Living with addiction is a relentless battle. It's not just a habit; it’s a disease. I could list a hundred devastating reasons not to use—prison, lost relationships, curfews, being broke—you name it. And yet, the mind whispers, "Yeah, but..." If that’s not proof it’s a disease and not just weak willpower, I don’t know what is. Recognizing this gives me hope and the power to manage it. That’s exactly why I stick to my non-negotiables, every single day, no matter how much I don’t want to: 1. Waking Up Early: Every morning is a battle. I hate getting up early, but I do it because it keeps me clean, it keeps me organized, and it’s good for everyone around me. 2. Hitting the Gym: Training every day is brutal. I’m not always in the mood to push weights or hit the treadmill, but I do it because my mental health depends on it, and when I’m healthy, I’m better for the people around me. 3. Reading 10 Pages: Who has time to read self-development books every day? I make the time. Staying informed makes me a better version of myself, which is my service to others. 4. Reaching Out: Connecting with other recovering addicts daily isn’t just beneficial for them; it reinforces my own commitment to stay clean. 5. Daily Inventory: This might be the last thing I want to do after a long day, but keeping myself in check ensures I’m not causing chaos for others. If you promise someone you’ll do something and don’t follow through, they lose trust in you. It’s the same with self-promises. Every time I follow through on my non-negotiables, I build trust in myself. Even on the worst days, when I'm weighed down by court dates, financial troubles, or personal issues, sticking to these commitments keeps me from spiralling back into depression. Staying true to these daily actions hasn’t just helped me manage my addiction; it's fundamentally changed how I see myself. Even when everything else is falling apart, I know I’ve scored these personal victories. And when I close my eyes at night, I can rest easy knowing I’m five steps ahead of where I was yesterday.

Understanding My Addiction - Starting something new is always a bitch, right? Well, that's how it kicks off with our recovery program. The first chunk of this journey is all about healing. We can’t move forward without dealing with this part first. In our program, some just go with their gut through this initial phase, while others need a clear-cut game plan. The reasons vary—some of you might be fresh to recovery, just having dragged yourselves out of the mud from your latest scrap with drugs. Or maybe you've been clean for a stretch but the ghost of addiction still haunts every corner of your life, showing you how powerless you really are. Sometimes, it’s the sheer agony of our situation that drives us back here, ready to try again. It’s about recognizing that our recovery is a lifelong trek—no finish lines, just continuous growth. For many of us, understanding that addiction isn’t about moral failure but a real, gnawing disease helps us to get why we’ve hit rock bottom. For others, it's less about understanding and more about getting the hell out of the mess we're in. Now, it's time to get our hands dirty. We need to jump into actions that actually pull us further from our addictions, no matter what face that bastard wears today. We're here to really grab hold of the basics—acceptance, humility, grit, and keeping it real—making these the core of who we are. Surrender - First off, surrender doesn’t come in one flavour. For some of us, the journey to even starting the first part of recovery was a brutal enough wake-up call. For others, it’s about reluctantly admitting that there might not be any other way out, even if we’re not fully convinced we’re screwed. It’s only when we begin to truly work this, that we see clearly: we’ve been kicked to the ground, and now, we've got to drop the act. Kicking off means quitting cold—whatever shit we’re tangled up in, be it booze, drugs, or anything else that’s got us by the balls. The focus here is stark: we’re screwed because of our addictions, and if we’re ever gonna clean up our mess, we have to stop the chaos we perpetuate. It’s about nailing down actions that stop our self-sabotage in its tracks.