Find the episode and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher, or listen up below.

My guest this week is the author and motivational speaker, Sylvester McNutt III. I met Sylvester when I was a guest on his podcast, Free Your Energy, and as soon as we signed off that day, I knew I wanted to have him on here to continue the conversation.

I explain why as the recording gets going, so you’ll hear about that in a few moments. But his Sober Curious journey aside, I also wanted to have Sylvester on as his work speaks directly to what is such a key piece of this path: how, where, and why am I directing my energy, and what am I either inviting into my life or preventing myself from experiencing as a result.

With his writing, he spreads the message that “healing is the key to success.” And, yes, our relationship to alcohol and other substances is a part of this. I’m just going to leave this here and get right into it. In the episode we discuss:

-His first Sober Curious birthday – and how he made his decision whether or not to drink

-His drinking history and how his relationships to alcohol has evolved over the years

-His idyllic experience of early family life as a child – and the incident that changed everything

-How his parents’ drinking shaped his feelings about booze

-How removing alcohol has impacted his male friendships

-How to “Free Your Energy” - and why getting conscious about your drinking is part of this

-Why he never gave in to peer pressure to drink during high school – and why he started drinking in college

-Why he decided to get Sober Curious after becoming a father himself

-How removing alcohol has impacted his relationship with his partner

-What it means to live a “purposeful” life – and why alcohol now has no purpose in his life

-Why shame is so prevalent in our society and how to move beyond living from low self-esteem

-His go-to healing practices and why community is such a big part of this

-Why he’d rather be alone than engage in “fake” friendships – and how to keep it real with the people we love

Sylvester McNutt III is an author and host of the Free Your Energy podcast. Learn more about his work HERE and follow him on Instagram @sylvestermcnutt

Big thanks to Grüvi for partnering on this episode. Order at Getgruvi.com and use the code “Sobercurious10” to get 10% off your first online order.

Shout out also to  Curious Elixirs alcohol-free cocktails. Order online at Curiouselixirs.com—where you can also get $10 off orders over $50 with the code RUBY22.