"Niche Down, Sharpen Up"

*Lessons from Addiction – A journey of hard-won wisdom and deeper understanding.*

I’m writing naked now, so please close your eyes. Well, not actually naked, but certainly with transparency.

Gratitude & Lessons Learned

First, thank you for the wonderful feedback thus far on what we have shared together—writing, reading, and considering Regarding Things That Matter content. The affirming encouragement is greatly appreciated.

The “make it better” feedback is even more valuable. The RTTM platform is appealing to me because it provides a wide-open space to reflect and explore anything that seems to matter. The problem is, in a dynamic, pressure-packed world, reflection and exploration don’t cut through the clutter. They don't help solve real problems—especially when the subject matter is expansive and seemingly random.

Time to Hit Harder

On top of that, expressing ideas in a way intended to not piss anybody off can lack punch. We are all adults here. It is a rumble-tumble world—so let’s have it. “Straight up. Narrow your target and hit it hard. Let the chips fall where they may.”

Pretty sure that is what I heard. And what some of you wanted to say but didn’t.

A Clearer Purpose

Learning is so much fun! Here is what I learned: If you really want to serve people, help them deal with a problem they actually have. Be practical more than philosophical. Doing so will attract more people, and more good can be done. Got it.

Here is how I’m going to apply what was learned: Niche down and sharpen up.

Why Addiction?

Even though hard-fought experience has provided me with a deep well of insight about the journey of addiction, I didn’t want to be the addiction guy. I wanted to use those insights to pontificate about more expansive lessons learned. Dealing with more positive material was an attraction, to be honest. No harm done so far with RTTM. But lots of good has been left undone.

What’s Changing?

So here we go. Starting now, we are flipping the script. Regarding Things That Matter will become Lessons from Addiction. We will try to help real people better deal with serious challenges—individuals struggling with substance abuse and addiction, loved ones in the fray, and our communities in general.

A Bigger Conversation

Here’s the cool part: Addiction and the human condition in a broken world are woven together. We can be focused while, at the same time, exploring larger ideas regarding things that matter.

There will be something here for everyone. Perhaps stick around long enough to find out.

Warm regards,
Craig

Craig A. Williamson
Lessons from Addiction
substack.com/@craigawilliamson

Flip the Script