3 Years On...

On August 8, 2021, I was drunk for the last time.

I had been trying to give up booze properly for about 8 months, with several lessons learned in that time. I was so determined that I drew myself a simple tattoo and got the date tattooed on my arm the following week to remind me.

I used the infinity symbols as number 8s, symbolising getting back to who I was supposed to be with no limitations -rebirth.

I have not been drunk since that date. I did have one little bump in the road (14th Dec that year) with a bottle of beer until I thought, "WTAF am I doing?" None since.

I did have thoughts of alcohol beyond that date, but the more I was living a life of joy and excitement, the less I thought about it. Now, I wouldn’t thank you for a “drink” –I’m not interested.

At the start of my journey in Nov 2020, I would describe myself as broken, overwhelmed, overweight, stressed, angry, and at times wasn’t bothered about waking up.

My thinking was terrible. I was nineteen and a half stone in weight, smoking, and drinking was my “go-to” when things got tough. I was on medication for anxiety, my relationships were mostly broken, and I didn’t know how to have fun. I was working in a job that paid the bills well, but I was wearing my mask of “deception” to work each day.

I was lost, broken, and didn’t know what to do. I had read hundreds of books but never really took any sustained action until my life circumstances were too much to bear.

The pain was real. I was carrying my “story” as heavy baggage daily, but that’s another story for another day.

I got help (coach and counsellor) and a support network and carried on learning, but most importantly, I put the knowledge into action and using the other tools in my box to deal with things properly, instead of alcohol was my go-to when things got tough.

My life is so much different now.

Taking action, raising my awareness, understanding things, and adapting as I went along, now:

• I'm five and a half stone lighter,

• I've stopped drinking (967 days officially –had to look this up as I’m not keeping count),

• I've stopped smoking,

• Fixed relationships where needed,

• I'm having fun daily, and have set up and am running my business, RX4, to serve and help others, which I love.

What has removing alcohol from my life given me? So many benefits like consistency, waking up most days ready to rock, physical health, mental clarity, improved relationships, I’m having loads of fun, and most importantly, I’m here now living, not just existing.

Maybe the alcohol thing was the focus, and I’m attributing the success of stopping “drinking” to my life changing, but there’s so much more to it.

That got me moving, I believe, and kept me moving for a bit, however, I didn’t focus on the “not drinking.” My mind was on living a good life and helping both myself and others to get the best out of their circumstances. It probably always has been, but before, I didn’t know how.

The other important thing to remember here is I've changed so many things, but I’ve sustained the changes in myself, my health, relationships, and fun for over 2 years now. I suppose that’s the hardest bit. Maintaining and sustaining these changes is perhaps the hardest part for most people and used to be for me, but I’m loving life and love the process of it all that I’ve created with RX4, and it’s so worth it.

The reason for sharing this is twofold:

Firstly, wherever you’re at, it's not too late to get things moving in the right direction. Take a step in the right direction, one step, and one day at a time.

Secondly, are you happy and fulfilled? I truly hope so.

If you need a hand, you might not be where I was at, or you might be...

The journey I’ve been on, which I’ve put into various formats to try and help people live their best life, through various processes, to allow gradual, sustainable, and manageable change in a balanced manner across what I see as the key life areas.

My thinking is if one of them is out of balance, the rest won’t be performing as well as they could be.

That’s why I’ve set up the business RX4 to help others who may not have the same issues but want to live a full, balanced and happy life.

From workshops, programs, and events (paid and free), there’s something to support and guide you.

Look at our RX4 website for information if you need some support or guidance to get the most out of our one amazing life.

Thanks for reading.

Dave