Expand Your Circle

Expand Your Circle

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Coach Blu Robinson thinks a big part of the answer is simple: expand your circle. This Addict II Athlete instalment focuses on why relationships are central to recovery. Coach Blu starts with the story of Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who orbited the moon alone while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on its surface.

Collins’ reflection that "not since Adam has any human known such solitude" becomes a striking metaphor for the kind of isolation many people in addiction and early recovery feel. From there, the conversation shifts to what it really means to build a "home team" in sobriety.

Coach Blu is clear that addiction recovery "is seriously more about building and repairing and re-establishing relationships than it is anything else." That can mean the painful decision to step away from old using friends, and sometimes even family, to protect your recovery. It can also mean recognising that substances themselves can feel like a relationship you’re breaking up with.

You’ll hear practical ideas for meeting new people as an adult without feeling awkward or fake, whether that’s joining recovery groups, community activities, or service projects. Coach Blu talks about how Addict II Athlete gives people a ready-made "tribe" where you don’t have to be a hardcore athlete – you just need "a willingness of your heart to invest in yourself." Service is another big theme.

Stories of volunteering at demanding race aid stations show how giving time "out of your inconvenience" can rewrite the old story of "once an addict, always an addict" and replace it with one of reliability, generosity and grit. The message running through is simple but challenging: "You are just one connection away from a breakthrough." Who might that next connection be for you, and are you ready to step out of your comfort zone to find them?