September is National Recovery Month, led by SAMHSA—the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA operates to improve access to mental health and substance use treatment. Each year, they emphasize the strength and possibilities that lie in the arms of recovery.

When I first got sober, I thought I had to become someone completely different—flawless, polished, the kind of person who meditates at sunrise and drinks green juice (okay, that part stuck). That unrealistic pressure almost kept me drunk for 34 years. I thought, “Why bother? I’m hopelessly flawed.” But sobriety didn’t make me perfect. It made me present. And presence? It’s raw, honest, and messy—but it’s also where the real healing begins. resent. And presence is messy.

You don’t have to be in recovery to do the work. Rock bottom isn’t required—start rising now. Sober or not, the path to peace is the same.