5 Weeks & No Booze - Update & Thoughts

Toward Completeness With Jay Woodford

https://www.facebook.com/thejaywoodford/

Since my New Year’s Day video about quitting drinking, people have been asking me how I’m doing so here's an update and some thoughts.

But, first, a warning...

I have bad news.

Most of you are probably not going to like some of what I have to say. That's okay. I need to and I'm going to say it anyways.

As of today, it's been 5 weeks and no booze.

Non. Zero. Not even a single drop. That's a big deal for me and something that, 6 weeks ago, I never would have thought would happen.

Yes, those bottles are full.

Yes, this picture was taken today.

And yes, I have copious amounts of booze in my presence almost all the time.

But...

I'm hardly ever really tempted.

Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoy alcohol, I love a good buzz and I loved shutting it all off at the end of the day.

Because I'm so jacked up 24/7, having a few drinks and relaxing after a day of work was one of my favorite things to do.

But I've found the strength to not cave by focusing my attention on how much I love other things such as...

The well-being of my family

Being 100% in control

Being able to wake up super early and immediately feeling ready to take on the day

Not worrying about my health

Not causing others to worry

Not feeling tremendous guilt and anxiety

Not worrying that I'm careening toward the point of no return

Having a clear and stable mind that is constantly pouring out fresh ideas

Being more productive and happy

(the list could go on and on)

At the same time, I need to be brutally honest...

If I didn't get to wake up everyday and do work I love and love the work I do...

If I wasn't able to do something that is making mine and my family's future better than the past...

...if I had to get up and go to a job with the sole purpose of just paying the bills, that didn't move me forward but just kept me from going backwards

...no joy

...no fulfillment

...no excitement

...no deeper meaning

...no opportunity to actualize my potential

...and little to no opportunity to make the future drastically better than the past

...I am 100% convinced that there is no way in hell that I would have been able or even willing to quit drinking.

In fact, I'd venture to say that if that was the life I thought I was confined to, I would have gone off the deep end long ago into all out alcoholism, drug addiction and maybe worse...

Yes, I have a beautiful family to live for, I get that. But I'm just being honest and I think a lot of people need to hear this.

We spend an enormous amount of our lives working. The chasm between doing work that merely prevents us from going backwards versus doing work that is deeply meaningful and that actually moves one forward - work that is assuring a better future than the present, that chasm is infinite.

Not enough people are talking about it but I am almost certain that, if this isn't the root of so much unhappiness and depression in our society, it's damn near close to it.

And so many just take it for granted and never really think on this.

So many just assume that this is just the way it is and there is little to nothing that can be done about it.

The vast majority of people wake up Monday morning feeling miserable - dreading the next five days ahead of them.

Why?

Because they're doing work that means next to nothing. No matter how much they try to fool themselves.

How can it not be miserable when the whole reason for doing that work is to not go backwards?

It's basically voluntary slavery.

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