My employer recently sent me to a creative blogger conference.   I came away with a ton of ideas related to my job, but I also came away with the idea firmly planted in my mind that it was time for me to start a personal blog.  I heard a few recurring messages from several speakers over the course of the conference.  The main message I heard was that you need to blog about what you are passionate about.  I have plenty of interests in many areas, but all of my interests will quickly disappear if I am not actively committed to my recovery.  My personal recovery is dependent upon abstinence from alcohol, sugar, and flour.  If I ingest any of these, I am bound to fall back into my addictions, and all other interests will soon be replaced by those addictions. Abstinence must be at the center of my life.  When I am committed to abstinence and my recovery, the whole world is open to me.

The other message that I heard at the conference was the importance of being authentic.   I need to be true to myself, to my beliefs and to my experience.  When I am sharing my experience honestly, and I maintain a commitment to helping others, I hope that you will feel that my message is authentic. When I started posting about my recovery on Facebook over the last year, I received several messages back thanking me for my honesty and authenticity.  That feedback drove me to keep sharing and opening up about my experience.  I abandoned the idea that my shortcomings and struggles should not be shared, and that I needed to maintain a facade that all was well.  I only can connect with people on a deeper level when I share my truth. I also accept that my recovery comes with an obligation to help others who suffer from alcoholism and eating disorders, and I intend for this blog to be a place where I can share my most valuable assets: my experience, strength and hope. I hope that will come through to you as you read my blog.