You can't outsmart everything

I’m a recovering alcoholic. Took me a long time. My first detox was a trip to a mental ward at 19. That was the first time I quit drinking. It would take me another 20 years, arrests, jail time, rehab stays, missed holidays and countless promises to loved ones before things finally changed.

I always thought I could outsmart my addiction. There had been nothing in my life that couldn’t be improved with a combination of intellectual curiosity and hard work. Yet this was different. In fact, my brain was often my enemy. I could find research and studies and anecdotes to find an alternative to abstinence. I could find historical reference to justify my drinking. I could find every reason to not stop. Except it was killing me.

Some of the biggest struggles in life will come from your ability to justify your behaviors through convoluted logic. If your hoop jumping explanation of why you aren’t losing weight looks like a Qanon supporters FB post it might be time to stop making excuses. You can’t outsmart this. You either do the work or don’t. It’s up to you.