It is interesting to think about what drive people to do things, make changes, explore the world, become an extreme athlete, get to know them selves and others. I have become very interested in understanding what makes people tick over the years. I believe is interest is driven by my own journey and self exploration from darkness to success. I have never been the type to do things a little, I either go all in or not at all. in other words I have always lived life to the extreme for better or worse. In my life I have been a professional musician, drug addict, a prisoner, a patient and homeless. I have seen the best and the worst that life can bring. I have been able to overcome my addiction and become a completely different person, which is why I believe that change is possible no matter how far you have fallen. What I will tell you at this time is that I have come from the darkest point that you can probably imagine and have been able to become successful despite extreme adversity. The Xtreme Lyfe Book blog is my journey of writing and finally putting it all down on paper. This will not be the book it self but rather my thoughts, feelings and insights along the way. It will include weekly small sections of my work than my thoughts as I was writing.
Why am I writing this? I got sober on April 13, 2002 and have been actively helping other people change since 2005. Since getting sober, I have achieved so many things. I went from living on the street as a Junkie in my 20’s, going to prison for a few years, and having no formal education other than a GED to obtaining a Masters Degree from the University of Southern California, working in behavior health care and addictions with multiple licenses. I went from being someone that you would not want in your home, to someone many people would trust with their lives. The Xtreme Lyfe book will be a transformation story of change. How did I go from Steve the junkie heroin addict, homeless convict to Steve the Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Clinical Supervisor.(CCS), Motivational Interviewing Network Trainer (MINT) and a director at a major healthcare system. I am also an adventure seeker, extreme athlete, shark diver, podcast host, CEO of Xtreme Lyfe Media, story teller, coach, helper, trainer, and a cheering section for people who need to put the missing pieces together in order reach his or her goals. I have developed methods through my journey and experience to drive success whether you are coming from adversity or just want to get further in your life and career. in short, I love to help people achieve success which is what drives me every day. If you are interested in taking this journey with me please subscribe to this blog.