Better Days Sober Living

12/17/2025

My 24-year-old son stayed the night so he could go Christmas shopping with my wife this morning. Years ago, when he was in addiction, that would have been hard to imagine.

Watching growth, healing, and answered prayers turn into moments you once only hoped for is something I’ll never take for granted.

12/09/2025

“You get what you tolerate.”

In leadership, recovery, and everyday life, our standards shape our outcomes. When we tolerate patterns that drain us—not addressing boundaries when we should, reactive decision-making, or carrying the weight of things we’ve avoided—we end up reinforcing the very things we want to change.

This week’s issue breaks down the brain-based reason we stay stuck in toleration mode… and how to break the cycle with clarity, courage, and real self-respect.

Why Your Brain Accepts What Drains You — Until You Decide It Doesn’t

12/03/2025

What sober living has taught me:
Before I expect accountability from the men in our homes, I have to look at my own life first.

Working in this field forces you to see the places where you procrastinate, delay, make excuses, or push things off for “tomorrow.”
It’s a mirror.

Holding others to a standard means holding myself to one, too.
And honestly, that’s where the real growth happens.

Every time I ask a resident to follow through, be consistent, or show up — it’s also a reminder for me to look at the areas where I could tighten up, move faster, be more disciplined, or simply keep my word to myself.

Sober living isn’t just a program for the residents.
It becomes a program for you, too — if you’re willing to reflect.

I’m grateful for the way this work challenges me to improve my own life, one habit and one decision at a time.

12/03/2025

On Sunday, a new issue of my Mind by Fire newsletter dropped — “’Tis the season to be…”

Not stressed.
Not overwhelmed.
Not overcommitted.

But present, grounded, and intentional.

This time of year tries to pull us in every direction.
Sunday’s issue was about taking that power back and choosing how we show up.

If you missed it, here’s the link 👇

A reminder to slow down, stay grateful, and not let the holidays rush past you.

11/28/2025

Grateful for yesterday’s moments.
Today — back to the mission.
Let’s serve, grow, and leave footprints worth following.

11/17/2025

When growth begins, it’s easy to look back and cringe at who you used to be.
The choices.
The patterns.
The seasons where you drifted or got stuck.

But that version of you wasn’t a barrier — it was the bridge.
Every habit, even the ones you outgrew, was your brain’s best attempt to survive with the information it had.

This week’s Mind by Fire breaks down what happens in that “middle phase” — the space between who you were and who you’re becoming — and why it matters more than you think.

Stay tuned — new fire-cooked recipe drops Friday.

Link in the bio!

11/13/2025

Beyond grateful for the support at the Ignite Recovery launch. Family, friends, and the recovery community showed up in an amazing way.

What is ignite recovery? Glad you asked!

Ignite Recovery is a monthly cooking series that gives residents a positive, skill-based outlet by bringing sober living homes together through food, fire, and fellowship-trading old habits for better ones and channeling that energy into something creative and productive.

Until the next one! Rumor has it there might be a chili cook off at the next event

11/11/2025

🔥 This Week’s Mind by Fire Issue 🔥

Read this week’s issue highlighting the Ignite Recovery event — a day built around food, fire, and fellowship.

What started as an idea turned into something powerful — Treatment centers, sponsors, and sober living homes all came together to help support this launch — showing what’s possible when we move with purpose and unity.

Read it here 👇

Inside the first Ignite Recovery event

11/04/2025

🔥 In this week’s Mind by Fire newsletter:
I wrote about how most of us rush through the week waiting for Friday — fast-forwarding five days just to enjoy two.

But when you start designing your week with intention, every day starts to feel like it matters.
Your brain learns what to look forward to — and when you build purpose and small joys into your weekdays, life stops feeling like something you’re escaping from.

✨ That’s what I call Time Wealth — a life you don’t need to retire from.

If you’ve been feeling like your days blur together, this one’s for you.

👉 Read “Every Day Deserves Your Energy” here:

The mindset shift that made my weekdays feel better than Fridays.

10/28/2025

Ever felt guilty for keeping a straight face when something really bothered you?
That’s not you being fake — that’s you trying to stay regulated in a world that often tells you to “just stay positive.”

This week’s Mind by Fire digs into toxic positivity — what it actually is, how it shows up in your brain, and how to protect your peace without guilt.

🧠 Read “Fire Beneath the Calm”

When protecting your peace means suppressing emotion with a straight face.

10/23/2025

Rewiring the Self-Pity Loop

The self-pity loop sounds like:
“It’s always me.”
“I can’t catch a break.”
“Other people just have it easier.”

Your brain believes you.

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) starts filtering proof to match the story you keep telling it.

You miss a call — “Of course.”
Someone cancels — “Typical.”
Another delay — “It’s just my luck.”

What you repeat — your brain rehearses.

🔥 This week’s Mind by Fire newsletter breaks down how to rewire the self-pity loop and retrain your attention toward agency.

Read it here
👇🏼
https://mindbyfire-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/rewiring-the-self-pity-loop

Discover how your brain mistakes protection for punishment — and how to rewire self-pity into progress through gratitude, action, and purpose.

10/21/2025

Two years ago, Better Days Sober Living opened its doors with one simple goal — to create a safe, structured environment where men could rebuild their lives with purpose and accountability.

It hasn’t been easy. There have been trials, challenges, and lessons that shaped who we are today. But through it all, we’ve grown — stronger, more connected, and more committed than ever to serving those in recovery and supporting our community.

We’re still here. Still standing. Still serving.
And we’re just getting started.

To those I’ve had the chance to work with — thank you.
To those I haven’t met yet — I look forward to connecting, collaborating, and continuing outreach to build stronger partnerships across Tarrant County and beyond.

Here’s to more growth, more impact, and more Better Days ahead.

Christopher Pena