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March 19 - March 31, 2024
“I love a success story, but even more than a success story, I like a dude-who-fucks-his-life-up-and-gets-his-life-together-again story.”
In my family, food made our house a home. It was an important value instilled early in my life
Though I have to admit, as a result of those punishments during my adolescence, I now suffer from a rare psychological condition known as “having respect for others.”
Of course, if you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.
My love affair was with the devil: prescription opiates.
Pain in life is inevitable, and you can’t ignore it.
Life doesn’t get easier; you get stronger.
At the time, all I had to my name was seven dollars and a six-pack. What I also had was tunnel vision. All my energy and focus became directed at breaking into the entertainment industry,
“Okay, I get that. But we can’t be together while you do the show. If we do, we won’t last.”
It was the best decision we ever made.
When you’re from Jersey, it’s a rite of passage to go down the shore during the summer. You get a house with your friends and you live and work and party for the summer at the beach.
Like any other family, certainly Italian ones, we’d hash out our problems over the dinner table, leaning on our shared heritage. Those dinners brought us together, turned us into a family. Made that house into a home.
What I couldn’t do was lose faith in myself.
Be grateful for the simple things like your job and family, food in the fridge, and your health. If you come from a default of positive energy, you attract more blessings and abundance.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Eventually, I found the peace that I had been seeking for so long. A peace that money can’t buy, found only by living healthy and doing the right thing.
I was finding success beating something that most people die from. I felt very lucky. I felt grateful. I had found myself again
I was of the belief that when God closes a door, he opens a window.
“by attraction, not promotion.” Actions speak louder than words. I need to show you, not tell you.
“What was meant for my harm, God will turn for my good,” and “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” I used these sayings as a tool, helping me to turn adversity into an advantage. I was ready for whatever was to come.
He took his sentencing like he took everything: one day at a time.
no matter what life throws at you, the only path is forward, one step at a time.
We were living the American dream. I’d married my college sweetheart, a woman I loved with all my heart. We had two beautiful, healthy children. We lived in our dream home in the same town where my wife grew up. I had the best job in the world and an amazing story to go along with it. I got to watch my kids grow up, and they got to have a sober dad, a mindful dad, one who is present and loving.
I didn’t get what I prayed for until I became the person that should receive it.
