Do Cool Sh!t: Build a Big, Bright Life in Recovery

From Marcus Aurelius to Steve-O: why recovery is less about saying no and more about saying yes.

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One of the biggest misconceptions about recovery is that it’s all about saying no.
No to the drink.
No to the substance.
No to the old crowd and the old hangouts.

And sure, there’s truth in that. Boundaries definitely matter. In early sobriety, sometimes you absolutely can’t go to certain places or be around certain people. Saying no is part of survival.

But here’s the thing: I believe that building success in recovery isn’t just about what you don’t do. To truly thrive, it’s equally about what you DO—the yes side of recovery.

It’s about saying yes. Yes to new habits, new hobbies, new relationships, new adventures.

Recovery is a chance to build a life that’s bigger, fuller, and more vibrant than it ever was before. As Steve-O (yes, the dude from Jackass) once put it, recovery is one of the only sicknesses where, once you heal, you can actually end up better than before.

Which Wolf Will You Feed?

There’s an old story about two wolves fighting inside you: one wolf is filled with anger, resentment, fear. We’ll call him Shady. The other, who I’ve named Light, is filled with calm, joy, and courage. The wolf that wins is the one you choose to feed.

I think that’s a useful analogy for recovery in a nutshell. Every time you choose a healthy “yes,” you’re feeding the Light of your future. Every thought you dwell on, every voice you let in, every action you take is either adding color to your life or draining it away.

As Marcus Aurelius wrote nearly 2,000 years ago (they even knew it back then!):

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”

In other words: what you focus on becomes who you are.

Because what you focus on is the food you’re giving to either Shady or Light.

I know this in my own life. When I focused only on regret, I was feeding the wrong wolf.
When I focused solely on what I couldn’t do anymore, like all the no’s I had to say in recovery, I was still feeding the wrong wolf.

But when I said yes to things that filled me up—like spending time with people who bring positivity, or letting my (real) dogs drag me down the street on a walk—I could feel myself feeding the Light.

And that’s the heart of recovery: the more you feed the right wolf, the more life stops being just survival and starts turning into a damn good adventure.

Do Cool Sh!t

When I was in active addiction, I was too tired, too trapped, and too stuck to experience life. Music, which had once been a joy, felt like a burden, and the idea of adventure was not even in my line of sight at all.

Recovery flipped that script. Suddenly I had more energy, more time, and surprisingly, a little more money in my pocket. I realized something that sounds quite obvious, but at the time it hit me like a revelation: life is meant to be lived. My vision had been so cloudy that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. And life can’t be lived well when you’re only running at 30% power.

For me, that meant rediscovering music and diving deeper than ever into guitar and bass. That’s part of why I started Recovery Guitar—to share how music can enrich, heal, and energize your life.

But “cool sh!t” doesn’t have to be about music. It could be learning to cook or try a new recipe, going on a spontaneous road trip, walking your dog in a different park than usual, or even just saying yes to coffee with a supportive friend.

You don’t have to do something off the charts. It could be as simple as trying something new that makes you smile and reminds you you’re alive. That’s the good stuff! That’s cool sh!t.

The Takeaway

Recovery isn’t about deprivation—it’s about expansion.
Not just “don’t drink,” but “do live.”
Not just “avoid the old traps,” but “say yes to the things that make you thrive.”

Every yes you feed builds a stronger, fuller, more vibrant life.
Every cool sh!t moment becomes another brick in your comeback story.

So here’s your invitation: guard your mind, feed the right wolf, and go do something that makes you feel alive this week. It doesn’t have to be off the charts. It can be simple and meaningful to you.

The point is: recovery gives you the chance not just to survive, but to live a life that’s richer, brighter, and a hell of a lot more fun.