# Chapter 64

Another headline yesterday, “As drinking declines, nonalcoholic beer gets a slick rebrand.” Included with links to “sober curious” like the previous day. The beer universe is going through a major shift. Clearly I am not the only person experiencing this persistent hit on my sleep, productivity and weight. Let’s be honest, I have enough challenges with my sleep, productivity and weight without outside sabotage. Don’t you?

It is plenty difficult to keep moving forward toward success. Read my first 50 plus chapters in this book. Distractions and challenges abound. Why do I so want to complexify everything by drinking beer? Is it marketing? Is it escapism? Is it an addiction? Yes it tastes good and I like it, but I like hummus and I like peanut butter too, and they don’t mess with me. I like nuts and trail mix, but they don’t make me feel like a slug the following morning after eating them.

Perhaps it is simple as a generational thing? When I was growing up, drinking was considered the ultimate adulting activity. Every warning we received as we grew up, reinforced our desire to do it? To the point where I can’t turn that message off? My previous employer of 23 years, had a stated policy that drinking was not allowed. Of course that just made it all the more attractive. But I don’t work for them anymore, and no one is making it forbidden. There is no tantalizing rule to break. Just a choice of what kind of person I want to be today.