Sobriety 2025 | 30 Years Later

Today, August 12, 2025, I am joyfully celebrating thirty years of continuous sobriety! I am thrilled beyond belief to mark three decades of being alcohol- and drug-free! It’s a gift from God I never could have imagined for myself back when I was thick in the throes of my addiction.

Thirty Years Sober: A Milestone Worth Celebrating

Once upon a time, my life revolved around booze and getting high. The more the better served as my motto. Whether it was alcohol, drugs, or sex, my philosophy was simple: Why have one when you can have more? It was excess without boundaries, and I truly believed that I was living. But the truth was, it wasn’t living at all. It was a slow death, one bad choice at a time.

Addiction slowly robbed me of clarity, purpose, and peace. It promised escape but, instead, delivered bondage. It gave me the illusion of freedom but kept me chained to cravings and destruction. Looking back now, I see how far gone I was. Friends said I had no conscience. I know longer knew were the lines were that I had crossed many decisions ago. Chaos had become the norm. Until one day, I’d had enough. God gave me a choice between life and death and I chose life.

There are 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week.

And then came recovery.

Recovery is more than just quitting alcohol or drugs; it’s learning to live differently. It’s discovering that you can face life without numbing yourself. It’s making peace with your past and learning to love yourself enough to keep moving forward. It’s hard work, yes, but it’s also a gift—one that gives back far more than it takes.

8,760 Hours in One Year

Thirty years later, I am alive—truly alive—and living a healthier lifestyle. Sobriety hasn’t made my life perfect, but it has made it possible. It’s possible to have meaningful relationships. It’s possible to live my life with integrity. It’s possible to know joy without a chemical boost.

For me, recovery is about progress, not perfection. It’s about waking up each day and choosing life over destruction. It’s about knowing that I am no longer defined by the worst chapter of my story.

I’ve witnessed addiction snuff out the lives of so many people I know. I’ve seen it cut short countless lives. Yours doesn’t have to be one of them. But, addiction ends in one of two ways: jail or the grave. But God…

If you’re reading this and struggling, please hear me: there is hope. I’m living proof that change is possible, no matter how far gone you feel. You don’t have to do it alone. There is a big community, a Higher Power, and a whole new way of living waiting for you.

In my youth, my purpose was getting high and getting laid. That was my north star, my reason to get out of bed. For me, back then, life was all about the next rush, the next escape. It promised freedom but delivered chains. No matter how much I consumed, the hunger only grew. Eventually, I realized I wasn’t living; I was slowly dying. Sobriety and faith gave me a new purpose: to help others see their worth, create beauty that stirs the soul, and point people toward hope. The old purpose took everything; the new one gives life.

Here’s to thirty years of grace, second chances, and a life I never thought I’d have. And here’s to many more.

It works if you work it!

Until my next post…

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

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