I spent most of my life worshipping the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I. Thing is, when you don’t have anything else to believe in, success can be pretty boring.And I was successful for a long time — at least, work wise. I managed retail stores, and I was good at it. My specialty was turning around failing businesses, which was pretty easy as long as I didn’t care about the people I managed, as long as the only one who mattered was me. But even though I turned countless businesses around, and I was paid well for it, I was bored and empty. I knew there had to be something more. But what?I had no idea. And thanks to alcohol, I didn’t have to think about it. I’d been drinking since high school. It went wherever I went and it was a normal, daily thing.

Then I got married — and we divorced three years later. Alcohol didn’t ruin our marriage, but it certainly made everything worse. And after the divorce, I drank even more. I was probably drinking a liter of whiskey and bourbon every day. And I saw no reason to stop.

Rising From Rock Bottom

To make matters worse, I started taking several drugs like Xanax that a psychiatrist prescribed. Taking those, along with the drinking, I was a train wreck. I started blacking out and I didn’t know who I was half the time. My career tanked at that point, and so did my health. A doctor told me if I didn’t stop drinking, I was going to die.I came to Springs Rescue Mission in 2010, got sober, and went back to work. I thought I was “fixed.” But I went right back to drinking. So I came back to the Mission. I had to take God and Jesus Christ seriously this time. And I did.It changed everything. I’m now attending Nazarene Bible College, studying Christian Leadership and Ethics. I want to go back into managing businesses or nonprofits, but this time with a focus on God and loving the people I manage.