For years I convinced myself alcohol was helping me.
It relaxed me, it helped me think, it made me more creative, it slowed my very busy brain down.
What I now realise is that it was creating silence, not clarity.
One day at the airport before a holiday, I offered my wife a glass of champagne.
She replied: No thanks. I'm going to stop drinking.
That single sentence changed my life.
The truth is, I'd wanted to stop for years; I just needed someone to prompt me.
I will always be grateful to my wife for that moment.
Giving up alcohol wasn't as hard as I expected. For decades, I had built a story around why I needed it.
Drinking helped me relax, drinking helped me cope, drinking helped me be my best.
I was wrong. Stopping alcohol did change my life forever.
I manage stress differently, my anger has reduced, I connect more deeply with people, I take on bigger challenges, and I'm learning better ways to work with my crazy brain.
Coincidence or not, business improved too.
One thing I don't miss is what I call the post-dining blues. That feeling after a night out where you're a little flat, a little foggy and not quite yourself.
Now, going out is about good conversation, connection, a clear head and waking up ready for the next day.
This isn't so much a post about giving up alcohol as it is about challenging the stories we tell ourselves.
Sometimes the motivation to change isn't found in a book or seminar; oftentimes, it's sitting right beside you at an airport saying: I'm not going to do this anymore.
Let’s talk!
Motivation Is Close By.