Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Academy Award for his leading role in Capote (2005). Hoffman was nominated for three other Academy Awards, along with three Tony Award nominations. Unfortunately, Hoffman held another title.
Addict.
In 2006, Hoffman told his story on 60 Minutes. He was a drug and alcohol addict. At age 22, he got clean. And for the next 23 years, he remained clean.
Let that sink in – clean for 23 years.
Then, at the age of 46, Hoffman was found dead in his home with a needle in his arm. He had relapsed, and it cost him his life.
Let me use a football analogy. You can have a great 99-yard run, but if you don’t take it across the goal line, you still have work to do.
In recovery, you don’t really cross the goal line until you hear these words from above: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Recovery Step: Whether you have ten years of sobriety or ten minutes, you still have work to do. Relapse is always a possibility. Finish strong.
