I open new doors to life.

That’s what was on the Louise Hay Power Thought Card I pulled this morning. The last one I had pulled — I am worth loving — had been sitting on top of the deck for a while and it was time for something fresh. Not that I’m not worth loving. I know I am. I believe I am. I live as though I am. And I work to make sure others know they’re worth loving, too. So … moving on.

I open new doors to life.

That’s what was on the card I pulled today. The day I knew the last bit of work I needed to do before I could launch this website is to write a first blog post. The back of the card reads: I rejoice in what I have, and I know that fresh and new experiences are always ahead. I greet the new with open arms. I trust life to be wonderful.

Could there have been a more perfect card for me as I embark on a new professional journey? I don’t think so. Could there be a more perfect card for someone who has decided their relationship with alcohol is unhealthy, that drinking no longer serves them, that their life is not what they had imagined, that they need to make a change? I don’t think so.

In the past year alone, I have heard from dozens of women who want to eliminate alcohol from their lives. Some of them refer to themselves as alcoholics and addicts. Others just want to make a healthier choice but felt constantly pressured by friends and family not to abstain. Many noted ways their drinking had changed following major live changes — becoming a mother, getting divorced, becoming a step-mother, going back to work, losing a job, starting a new job, etc. — and realized they’d stepped onto a dangerous path.

Not one of these women is weak or flawed. Getting sober is not easy. The fact they realized they need support and reached out for help makes them the strongest women I know. In recovery, they’ve found clarity, freedom, strength they never knew they had, happiness, joy, confidence, self love, and so much more. All because they opened new doors to life and walked on through.

So, here’s to new beginnings. Let’s open new doors to life together!