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Half a Year Sober: A Personal Update

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DALE

The blog contains little bits of my life, my passions, and my work. I update it daily so there is always something new to come see.

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Can you believe Tyler and I are Half a Year Sober? 6 months is a long time to stick to something you quit cold turkey, but that’s exactly what has happened! If you remember, I first wrote about being sober in my blog post called “100 Days Alcohol-Free.” Take a look at that post if you want to ready about why we decided to be sober in 2022.

the main reason I am half a year sober is because I want to be present for my girls.

An Update on the “WHY” I’m Half a Year Sober

It takes some pretty insane self-control if you want to be half a year sober. For me, self-control has never been an issue. When I set my mind on doing something, I stop at nothing to make sure I stay true to myself. I view it as a promise I make to myself, and I don’t break promises. Having respect for myself is only a small part of this promise. The biggest part of that promise revolves around the three girls in the photo above. Tyler said it best when she said she wants to be present for this year of Scout’s life.

That’s a pretty powerful statement.

I don’t want to think back on year two through slurred memories and blurry visions. She already grows too fast, and being selfish and focused on myself is no way to spend the year. Not to mention, Cece is 9 and needs my attention, and Ellie is 17 about to enter her senior year. These girls deserve a dad who can show them that putting your mind to something helps you achieve it. Whatever it is.

An Update on the “HOW” I’m Half a Year Sober

brewdog in downtown cleveland is a great place for non-alcoholic beer

While I talked about an amazing mocktail in my earlier post, I also have to credit another drink for my half a year sober feat. Tyler introduced me to Brewdog, which actually brews in Columbus, Ohio (where I spend time every month photographing). Brewdog is an incredible brewery for a lot of reasons. 1) They have half a dozen non-alcoholic beers. 2) They are a carbon negative company. 3) They split 50% of their profits with their employees. 4) They love dogs. Brewdog is just a great company that I’m having a fun time supporting. And now that they have a Cleveland location, I’ve already found myself spending the afternoon there editing photos.

What’s Next?

Hopefully, I’ll be writing to you on January 1st, 2023 with an update that says I did it. I’ve got plenty of reasons to be sober (here are my top 5 reasons for being sober in 2022), so the motivation is there.

Are you struggling with anything? If so, and if you would love a friend on your journey, reach out to me! You can email me at my personal email: dalebenfield@gmail.com and let’s be friends!

Talk to you soon,
Dale



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