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Around the end of high school, I realized I had a demon in my life. It often hid in the shadows, allowing me to think that it was gone and had no influence. Other times, it clung right to my back as I continued to power through the night and keep on throwing them back until the sun came up. The path was destruction; we both knew it but didn’t care. We’d high-five and keep the party going.

Though it took us a while to meet, the demon was always around. He had been passed down from a previous owner and had probably gone through a long list of owners before that. I don’t know if those owners ever properly figured out how to coexist with this being, but as harsh as this may sound, that wasn’t my concern. My only responsibility was to focus on how to do that myself.

A bit before turning 30, I did just that. I realized that my demon just had influence, not control. I was in the driver’s seat of life and it was time to muffle that dude’s ear-piercing sounds. It started with nicotine, a small source of his power, but baby steps were momentum and better than nothing at all.

Eventually, I started getting in shape and changing my mindset. The winds of adversity blew hard, yet I kept powering through. The next order of business was to tackle this beat’s most significant source of power: booze. It had become a big part of my identity throughout my 20s and quitting this stuff would not be an easy task. That’s what life is all about though. Putting yourself through the wringer, facing those difficult human challenges, and being able to come out on the other side with arms raised, knowing that you were more powerful and capable than you could ever imagine.

It’s day 1000 without alcohol, another notch/milestone. It’s time for a quick celebration, but not for too long. There’s always work to be done and it’s important to stay vigilant. Just because the demon is much weaker than before, doesn’t mean he isn’t still there. Luckily, we’ve done a bit of bonding and I can use his temptations as fuel. I still slip on some things, but I never stay down for long.

I think that’s really the key. You can slip up, you can take the hits, and you can try things while possibly failing at them and falling flat on your face. As long as you don’t stay down, it’ll be okay. Perhaps you have a demon or some other struggle going on right now. If so, I’ve got some excellent news. You are more powerful and capable than you’ll ever know, and you have the best demon-slaying weapon around: the human spirit.

Here’s to 1000+ more days and much more growth!