Sometimes, the most loving act is closing a door. Here’s how letting go of alcohol brought me clarity, peace, and the power to master my own mind.
Today marks 100 days without alcohol. I grew up seeing firsthand how alcohol can destroy lives. My father was an alcoholic, and over time, I learned that it doesn’t just affect the person drinking—it ripples out, damaging relationships, businesses, dreams, and most importantly, peace. Ironically, despite all of that, I also chose to drink for nearly two decades. I didn’t drink daily, nor did I feel addicted, but there was always that discomfort, that “something” left behind with each glass, as if echoing a reminder of what alcohol can do.
During my career as a lawyer, alcohol was woven into the work culture. Although we didn’t drink in the office, there was always a reason to go for “a drink” after work, as if it was the only way to unwind, regardless of whether it was Monday or Friday. Alcohol is everywhere, and its legality makes it nearly unquestionable. At some point, I even heard my teenage nieces say nobody wants to go to a quinceañera unless there’s alcohol. And it’s often the parents of these teenagers who turn a blind eye, feeling reassured because, after all, it’s legal, right?
Then I began asking myself: why do we drink so much? It’s not that alcohol tastes so incredible; what we’re after is the effect, the escape. We want that “happy” state where inhibitions disappear, and we feel free to be, say, and do. But is that real freedom? Or is it just permission to be someone we find hard to accept when we’re sober?
The truth is that nobody makes their best choices while drunk. No one feels proud of what they said or did the next day. And yet we keep drinking, ignoring the discomfort because society says it’s okay. For me, that legality was a powerful influence—a convenient excuse that if “everyone does it, it must be fine.”
Until one day, I finally saw the pattern clearly. I felt alcohol creeping into places where I didn’t want it, reviving memories I thought were buried. I saw that if I didn’t make a drastic change, those old patterns might reclaim me.
And so, with a resolve I hadn’t expected, my family and I closed that door once and for all. We chose to say goodbye to alcohol, to expel it from our lives without looking back, because healing doesn’t allow for half-measures. Today, 100 days later, I can say that this was the wisest decision I’ve ever made. It’s a choice made with clarity and peace. I thought it would be difficult, that I’d be tempted, but once I saw the true possibility of alcohol returning to my life, I knew I couldn’t look at it the same way. Saying goodbye, in the end, was easy.
Life now feels clearer. I face each moment fully present, no longer weighed down by moral hangovers or the regret that followed every drink. I’m finally free of that burden, living with an honesty I’ve never known before, a clarity that only sobriety has allowed.
And perhaps it’s not just the alcohol itself, but the permission we seek in it. We tell ourselves we need a drink to dance, to socialize, to feel free. We’ve taught ourselves to depend on that “help” to connect with others, to feel uninhibited. But do we really need it? Why is it so hard to be ourselves without a glass in our hand?
Today, I see parties from a new perspective. I realize that, like me, many believed alcohol was the only gateway to joy and release. But really, it was just a disguise, a temporary mask that gave me a fragile sense of freedom. The difference now is that I can go to a gathering as my full, authentic self, without needing to become a version of me I don’t recognize.
Today, I celebrate 100 days of clarity. I celebrate living each moment face-to-face, without masks or escapes. I am deeply grateful for the strength I found, for the support of those around me, and for the divine intelligence that lets me live fully aware. I know, with every fiber of my being, that this path is right, and there’s no turning back.
I invite everyone to question their habits, to reflect on where those choices come from, especially when they lead us away from who we truly want to be. Giving up alcohol has been just one step in this journey of clarity. Because ultimately, mastering our minds and emotions, finding peace and inner control, is what lets us live free from external influences, whatever they may be.
If you’re ready to dive deep into that inner power, to learn how to consciously direct your life through your thoughts and emotions, I invite you to join Mindset Ninjas—a free community where we’ll learn together to understand, manage, and master our minds and thoughts so we can choose how we want to feel every day. Thoughts are the root of our emotions; if we want to choose happiness, we must know how to choose the thoughts that lead us there.
It’s not just about leaving old habits behind; it’s about learning to live from a place of mental and emotional freedom, from where we can truly choose the life we want.
With love and kindness,
Linda
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