#79 – Michael Unbroken: Think Unbroken

#79 – Michael Unbroken: Think Unbroken

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation with author and coach Michael Unbroken shows just how far a person can come from extreme childhood trauma, addiction, and self-destruction. Speaking with host Brett Morris, Michael lays out his history with brutal honesty: a mother who cut off his finger at four, homelessness, drugs by 12, alcohol by 13, and a life of crime before landing a six-figure corporate job at 21 with no diploma.

That success quickly spiralled into “just fucking chaos” – 350 pounds, smoking, getting high all day, and drinking himself to sleep. Everything shifts at what he calls his “mirror moment”, when he asks, “Michael, what are you willing to do to have the life that you want to have?” The phrase “no excuses, just results” becomes his new mantra and kicks off years of therapy, men’s groups, trauma work, and hardcore self-education.

Michael explains how his book, *Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma*, grew out of the type of guide he wished he’d had. It’s part journal, part exercises, part education – a kind of entry-level roadmap into healing. He also shares how writing and his Think Unbroken podcast sit at the heart of his ongoing recovery and growth. You’ll hear a powerful reframe of the classic “one day at a time” idea.

Michael argues that real change comes “one choice at a time… one decision at a time,” and challenges the habit of justifying harmful behaviours because they’re “better than using.” He also talks candidly about leaving Mormonism, questioning rigid beliefs, and rethinking time and death as a way to sharpen the choices made in sobriety.

This episode lands especially well for trauma survivors, people in recovery, and anyone who’s tired of excuses and ready to ask what they’re truly willing to do to build a different life. So what decisions are you making today that future-you has to live with?