Visualize yourself 1 year from now… the version of you if you keep drinking and then visual the version of you after a year alcohol free.

 

This is a suggested technique to try in one of many books I read about quitting drinking.  I forget which one, but I remember reading it and actually doing it.

 

When I did this I was in the thick of struggle.  One night on.  One night off.  That shitty cycle of trying to quit and not doing it.  Ughh. That sucked.

 

I remember the night. I woke up super stressed and left my bed (my now ex wife was in bed).  I had gnarly anxiety.  My life was a mess, I had drinks that night and my wife was in the process of leaving me.

 

I went downstairs to the couch and listened to this book with headphones on.  The lesson asks you to meditate of sorts.  Breathe in and out and come to a spot visualizing you in a year continuing drinking.  I remember this terrible visual.  Me fat, eyes droopy, depressed, broken, pale, and sad.  It was a horrible thought.

 

Then the book shakes you out of that and you regroup into a different visual.  A clean version.  You take breaths and put together a vision of you in the future having gone alcohol free or sober (however you prefer to say).   Wow, what a contrast of vision and emotions.  Its like waking up from a bad dream and realizing it was only a dream in regard to the first visual.

 

Here was mine.  I remember visualizing feeling healthy. Feeling vibrant.  Feeling content.  I felt proud of myself.  I looked happy.  I looked fit. My eyes were clear.  My skin had a bronze tone.  I had an authentic smile.  I even remember my look of sort.  My hair was cut shorter.  My face looked leaner.  I was wearing a black shirt.  I had converse like shoes on.  And there was a picture of me in the vision.  I was smiling at the camera.  I remember thinking it was after a speech or a talk or some type of achievement. I envisioned a moment of health and prosperity.  And I remember smiling to myself.  Knowing it was out there.

 

And guess what?  I might have just had that moment.  If you see in the photo below.  I’m wearing a similar outfit.  I’m looking much better (in contrast to the version of me drinking). I have a real smile.  I have clear eyes and I am proud of me, for being clean and strong…

 

This opportunity came out of the blue (wow, look at the blue back drop).  I was asked to speak to a nationally ranked college football team. A sort of motivational talk.  Mind you this is not what I do for a living and I was nervous as heck.  But I have some past achievements that they thought would be of value.  So I agreed.  I did the talk.  I gave them an energetic speech about effort and showing up each day.  Be eager, embrace the process and enjoy the journey. I think it went well.

 

The photo makes me feel so good.  It’s almost a trip because I had a vision of this photo.  This version of me.  This clear minded me.

 

Sure maybe I dressed accordingly to my vision.  Yep and really I dress this way most often.  But I didn’t always have this smile.  I didn’t always have clear eyes and sure as shit wouldn’t have had the confidence to give a speech to an entire college football team.

 

 

One more thing.  The speaker after me, he is a professional motivational speaker and one of the best college coaches in history.  He gave a profound speech, which I took in intently. At one point he said, “I know the meaning of life, and you know what it is?  It’s to never give up!  Never stop trying”…Legendary knowledge there.

 

For me. I’m stoked in this photo.  I visualized it.  I’m stoked a lot these days.  I haven’t figured it all out but like coach said, I’m not giving up on trying.  It’s the meaning of life…