Drugs and alcohol took over. And here they are in their twenties, thirties and beyond with little to show.
No assets. No car. No job skills. Maybe no friends. The future looks scary.
Sometimes they mention family and others their age who are doing well. They may be finishing school. Or running a business. It can be depressing.
But my counsel is that it doesn't have to stay that way. If one is willing to put in the work. I know, because I was there in my first year of recovery.
I was 51 years old. Riding a bicycle. Taking busses. Walking. Doing day labor in the Arizona summer.
Sometimes I'd put a five gallon bucket of water on the back of my bike and ride down main street washing windows for a few dollars. Whatever it took to pay my rent at the halfway house.
I worked hard to stay sober and rebuild my life. And that was the key: determination and perseverance.
Within a year I bought three ratty houses on the same lot with no money down. I started my own halfway house program - while working a full-time job.
I painted and cleaned those houses until they were okay for people to live in. Soon they were full and I found some more.
Within a year we were so busy that I had to quit my full time job. I worked at the halfway house for two years without a paycheck, just room and board. But I kept on, magically leasing and buying more property.
Addicts came to us for help, wanting to get sober. And wanting to give back. Together we built a community that today numbers over 700 people. A group that's trying to salvage what's left of their lives.
The point of all this is that if you want something and are willing to put in a lot of work with no promises of anything - you might just succeed.
No assets. No car. No job skills. Maybe no friends. The future looks scary.
Sometimes they mention family and others their age who are doing well. They may be finishing school. Or running a business. It can be depressing.
But my counsel is that it doesn't have to stay that way. If one is willing to put in the work. I know, because I was there in my first year of recovery.
I was 51 years old. Riding a bicycle. Taking busses. Walking. Doing day labor in the Arizona summer.
Sometimes I'd put a five gallon bucket of water on the back of my bike and ride down main street washing windows for a few dollars. Whatever it took to pay my rent at the halfway house.
I worked hard to stay sober and rebuild my life. And that was the key: determination and perseverance.
Within a year I bought three ratty houses on the same lot with no money down. I started my own halfway house program - while working a full-time job.
I painted and cleaned those houses until they were okay for people to live in. Soon they were full and I found some more.
Within a year we were so busy that I had to quit my full time job. I worked at the halfway house for two years without a paycheck, just room and board. But I kept on, magically leasing and buying more property.
Addicts came to us for help, wanting to get sober. And wanting to give back. Together we built a community that today numbers over 700 people. A group that's trying to salvage what's left of their lives.
The point of all this is that if you want something and are willing to put in a lot of work with no promises of anything - you might just succeed.
