As I sit here writing this week’s blog I must admit that I’m not feeling 100%. My head is throbbing, my stomach is queasy, and my vision in somewhat impaired. I’m having difficulty collecting my thoughts and it’s become a challenge to articulate my words correctly. I have feelings of sorrow and regret. Anger at myself for ruining my day. Frustration with myself for knowing that I will probably do it one day again soon. And disgust for the harm and damage that I inflicted upon my poor, aging body in order to have a “Good Time.”

I am hungover……

Are You An Addict?

As someone who has openly admitted on numerous occasions my own struggles with addiction, I’m happy to report that alcohol is not one of them. Fortunately alcohol has always been a “take it or leave it” type of vice for me, and more often then not, I typically leave it.

But every so often I find myself reaching for that second, third and fourth Neat Double Scotch. And as a result, I find myself paying for it with my health the very next day. And even though I’m suppose to be “Mr. Practice What He Preaches”, I can’t be expected to to eat, breath and shit everything fitness 24 hours a day. I’m not a machine. I have no desire to live in the gym. And there are times when I really don’t give a rat’s ass how many calories, carbs and fats are in that slice of pizza that I just consumed.

I don’t think I have ever met a single person who hasn’t struggled with some sort of addiction at one point of his or her life. Whether that addiction be to food, sex, drugs, alcohol, work, or even exercise, I think if most people were to be honest, they would admit that they themselves have struggled with trying to beat, cope, manage and/or co-exist quietly with their own addictions.

Is Finding Balance Overrated?

Ugh. I hate it when someone tells me that I need to “find more balance” in my life. The reality is that it’s been almost 40 years and I still haven’t found that balance. Therefore chances are high that I might never find that balance. And quite honestly, I’m completely okay with that. One of the things in which I find to be highly hypocritical is that some of the people that tell me that I need more balance in my life, are people who lack that very same balance themselves and perhaps just don’t see it. And then there are the people who believe that having the weekends off to spend time with their families, work 9-5 jobs, go on one vacation each year for 2-3 weeks, while taking personal days when needed, is the key to finding balance. Unfortunately I am not and never will be one of these people.

I am a self proclaimed workaholic. I work hard, but I also play just as hard. There is and never has been a “medium” for me. I go all out on everything I do, which according to society’s standards makes me an extremist. But what’s wrong with being an extremist? Some of the most successful people I know are extremists. They have ZERO balance in their lives but they seem to be happy and highly productive.

As hungover as I am today, I still made sure I showed up to work. I didn’t cancel a single session or miss a single appointment. I also forced myself to workout. Fortunately for me it was scheduled to be an Arms Workout, because I can almost guarantee that I would not have survived if it had been a Legs Workout. My point is that even though I’m seriously lacking balance in my life, I never let play interfere with work or work interfere with play.

My Unsolicited Advice

I’m obviously not qualified to provide advice to someone who is struggling with addiction. And I’m certainly not qualified to provide advice to someone who is struggling to find balance in their life. I can however write about my own struggles with addiction and lack of balance so that others can relate and understand that they are not alone. Being an addict does not make you weak. Admitting that you lack balance in your own life is nothing to be ashamed of. Just be You. Understand and accept that you will slip up from time to time. You will make lots of mistakes – some of which you will learn from, and some that you will continue to make time and time again. I don’t have answers to solving these problems, however at the same time, I don’t know if I necessarily view them as problems at all.

“How you live your life is totally up to you. It’s not dependent on your circumstance. It’s dependent on your choices.”
Joel Osteen

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance