I’m coming up on three and a half years of sobriety.

I was in Las Vegas this week for work, and a few people asked me some version of the same question.

“Man, isn’t that hard in sobriety?”

I get why they ask.

A few years ago, I probably would have asked the same thing.

The truth is, I found it reinforcing.

I slept great every night.

I was up early.

I made it to the gym each morning.

I had good conversations.

I was present for all of it.

One morning, walking to the gym, I passed a guy throwing up in a trash can.

A little later I walked past a couple asleep on the casino floor.

Then, standing in the airport waiting to fly home, I looked around and saw a lot of people who looked exhausted. Pretty miserable.

It wasn’t a judgment.

I’ve been that guy more times than I care to admit.

If anything, it reminded me how grateful I am.

There was a time in my life when feeling terrible was just normal.

I expected it.

I spent so much time recovering from yesterday or worrying about tomorrow that I wasn’t really enjoying today.

I don’t miss that.

Today I get to wake up.

I get to feel good.

I get to be present.

I get to live my life.

For a long time, I thought sobriety meant giving something up.

Looking back, I don’t think it took anything from me that was worth keeping.

It gave me back far more than it ever asked me to give up.