Journey to Authenticity. In the delicate interplay of personal and professional lives, the barriers we erect and the masks we don are often indistinguishable from our true selves. This blurring of lines is vividly captured in the story of Gary Kadi, founder of NextLevel Practice and expert practice coach in the dental community, who shared his profound journey towards sobriety and authenticity on the latest episode of the “Sober Life Rocks” podcast hosted by Margy Schaller.

Gary’s narrative begins in a familiar place of armor and masks, a metaphorical suit of self-protection worn to navigate the complexities of identity and expectation. “I realized I was living with a mask on and armor on. I basically suited up,” he confessed, shedding light on the tremendous burden of living up to an image that felt alien to his true self.

How often have you felt compelled to conform to an ideal, often at the expense of your authenticity?

The courage to seek help and embrace vulnerability is particularly poignant in Gary’s reflection on the cultural and personal stigmas attached to admitting weakness, especially among men in high-stress professions. “Raising your hand and saying I need help is like one of the last things, you know, especially a street kid from New Jersey was ever taught,” he shared. Strength is often mischaracterized as stoicism, leaving little room for genuine emotional expression.

Gary’s transformation was marked by an important self-realization: secrets are the shackles that bind the soul. “I learned if I have secrets, my brain is sick as those secrets,” he disclosed, illuminating the dark corners of his struggle with addiction. The dynamics of addiction, as Gary pointed out, involve not just the individual but also the enablers who unconsciously perpetuate the cycle.