I know what rock bottom feels like.
Not the Instagram version with inspiring quotes.
The real kind — where you’re sitting in a dead-end job, 50 pounds overweight, drinking more than you should,
wondering how you fucked up your life this spectacularly.
Again.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Change
You know what’s worse than hitting rock bottom? Hitting it twice.
But here’s what I learned from my second crash landing:
It’s not about what you say you want.
It’s not about your vision board.
It’s not about your intentions.
It’s about what you tolerate.
The Tolerance Trap
Every day, you tell yourself:
“I’ll start getting healthy tomorrow,” I told myself that for probably three years plus as I ballooned to 250 pounds
“I’ll quit drinking next week.”
“I’ll fix my relationships soon.”
But tomorrow comes, and you tolerate:
That extra slice of pizza
“Just one more” drink
Another day of isolation
Your tolerances are writing checks your future self can’t cash.
The Math of Mediocrity
Let me break this down:
Every time you tolerate mediocrity, you’re voting for it
Each “just this once” becomes your new normal
Your standards aren’t what you preach — they’re what you permit
I know because I’ve lived it. Twice.
The first time, I went from:
8th-grade dropout to Masters Degree
Addict to 24 years sober
Runaway to family man
Then I got comfortable.
Started tolerating small compromises.
And watched it all burn down.
The Wake-Up Call
Here’s your reality check:
You’re not struggling because you lack:
Motivation
Knowledge
Resources
You’re struggling because you’ve normalized mediocrity.
The Path Forward
Want real transformation? Here's where rubber meets road:
1. Draw Your Lines
Identify your current bottom lines - the stuff you swore you'd never do but now accept daily
Write them down in black and white
Set new standards that make your gut clench - they should scare you
2. Build Your Fortress
Create daily check-ins with yourself - brutal honest inventory
Establish morning rituals that force awareness
Set up evening reviews to track where you held firm or folded
3. Raise the Stakes
Find an accountability partner who won't accept your bullshit
Put skin in the game - make it cost you when you cave
Create public commitments that force follow-through
4. Deploy Daily Discipline
Start with one non-negotiable standard
Track it religiously
Build evidence of your new normal
Add another standard only after the first becomes automatic
Remember: This isn't about perfection.
It's about raising your baseline.
Every time you honor your standards, you're voting for your future self.
Your rock bottom can be your foundation - or your future.
The choice happens in what you refuse to tolerate today.
The Real Work
You want to know the hardest part?
It’s not:
Setting standards
Making plans
Finding strategies
It’s sitting with the discomfort of actually enforcing your standards.
Your Wake-Up Call
I learned this early in life and was reminded in my mid 30’s
Don’t tell me what your going to do, show me what your doing
Show me what your willing to tolerate in your life
Stop telling me about:
Your goals
Your dreams
Your potential
Show me what you’ll no longer tolerate.
Because that’s the only thing that matters.
The Choice
You can:
Keep tolerating mediocrity and hoping for excellence
Or start enforcing standards that scare you
There is no middle ground. There is no easy path. There is only what you’ll accept and what you won’t.
The Challenge
Pick one thing you’ve been tolerating. Something small but significant. Draw your line in the sand today.
Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not when you “feel ready.”
Right now.
Because here’s the truth about rock bottom:
You don’t need another chance to do better…
You need higher standards…that shows others what your truly doing!!!!
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