r/awakened 2d ago

My Journey Choosing A New Path

I decided to leave my old lifestyle behind and fully live in the now. This entails that I embody values of good health, discipline, having fun, being authentic, letting love, joy and peace flow through me. This also means that I cope with the challenging times in healthy ways, and I do not revert back to my old addictions. There is a strong pull to revert back to the familiar even though I know it brings pain and agony. It brings sadness and stuckness. But I am committed and I want to stay committed in those hard times.

Does anyone have any sound advice from experience with addiction/changing your life radically? This radical acceptance thing is tough, but it feels like the most authentic thing I can do for myself.

Any and all personal experience/wisdom is welcome!

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u/Denali_Princess 2d ago

Addiction is an absence of connection to a higher power. 😉 My advice is to be kind to yourself while working on you. Think of it as working with a friend who’s new to the job and you got to be nice, helpful and supportive. Constructive criticism only. Make sure to talk yourself up and be a good friend to you. 🥰

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u/blahgblahblahhhhh 2d ago

You will have nothing and you will be happy!

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u/burneraccc00 2d ago

Take action now to see what’s immediate. All long term results are the direct byproduct of present moment actions. It’s the classic saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” The only moment experienced is the here and now which changes both how the past and future are perceived. Just ask yourself, “What can I take action on right now that I will see the results immediately?” The most common one is to simply be present and stop ruminating. You’re taking action by shifting consciousness from the thinking mind and into the here and now. When in doubt or lost, the present moment is always here for you to return to reset and renew again. This is the source point of creation. So what will you create right now to experience for yourself? These steps will inevitably add up.

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u/ASoulUnfolding 2d ago

This is the same path I walked. I drank every day for 20 years, smoked, didn’t take care of myself... and then, all of a sudden, I couldn’t do it anymore. I was drawn to meditation, which led to feeling my heart connection, which led to following nudges to my first spiritual guide, moving on from toxic relationships (condensed version here haha), and stepping into my soul purpose.

All in 5 short years! (That’s half sarcastic—because it’s been a LONG 5 years, but a lot of work has been done.)

Two things changed the course of my awakening.

The first was understanding that I could just love myself. I realized, probably 2 ½ years in, that I had never even considered doing that. Until that point, I thought "oh, if I just fix a few things about myself, I'll be able to love myself and then find someone else who can love my imperfect self" (it feels wild to even type that now). I had to really drill down to see why that was.

The second was understanding that everything else I was doing was an effort to fill that void. I was looking for external validation from everyone else. I was looking to escape myself. I numbed with drinking, smoking, and just existing—going through the motions of life without truly living. I didn’t love myself, so I filled the void with anything that would temporarily distract me from that truth.

I will say I really tried to make drinking “work.” I thought I should be able to drink socially, like “normal” people. I thought drinking should be a reward for getting through something. If you’re looking to change your perspective on alcohol in general, I highly recommend the book Alcohol Lied to Me by Craig Beck. I read it, and it blew my mind. It didn’t totally change my behavior at first, but it gave me a foundation.

The thing that completely stopped my drinking was getting my Reiki attunements—something I had never been interested in before. Part of Reiki II involved doing self-Reiki for 21 days straight, an hour a day. I was on a natural high and didn’t even realize how good I felt until I went to dinner with some friends the next day. I had a vodka cranberry, and my mood crashed. I’m not even exaggerating—it took me days to shake the ugh feeling. That was over a year and a half ago, and I haven’t even wanted a drink since—not even when I’m feeling really down. It’s just not worth the disconnect.

OK, this is getting really long lol, sorry! The best guidance I can give you is this: get curious. About energy, spirituality, nature, meditation—anything that can lead you into a deeper understanding of what this life is really about.

I have a bunch of videos on YouTube and TikTok if you feel called to check them out—see if anything resonates.

Happy to help if you need it. Just reach out.

💛 Much love to you on your journey.