☕ Perspective, Peace, and the World’s Greatest Cup of Coffee

By Stuart Cline, MA, LPCC, LADAC, LPAT, MAC, ATR-BC — Recovery Success Coach, Counselor & Host of the “Sobriety Now What?” Podcast

Check out the new Podcast episode 24 and hear the podcast that inspired this blog. Click on now and have a better day – https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/episodes/17980607

This morning, I sat in my office in Albuquerque, gazing at the Sandia Mountains. The sun poured through my window as I took a sip of coffee — maybe not the world’s greatest cup, but still, it was good.

And as I sat there, I thought about something Mother Teresa once said. During the Vietnam War, protesters invited her to join an anti-war rally. She declined. “If you hold a peace rally,” she said, “I’ll come.”

That small shift in perspective changed everything. Instead of focusing on what she was against, she chose to focus on what she was for. Peace. Healing. Unity.

☀️ Perspective Shapes Our World

Perspective determines how we experience life.
It’s what transforms disappointment into discovery, chaos into calm, and ordinary moments into meaning.

Sometimes in sobriety—or just in life—we expect every day to be radiant and full of joy, But then the bills arrive, emotions resurface, and some days feel… ordinary. Yet it’s often within those quieter, unremarkable days that real beauty begins to unfold.

Waking up clear-headed.
Feeling sunlight on your face.
Laughing with a friend.

Those are the moments that make life rich. Sobriety isn’t a detour—it’s a new chapter full of possibility.

🧠 The Power of Focus

Your brain literally rewires itself based on what you focus on. This is called neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to create new pathways.

When you focus on gratitude, beauty, and growth, you strengthen the neural circuits for calm and joy. Each time you pause to notice something good—a cup of coffee, a song, or a smile—you’re not just changing your mood; you’re changing your brain.

As the saying goes:
“Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

🔄 Five Ways to Protect Your Peace and Reclaim Perspective

1. Limit the noise around you.
Most news today is entertainment wrapped in anxiety. Take a break from the noise. Replace it with something uplifting—a good book, a positive podcast, or silence. Notice how your energy changes.

2. Take charge of your environment.
Your surroundings affect your inner world. Light a candle, open a curtain, or organize one drawer. Even small actions can restore calm and clarity.

3. Be of service.
When life feels heavy, help someone else. Send a kind text. Hold a door. Service expands your world and reminds you of your strength.

4. Follow your energy.
Do more of what lights you up—play guitar, paint, walk, laugh, create. Your passions aren’t luxuries; they’re lifelines.

5. Take charge of the narrative.
You hold the pen. Be intentional with your words, focus, and energy. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

💫 Your Weekly Challenge

This week, do one thing that uplifts you and one thing that helps someone else.
Write it down. Notice how it feels.

Every time you choose gratitude over complaint, creation over consumption, and compassion over frustration—you reclaim your power.

Remember this mantra:

Where your focus goes, your peace grows.

Perspective doesn’t mean pretending everything’s perfect—it means recognizing what’s still beautiful, still working, and still in your control.

Take a deep breath.
Exhale slowly through pursed lips, twice as long as you inhale.
Look around. There’s good here, right now—waiting to be noticed.

🎧 Listen & Connect

If this message resonated, listen to the full episode “Perspective, Peace, and Coffee” on my podcast Sobriety Now What? — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your favorite podcast app.

And stay tuned: I’ve been creating a powerful new workbook and journal to help you level up your sober life — your roadmap to thriving. Loyal listeners will receive a special discount code when it’s released.

Text me the word “WORKBOOK” if you’d like to be one of the first to know.

Until next time —
Keep going. Keep growing. Keep thriving.

☕
Here’s to peace… and the world’s greatest cup of coffee.