Living Two Days At a Time

Living Two Days At a Time

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? Here, musician and recovery advocate Mark Lee Shannon sits down with author and speaker Krishna Pendyala to talk about what he calls his “fifth lease on life” and how a failed suicide attempt at 18 became the turning point that changed everything. Krishna shares how a catastrophic car wreck left him paralysed for six months, forcing a level of reflection he describes as a gift in hindsight.

Lying in that hospital bed, one line reshaped his future: “Maybe if you can’t kill yourself, you should learn how to live.” From there, he set out to understand why he kept making “silly mistakes” and how our habits and instincts can quietly run the show.

The conversation digs into his book *Beyond the Pig and Ape*, where Krishna uses the “pig” (instant pleasure), the “ape” (avoiding pain), and the ego to explain why people so often act against their own interests. He and Mark link these ideas directly to recovery, talking about awareness levels, snap reactions, and the gap between who you are and what you do.

Krishna sums it up neatly: “I want to be happy, but my ego wants to be right.” For anyone in early sobriety, the chat about starting from scratch will feel very familiar. Mark relates his own struggles with post-acute withdrawal, anxiety, and rebuilding a working brain, while Krishna focuses on acceptance, context, and the slow work of building emotional and mental “muscles” instead of chasing the exit door.

A standout moment comes when Krishna shares his twist on a classic recovery slogan: he suggests living “two days at a time” – doing whatever you like today, as long as it doesn’t ruin tomorrow. If you’re wrestling with shame, labels, or the feeling of being an “ultimate loser”, this conversation might make you pause and ask: what small shift could you make today so tomorrow isn’t harder than it has to be?