only two of the most significant aspects in my life that made me realize it was time to make a change. Now it’s been years since I got clean and sober, and though I owe all of it to those who stayed by my side showing me support, such as my family, friends, and sponsor, I’d like you to know of other aspects that also contributed to my success not only in rehabilitation and in life.
Leading my own company now and having turned my own life around to set an example of entrepreneurship, I would have never become a reality if I had never found my true passion.
As time went by during my program, I learned how discovering what motivates you to be something better has an effect on everything in life. I’d be lying if I said it has always been easy. In fact, it was as hard as it could get. It’s not a smooth path to walk once you decide to get clean, but seeing a light at the end of the tunnel will give you a sense of progress which will motivate you on a daily basis to achieve whatever you want.
Here are 5 ways finding a passion will help you stay sober.
It gives you purpose
Before joining a recovery program, I felt as if my life had never had any purpose at all. Abusing substances became the only activity I could enjoy and slowly allowed everything else to fade away. During and after recovery, I learned how to get my life back, give it a purpose and ultimately got to appreciate the value of effort, hard work, and dedication, which turned into success. It can be hard at times, even if you’ve never dealt with addiction, to find something that makes you feel like there’s sense in life. Truth is, the rehabilitation success rates while I was going through the program was one of my main fears which I had to face eventually. This was stopping me from finding my passion, and from moving forward. I had to deal with the fear of failure and didn’t want to engage in any activities out of fear of disappointing everyone around me again.
It makes progress measurable
Discovering a passion will show you through the cycle of its practice, that no matter what you decide to take on if you’re passionate about it, you will eventually see results. Some might take longer than others, but the satisfaction we feel once we’ve reached one of our goals is what will keep pushing us forward. Success will come along proportionally to how motivated we are and how hard we work towards it. Whatever interest awakens within, there’s only one way to ensure it works out: you have to give it your 100% percent. No passion is too big or too small. Once to set on the train to success and you look back in life, you will see that every single little thing was a victory and will allow you to appreciate how far you’ve come.
It helps you to stay focused
A real passion will take all most of your time and attention. And, of course, you can have more than one. Some are passionate about their relationship, their friends, cars, art. Passion is what drives us forward and keeps us on the right track. My dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur started out of my regained passion for life. When our mind is focused on positive and productive things, there will be no room left for relapse, negative feelings or people that can hold us back from reaching our full potential.
You become perseverant and determined
During rehabilitation, it became hard sometimes to stay focused, motivated and determined to keep crawling out of the hole I had put myself into. When I fell in love entrepreneurship, along with everyone who supports and loves me, gave me the energy I needed to push forward and stay in the mindset I needed to overcome all obstacles on my way.
You learn to never give up
Whether it was because of my desire to leave my past behind, or the hopes of becoming a successful entrepreneur one day, finding my passion showed me that I myself am the one who sets the limit. Whether I succeed at staying sober or not, whether my company keeps growing and growing, or whether I get to fulfill all my dreams and hopes is entirely up to me. Having discovered a passion taught me that exactly. That eagerness and strength to walk the line in order to never stop until I reach my goals are what come to your life when your passion is in the same place as your heart..
Dealing with recovery can very well be the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, but in a way, I’m grateful with life about it because it taught me so many things about life and myself that I didn’t know. It helped me to realize that I was still worth it and meant to achieve great things. With my family and loved ones always by my side giving me all the support I needed, I am now proud to look back and appreciate how finding a passion pushed me out of the darkness into a wide field full of bright opportunities waiting for me to take them. Never give up, never surrender, follow your passion and be happy. That’s what I say to myself every morning before going on with chasing my dreams and what helps me to maintain a balance in my life.
If you’d like to ask a question, would simply like to share your story or suggest any other ways finding a passion has helped you in life, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
Andy
Hi, I am Andy! I was born in Bogota, Colombia, but raised in Los Angeles, California. I am 8 years clean and I now focus on helping others beat their addiction.