Breaking the Chains of Addiction

Today — December 13th, 2022 — Marks my five-year anniversary of "breaking the chains" of addiction and beginning the road to recovery. For 22 years I smoked cigarettes. One pack of Marlboro. Two packs. Another one. Light 'em up.?

I knew I was poisoning?my body and yet I kept it going.?

In many ways, I haven't looked back. The decision to quit smoking has taught me a thing or two about life. Here are a few reflections that I think are worth sharing.?

???Addiction is Real — The?"addiction" to smoking cigarettes also had what felt like a controlling grip on my actions. It was only after admitting that I was an addict that I could follow through with real change.?

???Physical and Mental Health go Hand in Hand (....and must coexist together, not in silos)

???Resilience is the Key to Sustained Success?— I tried to quit more than nine times in the five years prior, before I finally won my battle. I spent 30 days in a quasi-rehab facility, I got hypnotized by a world renown healer – I tried it all.

????Self Love is the Answer — In truth, the idea of "self love" is a relatively new concept for me. For a long time, I viewed?my addiction and habits as a weakness (and being weak). I realized now that this low opinion manifested in my behaviors towards those around me. There?isn't a?single formula for "self love," but I will?say that the more I love myself, the more I am able to love others.?

???Surround Yourself with the Right People — If I had to narrow it down to one person, I would credit one of the primary reasons for my success in quitting smoking to my team member and fellow recovering addict, Rob Kubiak . He overcame a twenty-year struggle with drug addiction, the tail end of which while he worked for me, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I’ve done without his loyalty, support, mentorship, friendship, and love. Rob is someone who leads by example and has shown me that we all can beat addiction and choose character building over comfort every day. We have both now been freed from the shackles of our respective addictions for five years. Thank you, buddy.?

.....five years after quitting smoking and?beating my addiction, I can say with certainty that my quality of my life has?improved significantly.?

I can breathe freely.?

I feel healthy.?

I am able to manage the stress that comes with running multiple businesses and going after my vision.?

My mind has never been clearer?

My relationships at home and at the office have never been deeper.?

My businesses have never been stronger.?

?The future has never been so bright?

#Addiction #Recovery?#MentalHealth #Resiliency #SelfLove