Alright, so let’s talk about wonder and awe—two things we all used to have in spades as kids but somehow managed to lose somewhere along the way between taxes and scrolling through Twitter at 2 a.m. These days, wonder and awe are like those rare birds you only hear about in nature documentaries—beautiful, fleeting, and barely seen in the wild. And the thing is, without them, life starts feeling pretty damn flat. It’s like going through life in black and white when you know color exists. So, that’s the mission here: to help people recover that spark, that sense of “holy crap, life is amazing,” even if it’s a bit messed up most of the time. Because here’s the thing—wonder and awe aren’t just nice little add-ons. They’re fuel. They’re what make us feel alive, connected, and actually excited to get out of bed in the morning. Without them, you’re just grinding, going through the motions, thinking the next promotion or the next “perfect” relationship will give you that feeling. Spoiler alert: it won’t. Helping people recover wonder and awe means digging beneath the “what’s wrong with me?” questions and getting back to the “what’s actually right with life?” part of ourselves that we’ve ignored for way too long. It’s about learning how to see again—to notice the little things, the beauty in the ordinary, and the magic in what we already have. We’re talking about breaking out of the mental boxes we’ve put ourselves in, the labels and expectations, and all the noise that makes life feel so heavy. It’s about peeling all that back and finding a part of ourselves that can still look at the world and say, “Whoa.” Because when we see the world with that kind of curiosity and awe, suddenly everything starts to feel more possible.

I'm in several school groups and receive a lot of email notifications. I would prefer to receive fewer notifications than the defaults settings... So if you are like me, and you'd like to adjust how often you receive notifications, watch this short video for instructions.

And… what is considered as behaving “normal?”

My dad used to say, "Son, you can read a book on how to swim, but until you get wet, you don't know how to swim." That wisdom rings true when it comes to fear. We can analyze, plan, and prepare all we want, but fear will keep us stuck until we take that leap into action. Fear is a powerful force, but it's not invincible. The only way to overcome it is by doing—by stepping into the unknown, even when it feels uncomfortable. Action is where courage grows. So, what's your next move?

In early recovery, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that as long as we're clean, everything is fine. But there's more going on beneath the surface. The part of you that wants to look strong and in control—that's your ego. It tries to convince you that the problem is just the drugs or alcohol, not the emotional pain underneath. Once you start feeling better physically, your ego steps in, wanting to maintain this false sense of control. But deep down, there's something else at play: a feeling of not being good enough, called the inferiority complex. It's built from a negative self-image and low self-esteem, the real reasons behind addiction. Dr. Alfred Adler named this concept, and it explains why even when you're sober, those feelings of anxiety, depression, and doubt can creep back in, leading many back to using. Healing doesn't come from pretending everything's okay or holding onto control. True recovery comes from letting go of the need to look perfect and starting to face the emotions you've buried. It's not about fighting those feelings but allowing them to surface so they can heal. Recovery isn't about fixing what's "broken." It's about understanding that you were never broken in the first place. You'll find freedom, self-acceptance, and lasting healing when you stop running from your insecurities and start accepting all parts of yourself. You won't need addiction to cope anymore because you'll be at peace within yourself.