Stop the Blame Game

I am so tired of the phrase "driving me to drink"...

"My kids are driving me to drink."

"My job is driving me to drink."

"I'm so stressed it's driving me to drink."

"My FILL IN THE BLANK is driving me to drink!"

No, no they are not. Let's be real here...the problem here is you and your lack of ownership. It doesn't matter where the stress or problem came from, there are underlying issues that need to be addressed. The fact that alcohol is a "normal" go-to for coping these days is number one, but number two is why are you not doing anything to actually mitigate your stress? Why are you not doing anything to heal from the root cause?

Instead of opening up a bottle of wine, open up a book on self-development.

Instead of purchasing a case of beer, purchase life coaching or counseling.

Instead of spending hours drinking, spend hours applying for a new job you're passionate about!

Instead of drinking to deal with your child, embrace them and play a game.

Instead of allowing the behavior that is "so stressful" to you, own your role!! PARENT THEM. Love them. Discipline them. And be consistent.

Instead of playing the blame game, take a look around and see where YOU can make a change. Because we CAN change.

Start simple. Identify one area that you need to work on, and purchase a book on that topic (forgiveness, addiction, self-development, parenting, marriage, happiness, etc.). If you feel that you need to dive deeper and need accountability, hire a coach that will help you cast a vision for your life and set goals to get there. If you feel that you need to dive into your past and heal from past trauma, reach out to a therapist or counselor.

It's time to stop the narrative that we need alcohol to parent, that we need alcohol to cope, that we need alcohol period. We don't. It's time to stop the cycle. It's time to stop the issue at its core. It's time to heal.

If you need a book recommendation or an idea of where to start, please let me know!