(Continued from How I Turned My Life Around) The next thing that happened is something that I am forever grateful to have experienced because it created an opportunity to change my life.
Without this event, my life may not have changed and I would probably be in an even worse position now. It was December 24th, 2012, a cold and misty morning in San Diego. It was around 5 a.m. and I was in a state of inebriation. I was in no condition to drive a vehicle and I do not recall the thought process behind deciding to do so. I was driving recklessly on dark, wet, windy roads. The next thing I know, I was going down an embankment, plowing through massive trees and ended up on a golf cart pathway facing the opposite direction. I was overcome with shock and could not stop shaking.
I got out and glanced at my mangled car and had no words to describe what I had just survived. One of my good friends had previously passed away on the same road a couple hundred yards ahead. Why was I so lucky? What did I do to deserve another chance at life? These questions pervaded my mind along with immense guilt and shame for my actions. The California Highway Patrol showed up and arrested me for driving under the influence. About a week later, I was off to Los Angeles to get some serious help.
In the last couple of years, I have had the ability to take some time off of school and work in order to revaluate my lifestyle and make some drastic changes. I have been in Los Angeles since December 28, 2012 and I believe that I have been blessed with another shot at life. I believe that everything happens for a reason and this event happened to put me on the right path. However, it took a lot of effort and work. I got involved in an anonymous program, started doing work on myself, started being of service to others, learned about responsibility, time management, accountability and made real and genuine friendships. I got rid of all of my social media accounts and cell phone so that I could dedicate myself to changing my life.
I wanted to live life to the fullest and to be content with whatever I was doing. I did not want to just scrape by, I wanted to be successful internally and externally and I was going to do whatever I could in order to achieve that. This change required sacrifices, which at first seemed impossible. I gave up drinking, drugging and that “party boy” lifestyle that I used to embrace. Now I can’t imagine going back to that way of life. I started eating a good diet, exercising regularly, taking care of my health, being responsible, paying my bills and learning the balance between working full time, going to school, and having a social life. I believe that what I put in is what I will get out, so it is my responsibility to give each and everyday my all.
A lot has happened in the last couple of years. I have explained what my life was like, what happened, and where I am at today. It may be emotional or inspirational but it just one experience that happened in my life that I am grateful to share with others. Whether you agree with my lifestyle or not, it is not my concern. This was an experience I would not trade for the world. I am very fortunate to have the ability to look at life from a new perspective. I can honestly say today that I am proud of who I am because of the actions I take and how I live my life. I am proud of my lifestyle and I love everyone that is a part of it.
Last Updated on May 24, 2022
