Megan McKinnon is a 28 year Graphic Designer living in San Francisco, CA. She got sober when she was 25 and has recently began her training to become a Certified Life Coach. Megan was a blackout drinker, daily pot smoker and struggled with an eating disorder for 8 years. She never imagined sobriety and recovery would be part of her journey. But to her surprise, a life beyond measures was waiting for her on the other end! Megan is very open about her recovery and hopes that her story can help other people not feel alone with their struggles.
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You can catch Megan on Instagram: meganmckinnonnn. Follow me on Instagram @alexmcrobs and check out my offerings in yoga, meditation and coaching at http://themindfullifepractice.com/live-schedule.
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Transcript
Intro
Welcome to the "Sober Yoga Girl" podcast with Alex McRobs, international yoga teacher and sober coach. I broke up with booze for good in 2019.And now I'm here to help others do the same. You're not alone and a sober life can be fun and fulfilling. Let me show you how.
Alex
All right. Hello, everyone. And welcome back to another episode of "Sober Yoga Girl". I am super excited to have Megan McKinnon with me here today. And Megan is a student at Life Purpose Institute, which is where I did my Life coach certification two years ago. And so she is now in the same process, and she is also three years sober. So. Hi, Megan. How are you?
Megan
Hello. I'm doing well. Thank you so much for having me on your show.
Alex
I'm so happy you're here. And it's so nice to finally meet you.
Megan
Yeah, absolutely. I know during Covid we've been able to kind of, like, connect over Facebook and just the outcare little community page. And. Yeah, it's been awesome.
Alex
So amazing. So tell me a bit about yourself before we get started. You know, where do you live? Who are you? And kind of what are your interests?
Megan
Yeah, absolutely. So right now, I currently live in San Francisco. I've been here since 2016. Moved to the city shortly after graduating from College. 28 years old and originally from Sacramento. Yeah. Professionally, I'm a graphic designer and kind of production designer. Right now, I'm working for just a retail company in the Bay Area, and outside of that is kind of more of my you know, normal life or whatnot. I just enjoy you know, such like, an active lifestyle, doing things outside. You know, love to go like snowboarding and just like hanging with friends, you know, pretty, like, standard nothing too crazy. But yeah, I think just you know, taking full advantage of living in the Bay Area and all that comes with that and yeah.
Alex
Amazing. You're 28. I just turned 29 a few months ago. Are you 1992 or 1993?
Megan
93.
Alex
Oh 93. Okay. Cool. Awesome. So tell me a bit about your relationship with drinking. So when did you start drinking and what influenced your drinking habits?
Megan
Yes. So I started drinking when I was 16 or 17. I still remember like the moment I decided to drink for the first time. And I will say that there are alcoholism is on both sides of my family, and it's been something that my mom had kind of warned me about. But you know, being a teenager, you don't really understand how that really is going to influence your drinking. But I do have my grandfather, he's been sober for X amount of years and so I knew that it was kind of like in the genes. When I started drinking, you know it's pretty, it was fun. Like, I was super involved in school, had always played sports, and it really wasn't something that like I felt I was missing out on yet it was just kind of like a junior year in high school and just decided to drink at a house party. It was pretty calm in the beginning in the sense of just you know, high school drinking and just what that looks like. But I can definitely see like, once I got to College like, those consequences started happening and looking back on it just like my whole relationship and perspective and mindset around drugs and alcohol has never been you know, considered normal, which I can go into detail there. But just kind of if you want me to elaborate on any of that or yeah, just kind of go from there.
Alex
Yeah, tell me about that. Like, what do you mean? What major drinking not normal.
Megan
So I always-- I have no moderation when I drink and looking at it now, I can just totally see that I don't have that off switch that I think some people are able to do and that can be really scary. And for me, it's like the minute that I decide to start drinking or start smoking weed or doing any type of drugs. I'm not going to stop until I'm either blacked out or I've passed out. And it's just into this like phase of oblivion. And I can just totally like I remember in high school I never wanted to drink beer. I always wanted to just go straight to the hard alcohol because I just knew that that was going to get me drunk faster. And you know, I never drink just for the taste. I always drink for like the effect. And it's still something now that I you know, I'll notice in my friends of them just being able to enjoy a glass of wine or enjoy one beer and be able to just cut it off. And I just think to myself, I never drink that way. Like, I was always drinking to get drunk. Like, isn't that the whole point? And, you know, just different behaviors in the sense of this whole idea of moderation, you know, I could be at a girl friend's house having dinner or I could be a Thanksgiving or a football game. And like, the level of how drunk I'm going to get is always going to be the same. There's no chill at all. And just like, being able to look back on that, I have no control over like what happens to me when I put any sort of substance into my body and I can get really scary. It's the reason why I had to make that decision to soft, because you know, towards the end, just finding myself in these situations that were extremely dangerous and scary and alone. And that girl that I used to be in high school or middle school or growing up, she had completely like she was gone, and it was just yeah, it was really scary.
Alex
And I can so relate to honestly what you're talking about. I did a post recently where I was posting about I was talking about violence against women and how much safer I feel in Abu Dhabi. And then I had this really interesting epiphany. After I made the post, I was like, okay, yeah Abu Dhabi is known as one of the safest cities in the world, so that is one aspect of it. But also I'm sober, so the way I move through the world and the way I experience the world is so different than when I was drunk. Because when I was drunk, I was putting myself, just as you described in these dangerous situations. And I'm just so fortunate that you know, nothing really terrible happen to me. But when you know, you're out of control and you're unaware of your surroundings, you just end up in more vulnerable places.
Megan
Absolutely. And you're in places and situations that sober self, like your true natural self, would never put yourself in those scenarios. You know, when I was living in San Francisco, that's really like when my drinking escalated. And you know, it's like I'm no longer in my College town where I'm familiar with the surroundings or it's safe to be blacked out and stumble home. It's like now I'm in a big city, and I was finding myself coming out of blackouts, driving my car--
Alex
Oh my God.
Megan
Waking up-- and right? It's horrible. And I go out the next morning. You know, I'd have to flash that's the remembering of coming to behind the wheel on a busy street in the city, black out again. And I would come to the next morning, and I have that image in my head, and I have to go out and check my car to make sure I didn't hit anyone. That I didn't you know, that there wasn't damage to my car. You know, there are scenarios when I would wake up in different town. Like one time, I woke up in Pacifica and didn't have my phone or wallet. And I'm just internally grateful that nothing seriously happened. You know, It's something I don't take lightly because I hear situations and stories of people who it doesn't always work out. And, like, something--
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
Life changing really does have to take place. And I just don't take for granted all the time that like, something was out there just kind of like protecting me in a way. And I feel like that's why sobriety and talking about recovery is so you know, it's so important to me. It's because I don't wanna-- want to help as many people as I can not feel alone, especially women and people that get sober when they're younger to not feel like so you know, the alone thing, but also be hard on themselves because it can be such a it's a lot to deal with if you don't have a community around you.
Alex
Yeah. Absolutely. I completely agree.
Megan
Yeah.
Alex
So tell me about how did your drinking escalate over time.
Megan
Yeah. I mean, I totally can see how this is a progressive disease. And you know, there's the same, that it's fun. It's fun with problems. And then it's just problems. And that definitely kind of sums up what kind of happened to me. And you know, over the course of College, I can already see I I went to the hospital one time because of my drinking and my College graduation was a complete disaster. And I can just like look back and see all these pivotal moments that should have been, like the writing on the wall. But for me, it's just it was like that was just a bad night. That was like, I feel horrible. I apologize. I'll never do that again. And then just overlook the course of situations happening. And just like, the progressiveness. Like, I couldn't-- it wasn't like fun anymore. You know, it just became this thing in my life where like every time I went out and drank, something happened. And I think I was fighting for so long to just have a normal night. Like, I just wanted to go out with my friends, to not black out, to just keep it together.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
And I was in that cycle for so long thinking that like I just had to find the perfect combination. I just had to find the perfect dinner to eat before going out so that I wouldn't black out or I needed to find the right alcohol, or I needed to mix this with that. I'll smoke before, and then I'll just drink beer tonight. And then I was looking for this perfect formula to just have a normal night out with my friends. And I never found that. It just resulted in me having worse blackouts. More of the isolation. And quite frankly, people were just getting really tired of going out with me, of the apologies of just having to dealing with me when I choose to drink. And it wasn't funny anymore. Like in College, it was funny. Like, everyone's blacking out, everyone's you know, having those crazy nights.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
I used to love the stories the next morning, and at the end of it, no one's laughing. I'm not laughing. I'm really confused on what's going on. And you know, unfortunately, it got to a place with my friends and family where they're like, we don't really want you in our lives right now if this is how you're going to choose to behave.
Alex
Wow.
Megan
And that was a really hard place in my life because people kept asking me, why do you keep getting this way? Why after what happened last weekend, how could you black out again? And I almost-- I had no answer for anyone. I'm like, I wish I knew what was going on. Like, I wish I knew how to change this or to not ruin your evening. I mentally, physically, emotionally, whatever it is. I have no control or clue over what is happening. And that progressiveness. I was in this place of just not knowing what to do anymore. And I just, like, had this envision of myself being in my 30s or being, like, later in life and still blacking out because I was just like, I started to just accept that this is how I drink.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
And I started to accept that just like, I'm done trying because nothing is working. So I guess this is just how life is going to be. And that was really, really hard to just envision that. Like, this was it, you know?
Alex
Yeah. So tell me about your journey getting sober. Like, what was that like?
Megan
Yeah. So sobriety was not my first idea. You know, like I said, I was trying to find every formula to make drinking and doing drugs work and not doing any of that. That was crazy thought. Like, I'm at least going to always be smoking weed. Like, come on, it's just getting high. And my decision to get sober came after just, like all those attempts, like I mentioned, like, being in that cycle for a really long time of I'll try this, I'll try that. You know, all those like rules and all these ideas that we have and sobriety was kind of like that last option. And it had gotten to a place where I couldn't really hide anymore from people. Like, what was going on. I don't think people really knew, actually, how much I was struggling with this. And I was like keeping this to myself. I would look myself in the mirror before going out with friends. And I would say, like, just keep it together tonight. Let's just you know, don't-- let's just have a good night. Like, come on. You got this, like, almost trying to put myself up. And then I would go out, I start drinking. I black out. And it's just about homeless. I wasn't letting people know how much I was trying to you know just, like, get better, I guess. And sobriety for me, it happened. Okay. I have kind of a little story if you want me to tell you.
Alex
Absolutely.
Megan
Okay. So, fortunately, unfortunately, I look at as a gift my parents were part of my bottom. And there was one night when I was in San Francisco. And there were these two guys that were visiting from the Netherlands. And it was there last night. I was like, oh, my gosh. Let's go out. Let's go have some drinks. Let's go have fun. And the last thing I remember is being with them and their RV that they had rented. And it was over by one of the Marina district in the city. And that's last thing that I remember, and I come-- I wake up the next morning and to my mom calling me, and she's saying, I was still drunk that when I woke up. And she's saying, are you not going to work this morning? Do you remember what happened last night? And I'm you know, really confused. And she informs me that my dad had driven down from Sacramento into the city last night to come get me because I had passed out with these guys. I was basically unconscious. They tapped into my cell phone and called my parents at about one in the morning and let them know that we have your daughter. She's unconscious. We're not even from here. We don't know what to do. And my dad gets in the car and he comes and he able to find them. And he finds me and my mom's telling me all this. And I have no idea what she's talking about. And I lost it just to think that, like, one I was even in that situation. That situation was nothing new to me. I've been in that type of thing before, but the fact that my parents had to be involved in that. I mean, I'm so lucky for those two guys. Like, it's actually kind of crazy. Like, I'm friends with one of them on Facebook, and he and I are still in touch. And I share with him that I'm sober. And you know, it's just, like, amazing that, like, nothing happened. But, you know, after that, I-- you know, and that was the point where my parents were like, this is completely out of control. You're going to rehab all this stuff. My solution to that whole situation was, like, okay, I'm not drinking. Obviously, I need to stop drinking. But just to backpedal a little bit before, because that night changed my life. I am just so internally grateful that my dad cared enough just to, like, come down. And my relationship with my parents today is amazing. It's so awesome. Like, I couldn't picture better relationship to have with the two of them. And those are the living events that I get to make because I'm sober because I never, ever want to put them in that fear or just in that like scenario. But that's how I drink. Like that's what happens like this is such, am I drinking affects so many different people just besides myself. And you know, I stopped drinking for about a month, and I thought that I was healed after that. You know, it's like that's crazy thinking of, like, well, nothing bad happened. I guess I'm good to start drinking again. And I was done with hard alcohol. So I was only going to be drinking beer, that was my plan. And I went out with two of my friends from high school in the city. I started drinking again. We did some other stuff as well. And I got completely blacked out and came to sitting around a table with them and then looking at me and just going, like, what the hell? How did you get like this again after what had just happened with your parents? You have an issue. You know, you have a problem with drinking, and you're not going to remember this conversation, and you need, like, serious help. And I will never forget like the two like, the looks on both of their faces of just being completely done.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
And I had no answer for them. You know, I say, like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You know, I swear. I remember what we're talking about right now. And they just go, we're done. Like, you need to get help. And that next day, I like looked up you know, something related to getting help around drinking. And there a number popped up. And it was a number for a club house for a recovery program, the twelve-step program AA in the city. And I called that number and they informed me of a woman's meeting the next day. And so I walked to that meeting completely crying. And I've never left AA since that day, that was back in 2016. And that's really kind of when my recovery and my sobriety started. And it hasn't looked perfect by any means. But you know, it had to get to that point of a bottom to really want to change something. You know, I couldn't keep hiding this. You know, I was at a point of just I was out of answers for myself, for everyone and had to do something about it finally and ask for help. I could not ask for help before, and that's what really continues to be. The answer for me is bringing people in on what's going on and being honest. And I remember, like, the first time I told my mom that I think I'm going to alcoholic synonymous. Like, I'm really scared to even admit that. And she was so supportive. But I started letting people in and letting them know that I wanted to get better and do something different than what I'd been doing, because what I was doing was clearly not working, and I wasn't going anywhere with my life.
Alex
Yeah. Wow. Well, Congratulations.
Megan
That was kind of long, a long answer.
Alex
No, it was honestly, it was moving. I had tears in my eyes. I honestly have tears picturing. It just made me think of like you know, these two guys that were so-- I did such a good thing by calling your parents. And you think of you know, it's like the people that you can end up with and the horrible things that could happen when you're out of consciousness. And just like you said at the beginning, it's like you have something protecting you and you know, here you are now and now you're coming on well, three, five is year sober, and that's huge. So Congratulations. It's an inspiring story.
Megan
Yes. Thank you so much. Yeah it's been-- it was not the plan at all. And I was 23 years old when I stopped drinking, and I was 25 when I got sober from you know, all drugs. And it's just been nothing that I ever imagined. But I'm just so glad I got it when I did. I'm so glad that I stopped drinking, especially when I did, because I truly don't know what would have happened. Like, I don't know if you can relate to this, but I just had this feeling that something-- my luck was running out honestly. Like, there were countless times when the situation could have gone way more south than it did. It was bad already, but it could have resulted in me you know, not making it or being kidnapped. I don't know. So many different like scenarios. And there was this feeling that I had of just okay, this is it might sound like really, really weird, but I just felt like I kind of had this, like, Guardian Angel, kind of, like, carrying me along. And I was almost, like, using up all of my lucky chances. And it was the feeling that I was really afraid to see what would happen if I kept going down the path that I was, because I just, I think I'm so grateful I stopped when I did is what I'm trying to say. And you know, I would have people come up to me and be like, oh, my God, you're so young. You're so lucky that you got this. And I'm, like, lucky? I'm 23 years old and I'm not drinking. I don't really think I'm lucky right now. I want to keep partying. And what is the life without alcohol look like? I don't know anyone that's sober. My friend certainly aren't sober, but they also can drink and use normally, but I did not see it as a gift at first. I was glad that I could I stop, I honestly wanted to stop blacking out. I thought that was my problem. I wish just I wanted to stop blacking out. And as far as my mind could go at that time. And oh, my gosh, so much more has been addressed as far as just like, different. You know, It's like a sliver of what's happened. Not blacking out is a sliver of like the change and also the areas of growth that I've been able to like experience and work on. And yeah. I'm just now I'm internally grateful to be sober in my 20s. And just honestly, I feel like I have the rest of my life ahead of me. I did not feel that way before. You know, my mom gave me this necklace once for Christmas, and it said everything is possible because I'm alive. And like, when I open that, I just burst into tears and have this overwhelming feeling of just, yeah, everything is possible now, and nothing is possible if I'm drinking and using you know, the way I drinking use it comes before everything. And I don't even want it to come before everything but it does. I have no control over not doing it before everything that I do. And it's like that compulsion that's like really scary and to be an active addiction and drinking. Our worlds are so small. It's so revolved around that next drunk that next high. Like, relationships, goals, ambitions, hobbies, all of that gets like pushed to the side. At least it did for me. And I wanted to make both work. I think that's what I tried for so long. It's like I want to drink and use normally or at this level. And I also want to, like, have great relationships with people. I also, like, wanna you know, to do all these fun travel and run a marathon and all these things, and I can't, I cannot do both. They can't exist together. And I'm fully in acceptance of that today.
Alex
I love that because I'm alive. Anything is possible. It's so beautiful.
Megan
Yeah.
Alex
What a nice thing to keep. Keep close.
Megan
Totally. Yeah.
Alex
So what was the hardest part for you about achieving sobriety?
Megan
I think the first thing that comes to mind on the hardest part was just obviously, there's a lot of fear, but I think mainly it was just accepting that I don't have drugs and alcohol are in my life anymore. So just going through life sober, even though this is like, what's crazy. It's like even though those things aren't working, why are we so afraid to give them up? It's not like I was having a good time, you know, and that's you know, in my mind. You know, I call it my disease or whatever. That's what's so crazy to me is it makes me feel like the party is over. Oh, my gosh like no more drugs and alcohol. And it's like the party was over a long time ago. So I don't know why I feel like I'm missing out. I'm going to be missing out on all the fun because it wasn't fun. You know, I think the hardest part was just like, adapting to this you know, new way of living and not having those tools to run back to. And for me, I can just, like, see that I if I'm uncomfortable, if I'm afraid, if I like am exhausted, if I'm tired, if I'm having a good day or whatever, like my mind will immediately want to go, like, check out or I want to enhance this experience. And I think that was the hardest thing of just, like, sitting through uncomfortable feelings.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
Sitting through so much stuff comes up when we get sober. You know, things that I had just pushed down and wanted to forget about. Whether that be how I treated people, situations I put myself in. How I treated my body. All of this starts coming up and like I mentioned, I am part of a 12-step community. And so like through working the steps, I had to look at some stuff that, quite frankly, just wanted to act like didn't happen. And that was the hardest thing to kind of revisit some of those situations and just kind of, like, walk through it. But I had to go through that process in order to kind of, like, forgive myself, forgive that person I used to be because I truly am a different person when I'm drinking and using and I really had to come to peace. That like that's what happens to me. There was a point in my life where that was the person I was, but I'm not that person at all anymore, like, at all. And so just learning how to go through life sober. Like, isn't easy, and especially living in a culture where drinking and using is so normalized. Or so, especially in San Francisco I mean. People drink to go through their laundry or you're just bored and you want to fill that time by drinking or getting high. And so just, like, learning how to be comfortable with this new way of kind of existing in the world.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
So sometimes it's challenging. Like, just because I've been sober for like, three years doesn't mean that I never want to use or I ever want to pick up a drink. You know? And I used to think that, like, once I get a certain amount of time or I shouldn't like, I will never get cravings again, or life will just be easy. It was like such like a thought I had when I was new. It's like, now that I'm not drinking anymore. Life will just be perfect. It's just so funny because it most certainly is not. But I learned how to go through situations today by not drinking over it or numbing out or stuffing old behaviors on top of things. And I just really learned how to walk through it with grace and with a lot of help and as a sober woman. And it's, like, really empowering to live that type of life today.
Alex
Empowering, it's a beautiful way to ask a beautiful word to describe it. So on the note of empowering, what are the best parts of being sober?
Megan
Oh, my gosh. I was looking at this question. I was like, I have so much to say about this, and I might have a couple of answers.
Alex
No prob.
Megan
But I think the first thing that's coming to mind is I am so grateful that like my experience in life at you know, at a concert, at a friend's birthday, on a sunny day, is not-- my experience is not dependent on a substance and that freedom that comes from that it's something that I didn't expect to get. But I used to think that I had to be drunk or high to have fun at anything and always thought that, like, drugs and alcohol had to be part of the picture. And it is for some people, that's great. But for me, obviously, like I described, I can't do those things normally.
Alex
Right.
Megan
And I'm so grateful now that I can go to concerts, hang with friends, go to the beach, and I get to just like be there. And like my mind isn't-- I need to get high for this.
Alex
Right.
Megan
I need to make sure I have like, X amount of drinks for this. And I don't know, I'm so grateful now. Like one of the best parts is I was a huge blackout drinker and even just like, having memories. Like, it sounds so simple, but just being able to remember my weekends and just to have fun. You know, and one of the best parts of recovery for me is having these, like, authentic experiences and just being able to just feel, you know, there's this natural euphoria that I get to experience now that I never thought would be tapped into without something influencing that, without putting something into my body. And it just feels like kind of like bad ass to me when I get to experience this feeling within myself of pure joy, of like so much fun and freedom. And I get to just, like, feel like myself. And I'm like, wow, I'm so grateful that I'm giving myself, like, this experience right now. And I'll feel that through dancing. You know, I'll go to shows with my friends or we'll go out dancing in the city and just having a blast. And I just never thought that that would have been possible. You know, two of my best friends have gotten married recently and you know, to go to weddings, and those for sure would have been situations when I would have taken it way over the edge. And the best parts about sobriety, it's like, I can go to these events now and I get to slowly be there and actually feel the love that like everyone is experiencing and not elements the next morning or you know, I'm out on the dance floor and being like so silly. And I'm not blacking out or I'm not ruining this person's, like, huge day and just to you know, not carry it of any of that anymore because, quite frankly, if I would have kept drinking, there's a really high chance I wouldn't be as involved in my friends lives as I am today.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
People didn't want me around. And the best part about Sobriety is people actually want me there. And I have to just give a huge shout out to my girl friends because, I mean, they're just, like, always so supportive and amazing. And I just feel so fortunate just to kind of have that support system from them and to never feel weird for being sober. You know, people I don't know, people rely on me today. They come to me and they talk to me about their problems. It's just I can show up for my life. And I was just not able to do that before. And I mean, like, I could go on and on about list of parts of, like, sobriety, but, I mean, there's so many, so many joys that come with it. And I don't know, it's almost like there's almost so much I can't fully articulate you know.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
How meaningful it is to me. But, I mean, I think the best way to sum it up is I just have choices now. Like I have a life that I get to kind of, like, create for myself, and there's no choices when I'm drinking. And I don't know, I just I get so excited thinking about the future. Like, what's next? What's next? Like, where am I going to live? Like, all these opportunities that could potentially come there, and Sobriety allows all that to happen. Drinking keeps me isolated in my room, shut out from the world.
Alex
Yeah. It's a beautiful answer. Tell me about-- so Megan is doing her life coach certification. I actually did the same program two summers ago in August of 2019, and that's actually how we got connected through the Life Purpose Institute Facebook page. I just kind of reached out and said, Is anyone else sober who'd be interested in connecting? And here we are. So I'm wondering what inspired you to become a life coach?
Megan
Yeah. So I always-- I work a corporate job right now. I've done that since I've been in the corporate world since graduating, which has been a good experience. But I just always have felt this especially happened when I started to get sober. But I just kind of felt like I'm not as fulfilled as I feel like I should be with work that I'm doing.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
And I kind of toyed with this idea of maybe I want to become a therapist. Like, I have just kind of fallen over the years of being in recovery. I've just fallen in love with this whole process of just, like, waking up to your potential. Waking up to this life that you just didn't ever think was going to be possible for yourself. And, you know, looking back at, like, 23 year old me when I was like in that bottom, and I was saying, like, blacking out in this type of drinking is just what my future is going to look like. Like, my ideas were so small. And over the course of recovery, obviously, like, life has expanded in such a beautiful way.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
I want other people just to realize that they can wake up as well. And, you know, for me, I just feel grateful being in a recovery community. I've been introduced to all these tools and ways of handling situations, not just, like, around drinking and using, but just even, like, relationships, feeling stuck somewhere. You know, all these fears and having, you know, a way to work around that. And I've almost been like, I want to help people that aren't just in recovery because, you know, in the 12-step, it's just like, you know, help the other person that's struggling with you know, drinking and using. And I definitely make sure that I'm always practicing that. But I was realizing, like, I'm talking to like mine become like "normies" like, I was talking to my "normy" friends who are going through stuff and they didn't really know what to do. And I felt like I was incorporating what I've learned in recovery, just helping them.
Alex
Right.
Megan
And it just has made me think, like, I want to like help people who don't know what to do with this type of situation and people that feel like they're stuck or just, like, normal human being, honestly, normal human things that we all deal with. But like don't necessarily like you know, what to do with that. And you know, I decided to check out life coaching I dabbled with. So I want to become like a therapist. I just felt this calling to like help people in this type of work. And I thought, you know, do I want to go back to school? And look at therapy but I don't know if that's kind of the direction. And then life coaching just kind of came into play. And I was like, that type of work sounds exactly like the level that I you know, the level that I kind of want to educate myself around and kind of like get into it sounds really fun. And during you know, this past year and a half, I just kind of started like looking up different programs. You know, and I thought you know, that comes like you could never do that. You know, like you want to become a life coach? That's silly. You know, people are what are people going to think if you do this? And I kind of just had to shut that down and just, like, go for it. And I found the Life Purpose Institute and started that just decided you know, to go forth with it and see what happens. And so I started my training, and I think it was like, end of March. I'll be done in September.
Alex
That's amazing.
Megan
And I'm still scared because I'm learning all this as I go along, but I'm really, really excited that I just decided to do something about a dream that I had. And again, I would never be doing this if I was still, if I was still drinking. There's no way in hell that I would be able to even go forth with this idea. Show up every day for show up, not every day. Show up every week for class. I mean, there's no way that I would have been available at all to take something like this on. And again, it's just another reason of why I love being sober. Like, it's such a gift to, you know.
Alex
Yeah.
Megan
Take a chance like this.
Alex
And even like, believing in yourself. Like, I think while I was still drinking, I was so low and I felt I was in such a negative head space. I felt so crap about myself that I would never think that I could coach others. And I was actually only, like, 90 days sober when I did my life coach certification. It was incredible. It was, like light and day. I'm stepping into this, and it's amazing how recovery just empowers you empowering. That's the word you said.
Megan
Yeah. No, it totally does. Yeah. So I'm just super stoked just to kind of see where this life coaching thing kind of comes. You know, I don't know if it's going to be a full time thing or part time. I really have no idea, but I try not to future chip around the details of that yet and just kind of remember, like, okay, let's just finish the training, and then we'll see where we can maybe start incorporating this a little bit, but it's fun.
Alex
Amazing. So if any of my listeners want to find you, where can they find you on social media or Internet or whatever?
Megan
Yeah. So right now, I'm just on Facebook and Instagram. It's pretty much just like my personal profiles right now. But once, like I said, with my certifications over, I do plan on kind of starting my own life coaching business, and I'll be creating just all the marketing around that as well. So none of that is established quite yet. But I can always maybe like provide that to you later, and that can be added to the show notes once I kind of have stuff kind of all set up.
Alex
Perfect.
Megan
Yeah.
Alex
And so exciting.
Megan
Totally. And I just like to put it out there. If anyone is ever struggling with drinking or using, they can always reach out to me. I love talking about like recovery. I love connecting with other people that are sober and just having the conversation around it. Again, I didn't have anyone I could turn to when I was in my bottom to talk about what was going on and to not feel like I was going to be judged or that they were going to be mad at me. And so I always just love to open up that door to anyone that feels like they just want to talk. I'm always here to you know, be a resource.
Alex
It's amazing. Well, that kind of leads into the last question I want to ask you, which is if you had any advice or any wisdom to give to someone who wants to begin a sober journey someone who's just starting out, what would you say?
Megan
I would tell them, be really gentle on yourself. And it's okay to be really emotional and scared. And we were all in that first week period. We were all in the first month. We were all in the first year and to just try and be really gentle and loving towards yourself because you're doing something that is, like, so part of my language. So fucking brave and courageous. Don't put this extra pressure on yourself and really just try and be as loving and kind to you know person that you're trying to become.
Alex
Yeah, I love it. Be gentle and loving and kind. It's beautiful.
Megan
Yeah.
Alex
Well, Megan, thank you so much for taking the time to be on the show. I really appreciate it. It was so amazing to talk and connect and hear your inspiring story. And I have no doubt that once you step into the coaching, you're going to do amazing things and impact and touch lots of people's lives.
Megan
Well, thank you so much. This was so fun. And yeah, I'm so love you and I have connected. And I'm glad that you and I can kind of be friends and chat about recovery. Chat about you know, life coaching. And yeah, that's great. Perfect.
Alex
All right, well, have a great day, Megan. I'll see you too.
Megan
Thank you. you too. Thanks.
Alex
Bye.
Megan
Bye.
Outro
Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of "Sober Yoga Girl" with Alex McRobs. I am so, so grateful for every one of you. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the next one and leave a review before you go. See you soon. Bye.
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