S2 - E01 | Al lost his career to cocaine sparking a journey to rebuild his life with passion and purpose
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"And a month and a half after we got married, I lost my job. So here she's thinking that she married a guy who is this wonderful guy who has his shit together, has held a job for 24 years, making good money to find out he's been sneaking cocaine behind her back the whole three years that they were dating. That was even a blow for her."
Summary
"And a month and a half after we got married, I lost my job. So here she's thinking that she married a guy who is this wonderful guy who has his shit together, has held a job for 24 years, making good money to find out he's been sneaking cocaine behind her back the whole three years that they were dating. That was even a blow for her."
Summary
Al Richards shares his personal journey of overcoming addiction and transforming his life. He discusses how he started using drugs as a way to escape the stress of work and how it eventually took a toll on his relationships and well-being. After losing his job and hitting rock bottom, Al turned to spirituality and self-reflection to find a new path. He focused on personal growth, accountability, and building trust with others. Al emphasises the importance of staying humble and surrounding oneself with positive influences on the journey to recovery. In this conversation, Al Richards and Hamish discuss the importance of family, the power of emotions, and the journey of recovery. Al shares his experience as a grandfather and how being present for his grandchildren's activities brings him joy. He emphasises the need to allow ourselves to feel and process our emotions and the importance of taking accountability for our actions.
Al also talks about his podcast, AR: The Other Side of Addiction, which aims to educate and reduce the stigma surrounding addiction. His superpower, gained from turning his life around, is empathy.
Al also talks about his podcast, AR: The Other Side of Addiction, which aims to educate and reduce the stigma surrounding addiction. His superpower, gained from turning his life around, is empathy.
About Al
Resilience Collective - https://www.abc4.com/gtu/al-richards-starts-addiction-resilience-collective-for-those-struggling/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/al.richards.921/
Other Side of Addiction FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/mralrichards
Podcast, AR: The Other Side of Addiction - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheOtherSideofAddiction
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@alrichards780
Takeaways
- Addiction can lead to a loss of self and a disconnection from what truly matters in life.
- Recovery requires self-reflection, accountability, and a commitment to personal growth.
- Surrounding oneself with positive influences and building trust with others is crucial for long-term recovery.
- Staying humble and open to learning from others is essential on the journey to transformation. Being present for family activities brings joy and creates lasting memories.
- Allowing ourselves to feel and process our emotions is essential for personal growth.
- Taking accountability for our actions leads to personal freedom and positive change.
- Empathy is a superpower that allows us to understand and connect with others.
Titles
- From Addiction to Transformation: Al Richards' Journey
- The Power of Self-Reflection and Personal Growth in Recovery Taking Accountability for Personal Growth
- The Power of Allowing and Processing Emotions
Sound Bites
- "Life takes the turn because, and I believe you and I spoke about it before when we spoke that as I was coming out of stepping out of my cesspool, my wife started falling into hers."
- "Everything disappeared. You're no longer worried about work. That feeling, I mean, it is very powerful. Drugs, alcohol, anything is very powerful to just numb things down."
- "Those who have stepped forward and have battled through their battles of addiction, we are now here to walk amongst the others to lend our hand."
- "If I was still snorting cocaine and drinking every weekend, I'd be missing all this"
- "Sit in it. Figure out what the lesson is behind it. Learn from it. Then move forward."
- "Our happiness comes from us, from within. No one else can make us happy."
Chapters
07:53 - Losing a Job and Hitting Rock Bottom
16:26 - Transformation and Self-Reflection
19:19 - The Negative Effects of Addiction
27:23 - Rebuilding and Moving Forward
31:22 - Staying Humble and Supporting Others
33:20 - Embracing Emotions
36:13 - The Power of Empathy
Creators and Guests
Guest
Al Richardson
Al Richards is a true inspiration to those who have faced addiction and are seeking a way to overcome it. After battling a weekend alcohol and cocaine addiction for eight years, Al lost his job of 24 years as a result. But instead of giving up, he turned his life around and has spent the past 15 years working tirelessly on himself and helping others understand addiction. In March of 2021, he started The Other Side of Addiction Podcast, which has quickly become a space for open and honest dialogue about addiction and recovery. Al is also the Co-Founder of The Healing Utah Success Summit. Al and Malory Ruesch had a dream of holding an event that would inspire and educate those in recovery and their families.
