393 Addiction, Sobriety, and the Fight for a Better Life with Edward Latimore Jr

Today I'm speaking with Edward Latimore—author of "Sober Letters to My Drunken Self". He's a former professional boxer, and in this episode, we explore his powerful journey from growing up in the projects, his life of addiction, and how he is now living a life of sobriety, self-mastery, and success.  Edward's story is about resilience, personal accountability, and the power of writing and community as tools for healing. Before we jump in, let's talk a little bit about recovery resistance. It's a term I use to describe that feeling of rebelliousness when we hear suggestions of things we could do for our recovery. It could be anything from journaling every morning, to spending 30 minutes meditating, letting go of toxic relationships, or even attending 12 step meetings, just to name a few. I actually dedicated a whole chapter in my book "The 12 Step Guide For Skeptics: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions Of A Path To Sobriety". The truth is, we experience internal resistance for a good reason, which is ultimately rooted in our subconscious need for safety. But there comes a point when we recognize that some of our habits actually threaten our safety, like addiction, and we need to take action to change that. This is where it gets sticky. You might be aware that you need to change, so you seek answers, but actually taking action - like the exercise, meditation, self-reflection, step work, therapy etc - we balk. We get distracted. We procrastinate.  To combat this resistance, I have a few solutions listed in the book, but here's a quick 4 step process to help you close the gap between knowledge and action. Recognize that resistance or procrastination is a stress response. Try to give yourself some compassion. Practice a technique called "chunking". Take the task at hand and break it down into tiny little steps. Commit to taking action for 2 minutes at a time Do a 3 second countdown and MOVE. Don't think, just act on that first 2 minute chunk. That's it! And chances are, once you start taking action, momentum will carry you through. If that feels helpful to you, please be sure to get a copy of my book through Amazon. It's full of mindset shifts, little bits of wisdom I've picked up over the years, and some practical suggestions on how to get and stay sober.  So without further delay, please enjoy this episode, and let me know what you think! Guest Contact Info:  👊🏼Need help applying this information to your own life? Here are 3 ways to get started: 🎁Free Guide: 30 Tips for Your First 30 Days - With a printable PDF checklist Grab your copy here: https://www.soberlifeschool.com 🎁Free Journaling Exercise: How To Get Unstuck, Be Consistent andamp; Reach Your Goals Download Here: https://www.innercompassprogram.com ☎️Private Coaching: Make Sobriety Stick https://www.makesobrietystick.com Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music, or you can stream it from my website HERE. You can also watch the interview on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@theonedayatatimepodcast?sub_confirmation=1     Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-one-day-at-a-time-recovery-podcast/id1212504521 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4I23r7DBTpT8XwUUwHRNpB Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a8eb438c-5af1-493b-99c1-f218e5553aff/the-one-day-at-a-time-recovery-podcast