Fifteen years of Sobriety and counting. If you're reading this and are thinking about getting help: Go get it NOW! I promise you, the sober life gets better with time. It's hard to imagine now, but it is the truth.
It was hard at the beginning. Leaving Portage Atlantic after an eight-month program, I was back out in society. Old friends and old memories surfacing... Fighting the cravings... Struggling to make new friends... You have to be strong and keep your eyes on the prize = Sobriety. It's going to be hard, of course... But eh, nothing worth doing is easy!
Once I got out, I had to focus my energy and keep myself busy, out of trouble. I decided to finish my school. Then, I went to college and studied graphic design. I like to draw and I always had a crazy imagination. Turns out it makes you a pretty darn good designer!
I worked a couple years, then I went and founded a company which I ran for 6 years. We did all kinds of projects, designing logos, websites, mobile apps... It changed my life again - I found something I was really good at: Being an entrepreneur! I got to work with amazing people throughout the journey.
Now I work with a great company that challenges me every day. I volunteer on all kinds of non-profit boards and have a few other start-ups on my own. Life is great and that is because of Portage. It was the first step in changing my life. The road to recovery is never easy, but the reward is worth it 🙂 The time is NOW. You will not regret it. The longer you wait, the harder it will be.
Cheers
- Fredéric Laforge, Portage Atlantic graduate; currently CEO and Creative Director, Smithy Creative Group - www.smithy.ca
