Whatever it Takes

WHATEVER IT TAKES

January 20, 2023, I lay in an ICU of Bangkok Hospital, Phuket. I was physically, mentally, and spiritually broken.  The co-founder of the Residential Treatment Center I was admitted to for the third time asked me by my bedside:  “What are you willing to do to stay sober?  I want you to think about that, mate (he is English), and tell me when you are ready.  If not, you are wasting our time.”

I needed to hear that. Tough love is the greatest gift I have been given. This came from a man I held in the highest regard and was like a father to me.

When I arrived in Texas, I found a man who was on point with his sober recovery, a man who had what I wanted – worked the 12 steps, set the example, knew sober recovery, and could share about it openly and honestly.  A man who radiated spiritual experience; I asked him to sponsor me.

He first said, “What are you willing to do to stay sober?”   

I said, “Whatever it takes.”

He went on to say, “If you put the same kind of energy into sobriety that you put into getting loaded, you are off to a good start. Check-in with me once daily, get a big book, and we will plan a meeting time.”

Before sobriety, I was living as an individual, broken, bootstrapping my way through life. The most important thing I had to learn with the ‘Whatever it takes’ commitment is to take the suggestions of my sponsor and men who have walked a mile in my alcoholic boots and have not only found the solution but are living their lives by it.  

Today, I am fully committed to a lifestyle of sobriety – Warrior Recovery; because I like the effect it produces, just like alcohol and narcotics used to.  The thing is, I only have to put a few hours into it daily, whereas, in active addiction, it was a full-time job plus overtime.

To maintain this life of sobriety, I must actively live it; I must freely give it away through Service. Every great thing in my recovery has directly resulted from Service to Others. 

There is a symbol that embodies Whatever it Takes—it is a triangle surrounded by a circle. Unity, Service, and Recovery are written on each side of the triangle. It means to me Fellowship, Selfless Acts, and a Higher Power. With my life framed by these principles, I have a life beyond anything I could have imagined.

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rangermike
I am a warrior in recovery from substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress. My mission is to serve military veterans and first responders by sharing over two decades in active addiction, alcoholism, and trauma, attending treatment facilities, rehabs, sober living, and outpatient clinics. Through my hard-learned experiences, I share how to break free from the bondage of active addiction, alcoholism, and trauma. To live a life of freedom filled with purpose and meaning in service to others.

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