When Recovery Feels Like You’re Going Backward

Some Seasons Feel Like You’re Going Backward

There are seasons in recovery where it feels like everything is moving in the wrong direction.

You lose a job.

Plans fall apart.

Relationships become uncertain.

You start questioning whether all the work you’ve done was worth it.

I’ve been living in one of those seasons.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had to face uncertainty about my career, where I’m going to live, and what the future looks like. There have been moments when I’ve wondered if I’m somehow back at the beginning.

But recovery has taught me something I never understood before:

Progress isn’t measured by how easy life is.

It’s measured by how you respond when life gets hard.

A few years ago, I would have tried to escape. I’d numb myself and convince myself tomorrow would somehow be different.

Today I still have difficult days. I still get discouraged. I still question myself.

But I stay sober.

I keep applying for jobs.

I keep showing up.

I keep making coffee.

I keep believing that one difficult season doesn’t erase years of growth.

Mountains have taught me the same lesson.

When you’re climbing, there are sections where you lose elevation before you can gain it again. In the moment it feels like you’re moving away from the summit, but the trail knows something you don’t.

Sometimes the only way forward is through the valley.

If you’re reading this and your life feels uncertain right now, don’t mistake a hard season for a failed journey.

Keep taking the next step.

Keep getting up.

Keep choosing hope over escape.

One day you’ll look back and realize this wasn’t where your story ended.

It was where a new chapter began.

Until next time,

— Josh
Founder, Second Ascent Coffee Company