“Break a leg!”

We’ve probably all heard this phrase, usually as a message of luck before a big event or performance. As a public speaker, I’ve heard this phrase many times, whispered to me with a smile by a friend or colleague before taking the stage. But, in my life, it has a whole different meaning… To explain I have to go back to the beginning.

My whole life has been a performance. I’ve always felt the need to people please; to say or do the right thing. When I performed well, I felt good. When I didn’t, I felt bad. And those bad feelings eventually turned into bad habits.

As a young man, I developed an addiction to drugs and alcohol. It made me feel free and gave me the acceptance I needed within a certain circle of people, but it also landed me in a heap of trouble. Throughout my addiction, I was in jail thirteen times, the last of which was a six-month sentence on a felony DUI charge. It was the wake-up call I needed to get sober. When I got out of jail I committed to my sobriety, started to build my business back up, and began involving myself more heavily in the church. I was doing all the right things, but it still felt like I was playing a part. My actions had changed, but I still wrestled with the same internal issues. It was a performance, and I was breaking a leg.

It wasn’t until I became involved in 180 Degrees Ministries that I started to learn how to live life authentically.

About six months out of jail, and a month after my mother’s unexpected death, 180 Degree Ministries found me. I was reeling from a tragic loss and struggling to find my footing, and they provided me with a way of thinking that shaped my entire outlook. Once I began working with them is really when my life started to change…

In the ministry, we believe that everybody has a target. At the center of that target is your belief system. The surrounding area, things like your habits and behaviors, are built around that core belief system, so to address issues like an addiction it’s essential to dive deep and dig into the thoughts about yourself that drive us to drink.

Through the program, I was finally able to see that my addiction was a deeply rooted issue that tied back directly to my desire to be loved and accepted by others. That was at the center of my target, and the center of my life. It was that realization that changed everything. Once I was able to address those issues, it was like the curtain closed on the great performance that was my life before, and I finally started living life the way it was meant to be. I was finally the person I was supposed to be.

That being said, God works in mysterious ways. As crazy as it seems, I was faced with another challenge, and this time it was a real-life representation of the milestone I’d achieved.

I broke my leg.

Having only just gotten my business back up to speed, I was faced with a huge obstacle and a whole lot of pain. The doctor prescribed me pills, which helped the symptoms, but reignited an old disease. Once again I fell into addiction.

Thankfully, this time I had the tools for recovery. With the support of the ministry, I was able to get clean again, but it didn’t happen overnight. In 180 Degrees we define getting sober as not being able to do something you really want to do, and boy is it true! But I knew that no pill could make me feel as good as living life as the man God created me to be. I overcame it because I kept my target in mind, and I knew that I had the power to be who I want to be.

Now I have the ability to share my story and inspire others. As a speaker for 180 Degrees Ministries I travel internationally, helping people from point A (where they are) to point B (where they want to be). We all have the potential to live a fulfilling life of sobriety and become the person God created us to be, you just have to believe in what you can achieve.

Life gets tough. Sometimes you trip and fall. Sometimes you even break a leg. But when you stay true to your core beliefs, you’re always able to get back up and keep your life on target. You don’t need to put on a performance, because you’re already so much more than you think. So get out there and live the life you dream.

And break a leg – just not literally!