When I entered recovery I became free from the obsession to drink; to say it was anything short of a miracle would be an understatement. What was more surprising and powerful, however, was the freedom from fear.
It was a freedom from fear, or even a freedom to fail, that opened up a world of activities and hobbies that I once shut myself off from. Fear in the past kept me from pursuing interests that I really wanted to investigate, but never did.
As I grew in sobriety, I became less controlled by the fear that once ran my life. I pushed myself to try new things, unencumbered by the weight of fear on my shoulders. I started riding motorcycles, I took drum lessons, started a business, adopted a dog, bought and renovated a house, ran a half marathon, completed a triathlon, moved a few times, dated a lot, and fell in love.
For so long I was afraid to stop drinking, thinking I would lose so much. I was afraid to lose a huge part of my identity, my close friends, and family relationships. But I really just lost my fear and gained more than I could have ever imagined.
