Heavily practiced behaviors and beliefs become the cage in which we live. For so many, the bars on their cage will never be lifted for they will never receive a moment of clarity during their entire existence here on earth. This is simply their path, it is not good or bad. It just is. The next level up from this path is to receive a moment of clarity but not take action. There are so many of us humans who lack the belief and bravery needed for change. Then there are the lot who receive a moment of clarity, see the truth of what is and choose away from what no longer serves them. They rally the courage, will, and steadfastness to lift the bars of their self-imposed cage. Mishka Shubaly is one of those gutsy folk. Mishka walked away from his first taste of alcohol feeling that he had discovered his blueprint for living. Drinking every day to attain the satisfaction of self that he experienced when intoxicated was his plan moving forward. He succeeded wildly and just two years later while on the bus he realized he had a ruler and it was booze. Did he stop? Heck no. He spent millions of moments reinforcing the self-abusive behaviors that go hand and hand with alcoholism. Secretive living and self-loathing became the cornerstones of his life until one day when he realized the absolute depreciation of his possibilities. A once vast and promising future seemed claustrophobically small. It was this realization that sparked Mishka's commitment to providing himself with a better life. Getting sober is a wonderful celebration but what most of us gloss over when we celebrate this for others is sobriety is just the first step. Becoming awake to the world after many years of dulled out, mind-numbing darkness gives way to the demons rise and the brick walls show up. Sobriety meant game on for Mishka and so he was forced to apply the same unwavering will to his sobriety as he previously did to drinking every day. The climb out of darkness is steep and the brightness of a lighter life can be painful but thankfully Mishka triumphed over alcohol and he has already shared so many gifts because of his fight to live. Mishka earned an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University and he currently is on staff with the Yale Writers Conference. The author of six best selling Kindle singles and his latest full-length memoir, I Swear I'll Make It Up To You chronicle the down and up turns of his life. Now that he is experiencing a life worth living, Mishka shares his struggles as a writer and how his current state of affairs is calling him to shift gears. Mishka, also a singer-songwriter, spends most of his nights on stage sharing his music in alcohol laden nightclubs. This may seem contradictory to his commitment to staying clean yet something that tells me there is a comfort he finds in coming home as a sober artist. We dive into a little bit of everything in this conversation including his recent transition to a plant-based diet after years of heavy reluctance to conform. Whether he will admit it or not, I see a great vibrancy and purpose in the life he is leading in this world. We are so grateful for your support of the show, please check out the show notes below for ways to connect with Mishka and to support the YTP. We couldn't do this without you so please keep showing up for the greater good as we continue to share stories of purpose on our mission to create a better world. Deep thanks for being a part of it all.

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