A decision made (By Jonathan Lai)

After 16 weeks of not drinking which included three months in New York I have made the decision to stop my Hello Sunday Morning. My head, heart, and gut have been at war with one another and in a very analytical and reflective state on my progress to date the decision to end this challenge. Upon reflection I believe this experience has taught me a few key points which are:

1. I can do all alcohol friendly activities without drinking and feel entirely comfortable about it
2. I understand my relationships with alcohol; the harmful and the positive and appreciate these relationships
3. I prefer to be in control and a sharp state of mind
4. Drinking can be bloody expensive!

The key moment when I felt it was time and where HSM did not serve me any more was two Sundays ago when I was at a family dinner. My dad opened a bottle of ten year old wine and offered me a glass. It seemed like half an hour before I responded because my head was madly balancing the pros and the cons and deciding whether or not to accept his offer. I declined. That was the moment where I knew to call it a day.

I had my first drink last Thursday. The occasion – celebrating with my brother Simon. The drink – scotch, neat. The sensation – crazy. My taste buds went wild.

Moving on I will still be contributing to this blog through the eyes of a post-HSMer and will tracking my progress of reintegration. I feel humbled to be part of this movement and have huge respect for Chris and the team. I am open to answer any questions you may have so please comment below if you do!