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September 13, 2019

What Recovery Has Given Me.

One of the things I am most grateful in my life is to be able to say that I am a sober woman. I am also an ovarian cancer survivor. I am feeling very grateful to be able to say that I am a sober woman. These two devastating experiences have turned out to be the most powerfully transformational things to me, in my life.

I´m sharing because I want to help

If I hadn’t stopped drinking, I most certainly wouldn’t still be alive. Drinking was cutting my life short. What a tragedy and a sad, sad waste. Not only would I have hurt my husband, my friends and my family, but I wouldn’t be able to share what a blessing it is to be in recovery. 

My life has changed for the better in so many ways because I stopped drinking.

Own your inner “Badass”

One of the most important things I want to share about being in recovery is that there is absolutely no shame in stepping up and saying you have a problem.

It takes courage to recognize and admit that. Saying it out loud to someone else is both brave and vulnerable. And that makes you a “badass”. 

So, go ahead and own your inner badass. I did and I’m proud of it! 

You just never know…

When I was growing up, people associated alcoholism with “winos under the bridge”. Those days are over. 

Today, chances are good that some of the people you’d least expect to have a drinking problem actually do – think, your boss, your designer or maybe even the mom next door. You just never know. 

It doesn’t take being hospitalized, getting a DUI or losing your job to signal that you’ve hit rock bottom. I was what you would call a “high bottom drunk”, and may well have kept right on drinking, if I hadn’t tried to shoot myself.

Never judge

We ALL struggle with something.  From food, drinking, and drugs to gambling, porn, Netflix – there ́s something out there for everyone. 

Which is why my motto is this: never judge. 

Because judging people for how they choose to deal with their emotions will never help eliminate the stigma of addiction. It only makes things worse. 

Instead of helping, it forces those who are struggling to keep their problem hidden. It keeps them from seeking help. It leaves them feeling so full of shame that they can ́t bear admitting it to themselves, let alone another human being. 

Before you judge someone else, look in the mirror.

If you ́re wondering whether you ́re drinking a little too much, think about this:

  • Are you waking up with a hangover, more often than not?
  • Are you drinking earlier and earlier in the day? 
  • Do you find yourself worrying about how to hide the empty bottles?
  • Do your hands shake so much it makes it hard to apply your eyeliner?
  • Do you ever consider having a little “nip” in the morning to help start your day?
  • When you look deep down inside, do you know you have a problem?

My name is Nancy McKay and I coach women, most of them are over 50, who are going through a major transition in their lives and don’t know what the hell happened. They’re feeling lost and afraid because they don’t know what their future looks like. I help them figure out how to feel happy and at peace with their life.

Interested to find out if coaching is right for you?

 If you’re looking for a coach that will inspire, motivate and empower you AND that knows how you feel – we should talk.

One of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten is:  “You helped me in seeing things from a different lens – I can’t believe I learned so much in one meeting!  I can’t wait to see what else I learn from you.” 

 

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