What Life is Like After More Than Six Years of Sobriety

Sobriety is not enough. I want more.
I want to craft a life for myself that I want to live, that gets me out of bed each morning.
I crave meaningful connection with others, and long to form deep, genuine emotional bonds.
I want to learn who I am, be gentle with who I was, and execute a plan for who I'm going to become.
I want to start a family, and be part of a successful team with my partner.
I want to stop hiding from the world, stop playing small, and develop a willingness to be vulnerable and put myself out there and discover everything I'm truly capable of.
I want my life to mean something, and I want to grow to be more because I want to give so much more to the ones I love.
I want to uncover emotions and behaviors that are keeping me stuck in patterns that no longer serve me.
I want to love and be loved.
These are some of the things I want from life, and I believe I can get there if I stay sober and continue down the path of recovery.

[@lily8671]

You really spoke to me with this video, it was excellent thank you for sharing. One thought I had to add is that sometimes healing certain aspects is only possible through a relationship or friendship, so you rightly say we cannot wait until we are this "perfect" version to seek out those human connections. I look forward to see your future videos, all the best.

[@LiseBarrett]

575 Days of Sobriety...I chose to eliminate alcohol as I realized after a few extremely hard years, death of family members, beloved pets, some growth and also confrontation of abuse suffered as a child and adult that I was using...using alcohol to quiet my nervous system and anesthetize myself. I thought I was brave and bold but actually limping around wounded, suffering and creating a level of unwellness for myself that I wanted to die. Now, It is quiet...friendships altered, family relationships altered and I have cocooned myself. I believe that this cocoon phase is CRUCIAL to discovering our next level. Who are we? What do we really want? What sort of life do we really want to live? What is the healthiest shape of relationship for us as givers & receivers. What can we contribute to this world while also fostering optimal health & well being for ourselves. Thank you for this beautiful and profound conversation. Little by little we step forward, lean in, renewed in our belief of our own Beauty and all of the Beauty in this world. 💜🙏💜

[@Danielmcguffeyxo]

There are some brutal and some beautiful days ahead. We will embrace all of them and participate in life. Thank you for sharing that

[@darrenbeutel6849]

Great human condition observation

[@EricMeatlikeaking]

I was sober for 8 years and going to meetings and learning about higher power and praying and still miserable then I finally learned the truth about God from the Holy Bible

[@EricMeatlikeaking]

I'm sorry if nobody ever told you this before but Jesus is real. He is the son of God and he could do all the things that God can like the healing miracles life death creation destruction

[@allyncarson1416]

Got sober in 2017 and i had the same exact ideas about what sobriety would do for me. Almost 7 years later, i realize that was actually true but what i didn't know was how i was going to have to go through a whole new level of hell to get there. But this is the "hero's journey". Thank you so much for this, i relate to everything you said and you have helped many people with your openness 🥰

[@Danielmcguffeyxo]

Remember the hero’s journey repeats again and again… each time we complete the cycle we learn something new and the journey starts over

[@davidwoods9136]

Thank you for sharing, its what I needed to hear. What you are saying is real. Sobriety is not enough, there has to be a goal or future aim that supersedes the dope that numbs the problems that lie underneath.

[@TONERAVENTUNES]

Like the Bluesman down in the blues and the bottle,staying down,like Hollywood is right now,and why,when we have paradise before us.I believe you can write an extreme down n' out blues song and be totally happy!Anyway so many great points I can relate with,Thank You! tone raven-gtr/voc We Are The Black Things(Hollywood Ca)

[@LKay314]

You showed up on recommended videos! I appreciate you. 18 months sober , I can relate 🙏🏼

[@Danielmcguffeyxo]

Great work! That’s no small feat

[@Run_Run_]

Great description on sobriety. I can definitely relate. The initial part of overcoming the substance passes quickly. It’s dealing with the emotions, challenges and ups and downs of life without your drug of choice. Not having an escape but having to go through them sober. Having to feel and deal with life. It’s rough but wonderful.

[@shoudoun1234]

Thank you for making this video, coming up on a year sober in a month, it hasn't been what I've wanted, thought things would take a 180 for the better but in reality things just got so much harder, you put it into words that I couldn't.

[@Danielmcguffeyxo]

Keep going! I wandered down an unhealthy path for many many years. Maybe I did a 180, but it’s going to take many years to walk in the other direction

[@KP-hn8kl]

To love and to be loved. That’s what I’ve been wanting too, the reason that I keep trying to be better. Whenever I say that to my friends, sometimes I feel silly or feel that it’s too cheesy. They don’t really get it either. It’s comforting to see someone out there who feels the same way. Thank you for sharing your story and make people like me feel less alone.

[@Danielmcguffeyxo]

You’re not alone! I just want love. And I believe I’m worth it… but sometimes I forget that

[@emilijalenkevica5710]

definately did not expect this video to be so new with so little views. i dont know how i ended up here but the stuff you talk about hit the spot. haha you articulate the thought very well. got some valuable mind blow moments for myself and seeds of thought! Beautiful!! mic drop in the end basically. best of luck to you. That was hell of a video! :)

[@samanthaoneill2382]

Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing.

[@sallyjohnstone8535]

Good to listen to u. I'm almost exactly the same. Can learn from you. Thanks for sharing. Good luck, you can do it.

[@marcmeinzer8859]

Just because you quit drinking doesn’t mean everything’s not going to keep driving you nuts. In fact drinking was a coping mechanism for me in all of my insane jobs before I quit and just went to barber college. To me barbering isn’t a real job. All you’re basically doing is just hanging out killing time in between haircuts so it improves your patience. But my alcoholic cravings went away and that was all I could really ask for.

[@Danielmcguffeyxo]

100%. At first everything drove me more nuts without my coping strategies. Over time the goal is to have more peace and willingness to experience the good and the bad and be more present.

[@marcmeinzer8859]

@@Danielmcguffeyxo I had a really hard time quitting so it took me ten years to sober up and finally quit in May of 1991 after working as a merchant seaman for what turned out to be 8 years. I couldn’t stand going to sea once I was sober so I became a barber. Barbering is slow since you can’t drum up business by being hyper-active. You’ve got to sit there reading paperbacks or staring at the weather radar on the television until they decide on their own to come in for a haircut. Nobody wants a shaky barber shaving them who smells like booze so it’s a good recovery job. But some of the customers will still drive you nuts even if you are sober.

[@pannitalmadge7464]

Did not have those things before I became a drunk why would it after