Sense of self can be a tricky thing. We all have an idea of who we are, and who we want to be, and that reflects many things: the world around us, our own personal histories, goals, traumas, family. It can be easy to distract from your sense of who you really are, to numb with drugs, or alcohol, or even keep your eyes glued to your phone instead of pursuing something that will make you happy. While falling into a pattern of distraction and numbing can be very easy, lifting yourself out of it can be much harder.

Today’s guest, Lisa May Bennet, always knew she was a writer. However, in college, as the idea of becoming a writer transitioned into the often scary practice of writing, she leaned on the distraction of alcohol from having to pursue her passion. Because if you never pursue your passion, you cannot fail. It wasn’t until several years later that she made the choice to put alcohol aside and rededicate herself to her writing; Lisa didn’t fit the traditional definition of an alcoholic, but this is precisely what made her journey more difficult. Her friends and family diminished her struggles, claiming she was fine and didn’t need to change at all, but Lisa knew better.