Why Recovery Rocks Exists

Recovery Rocks exists because I wanted a place that reflected the truth of what I was seeing.

And what I was seeing was not what most people think.

Looking back, I can see that the vision for Recovery Rocks probably started the very first day I walked into an AA meeting.

I ended up there because I had gotten a DUI and started attending before my court date because I thought it might look better when I saw the judge.

Needless to say, I wasn't exactly arriving as a woman on a mission.

I was scared to walk through those doors.

I don't know what I expected to find, but I know what I didn't expect.

I didn't expect to find people I genuinely liked.

I didn't expect to find people who were honest.

I didn't expect to find people who were strong.

I didn't expect to find people who were funny.

And I certainly didn't expect to find some of the most supportive people I had ever encountered in my life.

I am a noticer.

One thing I pay attention to is people.

And the people I found in recovery were not at all what I had imagined.

The truth found me.

I found people who had been through experiences that would curl your hair, yet somehow had the courage to be honest about them.

People who were helping others while rebuilding themselves.

People who had lost their way and were finding it again.

People who refused to quit.

People who kept showing up.

The more time I spent in recovery, the more fascinated I became.

Not by addiction.

By transformation.

Do people realize what is happening over here?

Because I don't think they do.

I don't think most people see what I see.

Yes, we've lost ourselves.

Yes, we've made mistakes.

Yes, we've had experiences we wish we hadn't had.

But that isn't the whole truth.

The other truth is that people in recovery are some of the most courageous, resilient, self-aware, honest, and determined people I have ever met.

Another truth is that we have every bit as much potential as anyone else God made.

I've spent time around all kinds of people throughout my life—lovely people, accomplished people, successful people, interesting people. And yet, if given the choice, I would still rather spend my time with people in recovery than just about anyone else.

There is something special here.

There is a level of honesty, courage, self-awareness, resilience, humor, and heart that continues to inspire me.

And contrary to what some people might think, recovery isn't just about surviving.

In my experience, it can be an incredible adventure.

Sure, it requires effort. It requires honesty. It requires growth. It asks things of us.

But compared to the chaos, pain, and exhaustion of active addiction, discovering yourself feels like a gift.

I have watched people learn new skills, build businesses, repair relationships, find purpose, create things they never imagined, and discover strengths they never knew they had.

I love that part.

I love watching people come back to life.

I love watching people surprise themselves.

I love watching people discover possibilities they never knew existed.

And that matters to me.

I've always rooted for the underdog.

I've always been interested in truth.

And the truth is that I don't believe the world sees us as we truly are.

Maybe that's okay.

Maybe it's only how we see ourselves that matters.

So I wanted to create a place where we could see ourselves differently.

A place where we could remember who we are.

A place where we could grow, laugh, learn, build, create, and discover what we're actually capable of.

Because one of the greatest surprises of my own recovery has been discovering myself.

Finding out what I like.

What I don't like.

What matters to me.

What I'm capable of.

What gifts were there all along waiting to be uncovered.

Recovery isn't just about stopping something.

It's about becoming something.

It's about reclaiming yourself

.

It's about discovering possibilities that most likely have been there all along.

And maybe this is also a good place to explain why I chose the name Recovery Rocks.

I chose it because my life became so vastly different that it felt like night and day.

Recovery wasn't just about putting down substances. It was about being given an entirely new life to explore.

A new opportunity.

A new perspective.

A new reality.

In recovery, we get to decide who we want to be. We get to discover what matters to us. We get to choose how we want to live, how we want to serve, what we want to create, and what kind of person we want to become.

We get to reinvent ourselves.

We get to surprise ourselves.

We get to discover possibilities we may never have imagined before.

And from where I sit, that truly does rock.

Recovery Rocks exists because I wanted a place that celebrates that truth.

A place that stands up for the people I see.

A place that reflects what I have witnessed.

A place that says:

Look at these people.

Look at their courage.

Look at their growth.

Look at their love.

Look at their potential.

Do people realize what is happening over here?

I do.

And I think it's worth creating this space for.