#278: The Ultimate Comeback: Rebuilding Life After Addiction with Donny Starkins

Themes: Addiction, Comeback, Recovery, Healing, Sobriety, Personal Development, Transformation, Authenticity, Self-Love, Purpose, Grief Summary:  In this episode, I’m joined by my good buddy Donny Starkins! As a former Division I baseball player, Donny’s journey into Yoga, Personal Development, and Mindfulness began after seven operations on his left knee and an addiction to painkillers. Fast forward to today, Donny has a decade of sobriety under his belt and has become one of the most dynamic leaders in his industry. He is a professional speaker, teacher, podcast co-host of Comeback Stories, and a personal development coach leading classes, workshops, and seminars all across the world. He’s the creator of “The Shift” Transformational Coaching, a 90-Day Personal Development Private Coaching program, and works one-on-one with some of the top professional athletes in the world on mindset, yoga, life coaching, and mindfulness.  Join me for a powerful conversation with Donny about his battle with addiction, his comeback journey, and how he uses his experiences to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. So much more than just an inspiring story about addiction and recovery—you'll be surprised at how many gems of wisdom are in here that you can apply to so many areas of your life! Discover: Donny’s 6-year battle with addiction and how he was able to take ownership of his pain, fear, and anxiety even after relapsing The mind and body connection and how important it is in the recovery journey The power of sharing and vulnerability in healing 00:00 Intro  00:56 The power of making a positive impact 02:32 Donny’s comeback story 07:17 Overdosing and AA meetings 13:45 Surrendering to recovery 17:48 Loss of athletic identity 20:41 Taking ownership of pain and addiction 26:03 The hardest step in recovery 28:31 The power of sharing and vulnerability in healing 34:46 Mind-body connection 41:05 Relapse and Sobriety 2.0 48:13 Finding freedom in sacrifice 52:16 Creating safe spaces 55:34 Tech addiction 59:26 The power of honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness Links: Instagram: @donny_starkins Website: donnystarkins.com  Comeback Stories: comebackstories.com  Sponsors: Cymbiotika | Use code GROVES at checkout for 15% off your first purchase at cymbiotika.com. (Save up to 45% off when you buy a bundle!) Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.