Literary Titan
Going Dry: My Path to Overcoming Habitual Drinking by Sean Robinson is a personal development book that anyone struggling with drinking in their lives will find great use of. Although Sean Robinson primarily detailed his experience staying committed to his new goal to stay away from drinking and resisting the pull of a generational drinking habit, the lessons and challenge protocol gleaned from his struggles can be applied to any area where one experiences difficulty rising above a limitation.
This 12-chapter book leads with a chapter on the legendary new year's resolution, where everyone promises to lead a better life and improve their undesirable habits. However, this book soon spiraled into the narration of how he navigated his relationship with friends and family, many of whom he had a culture of drinking with and could not come to terms with his new resolve to quit drinking.
One particular thing that Sean Robinson pointed out was that he didn't necessarily need to have had a traumatic or life-changing experience to know he had to confront his relationship with alcohol. In expressing this vulnerability, he was able to start on his path to going dry.
"The expectation and disappointment in his voice would pierce me and my anxiety about it harder than it should have."
The peer pressure and the anxiety of having to explain to old friends and acquaintances why you would not want to join in that bottle clink are firmly captured in this sentence excerpt. It was shortly after Mr. Robinson told his friend about his stand on drinking in anticipation of the friend's wedding.
In perhaps what seems to be the biggest challenge to his new goal, Mr. Robinson offered tips on how to set boundaries with friends who do not understand one's need to not drink alcohol. However, many would have benefited from his insights if he had delved deeper into how he coped with all that pressure.
Regardless, this book has practical challenges that can help you stay accountable to your goals while navigating the emotions that can sometimes overwhelm you when you suffer a temporary lapse in your journey.
Going Dry: My Path to Overcoming Habitual Drinking is a heartfelt memoir that shares the difficult journey of making changes in one's life. The honest and direct narrative will help those struggling with addiction to feel they are not alone in their battles. So often, we hear about people hitting rock bottom before making life changes; Sean Robinson shares his story, so others know they don't have to hit bottom before they can make a positive change in their own lives.
