Episode 163

What keeps me inspired is just seeing and and being there for for people that that needs it. There’s days when, oh gosh, I want to sleep in, but
somebody out there needs me. But like everything we’ve ever wanted is right here. Coming from a place where you never had it, it’s so nice to be able to give it.
Hey everybody and welcome to another amazing, exciting and enthusiastic episode of Finding Peaks. Yours truly, Christopher Michael Burns. I am joined today. Boy, am I excited for this show. You know, I got a dear friend, a colleague, someone who inspires me on a daily basis, reminds me to continue to work hard, reminds me to continue to show up with authenticity one day at a time, and treat every single day that we have the opportunity to serve humans like the freaking Super Bowl. So grateful to have you on the show, Miss Patricia. How are you today, my dear friend? Sexy as usual. You already know how. Sexy as usual. Oh my gosh, it’s so funny you say that, man. I was I was on some [ __ ] the other day at the dermatologist and you know they strip you down. You ever do you do the annual thing? You should. Anyway, they take this Well, they maybe just do it for me, but it’s a it’s a microscope and they run it on your body. I think it’s cuz I got tattoos, but they’re just looking for like any like bad moles or anything. So, when I get in there, the young nursing assistant or medical assistant, he says, you know, he’s probably 19 years old, good fit looking kid. He says, “Anything changed since last year, Mr. Burns?” I said, “Fitter by the day.” He said, he’s just like, “Huh?” said, “Happy Monday, man.” You know, “Here we go.” Yeah. I love that. That’s what I thought of when you when you opened up, man. That’s so cool. You should know. You should know. Yeah. I love I love what we get to share and that’s why I look so forward to to this show is that there there’s something when when when people are are connected in this world on kind of the same vibration in the same wavelength in the same type of energy. Um I just feel like I see them really really clearly and I feel like you see me really really clearly and have always seen me really really clearly. Always. Yeah. And so to have you sitting across from me on this beautiful snowy day in Colorado Springs with what we the big we like capital we have been able to accomplish over the last 12 months in the name of serving others has been pretty miraculous and and you’ve been a huge part of that. Um so I wanted to chat a little bit about you know what what’s what’s keeping you motivated lately um at Peaks. What’s keeping you so inspired? What keeps me inspired is just seeing and and being there for for people that that needs it, you know. Um coming from a place where you never had it, it’s so nice to be able to give it and that’s just the love, kindness, understanding, you know, having that active ear always. Mhm. It keeps me inspired to keep coming back. Mhm. Cuz I know that’s where I’m going to get it at. Yeah. And be able to give it. Yeah. It’s a beautiful thing. You know what they used to tell me when I was when I first started working in the field? What they tell you? When I was a young 12step kid, um they used to say that you your work your your work can’t be your recovery. And I had a real tough time with that at the time. Um because I’m sitting there thinking I said what what what else do I got? You know, when I started this thing almost 20 years ago, it’s like I got nothing. I got my credit score is 200. I’m working at the gas station. I got no friends. I got no family. You you telling me that that that can’t that’s not going to be a part of this. What I’ve learned over the years is yes, we show up and we do a job, but when you take it to the next level on a daily basis and you’re inspired in a certain type of way to deliver a certain type of energy and authenticity and sit with people, that can be every bit of your recovery and the way that you show up in this world because it’s it’s like it’s not even on the job description that way. You know what I mean? Yeah. It’s not a job. No, I love that. Yeah. How long um how long you been fighting like this recovery thing? You said 2013, but I know like So, I’ve I’ve had several relapses, but this recovery is the best recovery that I’ve ever had. It is the recovery that I can honestly say, um, wow, I’m done.
I’m done. I don’t need that. I know what I need and I get up every morning and I come to it. Mhm.
You got to show up though, huh? Got to show up. Yeah. Have to. There’s days when Oh gosh, I want to sleep in, but
somebody out there needs me. Mhm. Yeah. And it’s real special cuz I was actually talking about somebody on it about it on Monday. It’s like to I don’t know if it’s like for everybody but at least in my experience I I think you need to have both and with respect to like having the experience of maybe feeling what it feels like to be tossed away and and then be renewed in community and foundationalizing connection with friends and people, places, and things. But I it’s interesting to me that the best helpers, I don’t even like to call them helpers, the best humans that I know have somewhat at least touched or felt that experience and and come to the other side. Yes. And it’s it’s turned out to be very very valuable for them, you know, and and it is it it is it’s it’s very valuable. is um it gives for me it gives me that I’m grateful very grateful
for it because
my experiences and in my past has made me who I am today Chris
and by me not liking that life. Mhm. And you told me to be raw. Mhm. But man, it’s hard being raw sitting there talking to you. Tears is going to fall. I’m going let you know. Okay. So, let’s go, baby. Here we go. I’m ready for it. Being in that life where
Sorry.
Thank you. in that that part of life where um I didn’t have no one to be kind and and loving and um to understand where I was. You know, yeah, my family loved me, but they didn’t understand and their love really didn’t matter because they didn’t understand me.
And then they didn’t understand the shame, the guilt, and all I ever would hear is, “Hey, you ain’t got to do this. You don’t have to do that. You got this.” And I’m like, “No, I don’t. I want to have it, but I don’t know how.”
and um being able to come and talk to people every day and be there for them and when when they walk in that door and to be able to tell them, “Hey, you’re safe now and mean it.”
It makes me so happy. That’s some powerful [ __ ] powerful
if you’re there for it. If you’re there for it, you know, I’m a millionaire. Did you know that? Yeah. Self-made, baby. I am a millionaire. Wealthy. I mean, that is just that has so much in it, you know? I mean, even we were talking on the way over here. Yeah. You know, I got a meeting today at two that I reschedled from yesterday. like we with someone same thing, you know, like and these are people like I have a friend of mine who went through peak seven years ago. He’s one of my best friends and every week he reminds me he’s like he’s a helicopter pilot. I think what he’s got going on is pretty [  ] cool. You know, he’s got a camper van. He lives in Steamboat. He like picks people up in the middle of the woods and [  ] like and he’s always like, “What do you got today?” He was like, “I got this, this, and this, but my door’s cracked.” And you know what that means? And he’s just like, “Man, you have the
what a gifted and miraculous and beautiful opportunity every single day to show up.” And if you choose, you can have five to 10 of those conversations a day. some of the most like jaw-dropping, soul connecting, earthshattering conversations if you’re there for it. If you’re there for it, what a what a blessing. I I can remember thinking when I got sober, they they I said all the time on here, they they diagnosed me with antisocial personality disorder. And now you probably too. Now you’re s we’re sitting here being like, “Oh man, you know, like that’s what I was saying. And I’m on a tour yesterday and I’m these people. It’s it’s this family-owned company and I’m sitting here thinking like my business partner has this baby in the office, right? Like I’m here. We’re all here and our competitors or the people like what you know like it’s different, man. It’s so different. You know what I mean? I was in the cafeteria yesterday saw a new guy. He’s 48 hours. He’s been here few days. You know, like some hot chocolate, you know? that made me feel great, right? You know, simple stuff. And that same person, that same alumni always says this thing. Um, and I’ve talked about it on the show, but it came out of the depths of like despair for me. Like, and I’m so grateful for the community that I had wrapped around me when I was doing this, and you’re one of them. But I would go in there and I’d say, “Buddy, like, Kyle, I’m gonna lose everything, man. like the whole dream, everything I got. Um, it’s all for nothing. All these things. I said, “Yeah, but my relationship with my wife and my kids is so much better and all these things.” And no matter where I wherever I was in the conversation or in in the experience of business and life, he would always say to me, “But it had to happen, bro. All of it. Every last piece of it.” I said, ‘ Man, it’s hurt real bad. Like, it’s hurt real bad. And uh he’s like, “Yeah, but it had to happen. Had to.” You know what I mean? It’s back to like where we sit, you know, and and all the things you’ve been through and what we walked through. And it’s like, man, that’s a hell of a cross to bear. But that had to happen. Had to, man. It’s almost like you coming out of the flames and then it’s like, man, I don’t know what it is about this person, but I just I trust her and I believe her. I think what she’s saying has fruit and I think I’m just going to maybe take her suggestions. It’s the most beautiful thing. I watch you up front doing your thing. You’re painting like an artist out there. You’re like Vincent freaking Van Go doing your thing. I love it. Yeah. You can tell you love it. I love it. Yeah. And it’s really really inspiring to have people um like yourself around me and there’s just not very many. You know, if you had um back in 2020 when you when you got it back into recovery this last time you over at the IHOP, right? Yes. Yeah. I two years I was at the Woody’s gas station. I think IHOP’s probably better gig than that. Yeah. At least you get tips and stuff. That’s where I was. I haven’t been to an IHOP in a minute. Yeah. Yeah. But last time I went, I remember thinking it was bomb. I um worked there. Met so many so many good people there. Um I met Sparkle there. Sparkle used to come to IHOP. That’s right. Once or twice a week she would come in there and I would she would always ask for me. I would always serve her. We would have short conversations and then just this one day she came and wasn’t a soul in there but her. And for some reason I went and sat down in her booth and that’s when I knew that it was time for me to move on. How long was that in 2020 or was it like 21 22? So no that was in um 20 the ending about the ending of 21. Okay. Mhm. Yeah. And for everybody who knows or doesn’t know, we’ve had Sparkle on the show before. She just celebrated seven years in recovery. Right. That was like a couple days ago. Mhm. Yeah. That’s dope. So So Pat’s in early recovery. She’s over at the the IHOP doing her thing, one foot in front of the other, trudging the road to happy destiny. I’m sure. You know what I mean? I get it. Like we all the same kind of thing. And sparkle. Yeah. You’re just having these little mini conversations, whatever. Like Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She would pick me when she would come in there. She would ask for me if if I was the night one, so most of the time I was by myself, but if it was more than me working, she would ask for me to serve her. And we never ever knew that we would end up with the relationship that we have. She’s she’s amazing. And um yeah, it was her that gave me confirmation that I wasn’t supposed to be at IHOP. M I needed to be helping others cuz it can be I remember thinking that too like even at the gas station like yeah I’m in recovery like this cool but I’m not happy here I’m not I’m not going to be doing this for very long. You know what I mean? And then something happens. Yeah, right. It was money or help others. I’m going to help others. Mhm. Cuz I got it to give. Yeah. you know, and I never got it. And then I just I knew it was worth it. And then then that’s where I’m a millionaire at is what I give. Mhm. It’s worth a lot and I know it. Mhm. Oh, it’s worth more because I never got it. Yeah. You know, and so now giving it, I feel it because I feel it for myself. Yeah, man. How many people do we get the opportunity to sit with who have all the money in the world and they’ll they’ll be in your office. They’ll be in my office talking about I I’ll just go be a BHT. Like I just want to be here with y’all. Like what the what you guys are doing is really cool. Hey, a million dollars in the bank. They’re like I’ll do like what’s minimum wage? Yeah. cuz they understand like it’s not and it took me a long time in recovery to figure this out and on bad days I miss it and I miss it bad. But like everything we’ve ever wanted is right here, right here. And some days I miss that because of anxiety and and because of depression and maybe I eat too much ice cream. I don’t know, whatever it might be. But on the days when I’m locked into that vibration, like the moment, oh boy, that’s amazing feeling. Can’t even explain how it feels. Yeah. That’s how tight it is. Yeah. That’s how tight it is. So, you started off as a peer recovery coach, right? That’s what you That’s I started off as CCA, but you did the peer recovery coach through Sparks, right? Yeah. Yeah. You got that PhD training immediately. Yeah. Yeah. It’s next level. I did with her immediately. What year did you do that? Um, I did that in 22. Okay. After I started working here. Uhhuh. I um got with her and did the peer recovery coach. Okay. And then with us, you went from CCA to peer recovery coach. Peer recovery coach. And I don’t know when we opened the PHP program, that’s when um I became um I was able to use my peer recovery coach skills. What did what is your what do we call you now? I am still peer recovery coach. That’s [  ] I’ll tell you that right now. She’s like director of some guarantee. But I work you know for outpatient. Yeah. Um but I’m over there and I’m with residential outpatient with everybody. Yeah. You’re kind of like an outpatient director kind of situation, you know, as it continues to grow because we got real small for a little bit. Yeah. You know, and y’all have been doing a great job um with growing that program back up. It’s been phenomenal. It’s been beautiful, man. They figured out that they really didn’t need no director cuz we was getting it done, right? Cuz she was looking right in front. She was sitting right in front. We was doing it. We was doing it, you know. Yeah. Yeah. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s beautiful. I remember it. I remember when I got my first key in recovery. They gave me a key. I don’t give a [  ] what the key was for. It could have been a massive lock on a tin shed over in the alleyway. You know what I mean? I got had a key. Yeah. You know what I mean? You know who’s got the most keys out of anyone in our entire this Miss P. Every time I see her, she’s like, “You need a key to this. You need a key to this.” I have a bowl and it’s just everything in there is from Miss Pat and they’re all keys. But you got to get indoors. You’re like this one’s for this one and this one. I was over at the house the other day doing the appraisal thing and I’m like what’s the code for this? Every door had a different man. You’re responsible for a lot. I care. Mhm. And um this is my this is my life. Mhm. This is my family
and I’m going to continue to do what I’m supposed to do. What good am I if I can’t guide or tell people what they want to know or what they need? I’m supposed to know where it is. I think everybody should know where it is. You know what I mean? cuz you have people that’s got so much going on till they don’t have time to think about that. Mhm. You know. Yeah. It’s even it’s even bigger than that for me. It I was thinking about it this morning actually when I was on my run and I’ve been sitting in I I always for whatever reason it’s just been built into me but I always try and sit in gratitude but lately I’ve been sitting in a lot of gratitude. Mhm. It’s a lot of gratitude um as a business owner, as a person, as a husband, as a father, as a friend. And um I’ve talked about on Finding Peaks, but I usually go around, but like business got really, really, really, really hard because it got complex because we opened a real estate company and we started doing real estate and treatment. And I’m grateful to be sitting with Miss Pat today, but if I went back and did it all over again, I probably wouldn’t have done it. if I knew the pandemic was coming and inflation all these things. So things were really really bad, right? And you like you talk a lot about inspiring our guests which you do in in our team’s leadership and otherwise. You do a really great job of that. Um but last May, you know, I came back as the CEO and I was scared to death, man. I didn’t know like I’d go in on a daily basis and make y’all believe like this was going to be successful. And I knew damn right damn well that that there was a higher likelihood that it was going to be unsuccessful every single day. And that was kind of my cross to bear what I started. But it what made it more bearable and what made it on days when it was really difficult just a little bit better was the way that you would look at me when I walk in cuz you didn’t have to say anything. You would look at me and be like, “You got you got this. Like you’re going to do this.” And I’d have all these doubts, man. It was people like you who looked at people like me and had such an impact on the way that I was able to put one foot in front of the other. And it was people like you that inspired this thing that I used to do. I used to look when I come around the corner and be like, “Look at this tile. It’s heron bone tiled. I really know that cuz Cassidy says it is.” Okay. Right. And um I appreciate that about you and I appreciate that belief. Um cuz it’s inspired this moment where we get to sit now and we get to have a lot of gratitude for what you and I and a multitude of other people have been able to build, sustain, and create over the last 12 months. And we made the impossible possible and now we’re here. You know, I don’t know if you know, but I believe in you. I know you do. You’re one of them ones. I’ll take you anywhere and know that we going to be all right. Yeah, just your personality, everything about you. I mean, I’ll take you anywhere with me. And I tell any of them, it’s like, you know, it’s not because you’re the owner or you’re my boss. It’s not that. It’s you
and I just want to let you know that. Yeah. You inspire me as well. Thank you, my friend. And that’s real. Yeah, I know it is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cassidy wish she could be here today with us. Yeah. I wish she could have. Yeah. It’s a beautiful thing, man. I was just chatting with her. I was just chatting with her last night. She’s like, “Man, we need to go out to dinner with them.” I was like, “Let’s do it.” Yeah. Let’s go. We have to. Yeah. But um this I have a purpose.
You remember what? This is my purpose. what it felt like what it feels like or what it felt like when that came alive for the first time. Oh, I’ll never forget it. Okay. I was right next door to this building in that house right there. Really? Yeah. And I came in and they were like, “Okay, you got Kipoo on your phone. That’s how you do this and this is how you do that.” And I was like, “I don’t even know how to answer my phone half the damn time.” What is these people talking about? So I walk in there, we leave Leah. Mhm. She leaves. The girl that’s supposed to train me, she was there for an hour and then she decided she wanted to leave and I’m by myself. Figure this thing out here. Mhm. walked around that house, asked everybody their names, and what can I do for them? How can I support them? Went home, got up that next morning, and walked in that door. Didn’t have no damn clue what I was going to do or how I was going to do it, but I felt like I’ve never felt before in my life. Hm. Because it it’s people like you and it’s people that have come before us that remind us the very simple tool of like if you can be with the people like if you can be authentic with the people but it really takes like stripping down you got to get rid of this some [  ] about how I look and how people are going to think you’re going to you know you got your shoe untie and I used to always be like that too. I’d be like we’re walking in now so [  ] all the [  ] dude. But like there was something that happened the people need in this this authentic thing. And I remember doing the big 12step thing and I’m just like hitting people. All I had was this baseball bat. So everybody’s a baseball [  ] [ __ ] We’re just doing home runs. And it’s like some people are cool then. Some people really appreciate it. But like most humans get down with just are are you are you being real with me? Are you being authentic with me? Cuz if that’s your real goofy ass self, like let me see it, right? you know, and so, um, that’s something really special that we we get to do at Peaks. I was we were touring that, uh, program yesterday, and I just gave that talk at the Colorado Champions called the five fingers of the glove. Did you know that? At a PowerPoint and everything. They made a PowerPoint for me. What? Yeah, I didn’t even Yeah, it was cool. Well, yeah. And it was the integration of substance use and mental health treatment. Here I am.
What do I know? You know what I mean? I know some people that know some [  ] for sure. Some real badass clinicians. They’re all around me. I’ve learned a little bit. But people thought that I was going to get up and I was going to talk there. I said, “You all think I’m going to come up and be like CBD and the modality and dialectical behavioral therapy. We want to transcend the model of clinical behavioral studies.” You know, it’s like, “No, no, no. I don’t need that [  ] We’re here.” like somebody does that, not me. I could take you anywhere.
So I’m like I told them all, right? I said I I probably didn’t mention your name. I got it recorded. I said it’s this thing that happens, man. You come in. People are making the most courageous decision of their lives. Takes one to no one. Right. Right. We understand that. We’ve inherited that. And and and then there’s all this [  ] we got to get done. And I need the Fitbit and the assessment and the consent to treat and psyche vow and this vow and the BMI and the T all this stuff. We got to have it all. Got but like there’s this real simple spot like where the juice is at and nobody’s squeezing it, you know? And it’s this human thing that you all do up there that like actually is a standard now that like we’re just going to be with people and then we’re going to get all the other [  ] done pretty quickly. Yeah. But the idea is we’re going to build trust. And that’s what I said in the talk. I said I got people up front like Miss Pat that like everybody calm down. Like we got a human in front of us. Got to is the h you know and then people in our field are like all right well let’s go get over and it’s like no man the human might be thirsty. You know what I mean? Like simple [  ] Yeah. It’s like when they go back to nursing it’s like are you hungry? I don’t like paperwork either. you know, like and you foster that because it’s you build trust with somebody um you see somebody, right? Cuz I remember when it happened to me when somebody saw I was like, you know, like you think you I have value. You really think so? All right, I’ll [  ] with you. You know, we we can hang out then. Cool. Then it’s like we’re off to the races, you know, when we’re walking together. And I think that’s the most powerful thing that we can do in recovery and as humans is is these people that get to show up and have this special thing with people on day one of courage. People come in that door. There’s a lot of them. They come in and you could just Well, for me, I could just see it and feel it that all they want is a hug from a stranger. Mhm. You know, that’s really powerful to me. Yeah,
man. They walk in the door and this, “Can I hug you?” Mhm. And but it’s kind when they know it. Mhm. And they know that everything that comes from me is genuine. They know it. Mhm. There’s no other way for it. And that’s from everybody that’s in peace or you ain’t getting that hug. Everybody. Yeah.
That’s where that’s that’s just what it’s about. Yeah. Everybody really has, to your point, everybody has their own unique way of showing the same thing we’re all talking about right now. You know what I mean? Everybody in there. like it’s uh it you know I’m loud and I make scenes and some people real quiet in the background just but they’re absolutely necessary y you know in value like coup man like he’s one of the people like you know you ever you ever heard anybody not say a nice thing about coup I mean everybody like coup because he’s everywhere man he’s a people’s like the human he’s a people’s champ he is yeah we don’t remember we going to have to bring him on the podcast I was talking about it the other Yeah, man. Bring him on. Go. They should. I know. Yeah. He’s on the ones and twos, man. We got a lot of people like that, man. A lot of architects in the back ensuring that the foundation is strong, you know. And what’s cool about it today, I think, for the most part, and I think it’s probably different than any other time in the 12 year history of Peaks Recovery. Mhm. Is I think most people know they’re valued in what they’re doing. and what they’re doing is extremely important, you know, and I think it’s been a shift over time going from like, you know, we we lost money for 3 years, so everything was very like can’t do anything. We can’t, you know, and and and it’s been cool over the last handful of months to be able to kind of open up and really begin to appreciate the team in a way and and value them in a way. You could tell the the ones that um don’t feel that way, they don’t last. Yeah, for sure. Because it But it ain’t got nothing to do with peace. It’s got something to do with them. Mhm. Yeah. You know, because if you know, and I tell people that come through their um all the time at their interviews, if you don’t got it to give Yeah. Ain’t the place for you. And it’s it’s not you. Yeah. You know, you got to you got to have that love. You got to have that love. You got to be kind. Yeah. And you can, you know, and you can tell Well, you could tell when people are are genuine. And people that’s not kind out there a person that’s in here can feel that you’re just doing this cuz you have to because I’m here. That’s not a part of you. Mhm. Yeah. And that that’s that that’s a lot. Mhm. That means a lot. Yeah. If you can’t do it outside of there, you can’t do it in here. It’s all fake. Yeah. And I see right through it. Yeah. You know, and that’s just like we said, Yeah. And there’s no way to quantify that on the Indeed post, you know? It’s got to be a part of you to be able to do it for it to be real, for it to even look real. You know what I mean? Yeah. the person don’t feel you, then that’s just what it is. That’s so funny you say that. And I can say that because I’ve been there the majority of my life on that other side. Mhm. But now I’m on this side. Mhm. You know what I mean? Mhm. Where it’s both. Yeah. That’s so funny you say cuz I, you know, over the last year, I mean, if we got 70 employees, you know, we’ve onboarded and oriented 40 of those people. Yeah. For sure. How many was it when I first started? It was over a hundred, wasn’t it? We had in 2020. It was more. We had 123 employees than guest. Oh, by 70. Like, man. Yeah. It was wild. We’re out there doing it, man. You got to have a business plan. You got to have a plan. If you don’t have a plan, man, you get shot down. But you know what I do miss from when I first started? What I do miss is everybody knew everybody. Mhm.
And you made that happen. Well, leadership where everybody knew everybody. We don’t get I remember when I started working it was like welcome Patricia, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. Now when people come, I don’t see it. And I I miss that. It’s that off-site HR. I miss that so much. Yeah.
We all knew one another. Mhm. Even as big as it was. Even as big as it was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Where people stopped and and would introduce this, “Hey, what’s your name?” Mhm. How you doing? You know, now we have sometimes, you know, you have people they just walk right by you. Well, they don’t walk by me cuz I I be like, “Hey, they don’t walk by me either.” Yeah. Yeah. this way you are too. Hey. Yeah. What did you just do? You know, but it’s just Yeah. The difference now is we’re operating a business and this real special familyowned situation we got going on. You know what I mean? And some people, you know, can be a part of the business and and some people feel a part of the other side. And that’s okay. But I think there’s a certain energy when you’re doing what’s best for the business that you’re always going to have. I think both. Yeah. A little bit of both, you know. And I think it’s valuable. It’s valuable, too. But it’s funny like the onboarding orientation thing. I’ll be sitting with people and I was like, “Yeah.” He’s usually like, “Yeah, you got to do this thing.” It’s like, “You got to care care.” And they’re like, “What?” I was like, “You’ll see.” But either you figure it out or you’re going to be really tired. You be all tired. And I know why you’re so tired. You know what I mean? Yeah, it’s so funny, man. It’s so good. I just I just want to thank you for the opportunity. Oh, you’re welcome. Thank you for the trust and the belief all these years. I believe in you. Yeah. Tell them quick. I don’t I don’t care what y’all talking about. I ain’t going nowhere. Yeah. Bye. Bye. I even told my wife, “Bye.” They’re all bye. That’s funny, man. Not going anywhere. No, it’s uh until it’s You say I got to go. Yeah. It’s just It’s this thing like um
when we’re operating in love and listen, man, I spent a lot of my life not operating in love and understanding what that is and that ecosystem of people um that have the opportunity to be within that. But I think when you’re operating in an ecosystem of love and authenticity in this human environment with people having this human experience, man, you’re real hard real hard to eliminate. You know, you’re real hard to to get gone. And in fact, I think it’s impossible. You know, I think love carries on. And I used to say things like, well, I didn’t I didn’t think, man, we’re doing a really good thing. Like, we should be successful. And that doesn’t always happen in business. doesn’t mean just cuz you have great apple pies that like doesn’t mean they’re going to sell. Don’t mean they’re going to sell, man. It’s like what’s the marketing look like? What’s the underpinning look like? You know, how does it work? Um, but I think ultimately with with Peaks Recovery in and the way that we get to show up today, um, I think there is some uniqueness because of the level of intimacy that we can walk through, because of the amount of people that we have and the amount of team members we have in order to serve them. I can’t believe we’re like the smallest thing in southern Colorado. We got 44 beds. Small. Small. It’s beautiful. You know, this is love. Yeah. Yeah. That make your cheeks hurt you smiling so big, right? I know, right? Oh, man. I’ve been there, too. It hurts. Yeah. It’s good, man. My favorite basketball coach and I believe this. That’s why I like running. But Jimmy Valvano won the national championship. He was like a six. Anyway, shouldn’t have won it. He had a heart of gold, man. And he went up and he went up. He was he died two months later of cancer. He formed the Jimmy Valv Foundation for Cancer Research. It’s raised more money for cancer research than any other foundation out there. So, he walks up there, man. He’s got tumors all over his body. And he he’s like he’s like a real like spirited Italian guy. And he’s like, I just think you should you should do these things every day. I think you should you should You should be moved to tears every day. You should you should have so much emotion that you’re moved to tears. You should laugh every day. You should celebrate every day. Like be with people like do these things. And I think and he goes, I think if you do that, it’ll be a good day. Yeah. It’ll be a good day. Yeah. That’s what I’m about. He’s like, I’m going feel a little bit of anger, too. You know, that just move through it all. I’m grateful to be here with you today. I am grateful to be on this earth and so humbled the opportunity that we have to be within the 24 hours that we’re in today. And uh I look forward to marching with you one day at a time and doing this thing like that I guess we call work.
Work work. Yeah. I was like I couldn’t believe it, man. I get a paycheck now. And I was telling people for what, you know, like I’m just doing what I love. And sometimes I got this busy work that happens like I was on this integration thing and like I got to do some CEO stuff and I’m there for it. Mhm. But otherwise, like I just want my heartbeat to be felt throughout that mother effort. I had when I when we were over here at the house, I had a a guest. her name was was um my I’ll never forget her um we were riding and she’s like you know I really love the kind of work that that you guys do that you do. She was like well but what course did you take you know to be able to work in this field and do what you do. I said girl my life. She said your life. I said yes ma’am. Yes ma’am. my life experiences. Yeah. What’ she say? She’s like, “No way. I want that. I want to do that course.” I was like, “You don’t want to do my life.” Yeah. Do the course. Take your life. Yeah. Yeah. You don’t want life. I don’t I don’t I don’t want no one to have to go through that do this part. Yeah. But Yeah. It’s it’s just so good to um see them when they walk in. Mhm. Some of them have broken and don’t even know whether they’re coming or going. Chris M. And then 45 days later, they’re like, “What do I need to do to stay?” Yeah. Helping you with tours? I I don’t want to go. Yeah. I’ve never felt so safe. Mhm. You know, trying to run out the door when they first was there and now they want to go hide in the closet so they don’t have to go and it’s just Oh, man. It’s priceless. Yeah. And we get to be there. It’s priceless. Yeah. And we don’t have to do treatment. We can just do life one day at a time. And I think when you look at it like that, it’s like it’s not it’s not work. like this is this is it is it’s profound. Yeah. It’s like like people are coming in and they’re doing a thing that’s like and we’re there. Yeah. The treatment I went through it was um in DOC. Mhm. And it’s TC therapeutic community. Yeah. you know, and and I’ve shared with a few people that
this treatment is love. That treatment, all they did was bring us down deeper. Mhm. You know, added on to the shame and the guilt. Mhm. Cuz that’s all you heard about is what you did,
you know? Mhm. And it’s just like half the people who had to go through that and then be on this side and see this treatment.
That’s wild. Can you imagine how many addicts that’s out there that don’t know? Cuz like for me, if id have had a peaks Yeah. back then, I wouldn’t have been in my addiction as long. And I know it because walking through peaks. You understand, you know, people there, they understand. They know what it’s like to be there. They know what we need, you know. Mhm. It’s hard to find in a lot of places. Yeah. I was actually talking about it yesterday. I was talking to a clinical director of a program, a good program, an outpatient program in Denver, and she’s like, “Well, this is how you got to care, and this is it.” And I said, “It’s I get it, man. Like, I agree. Like, what we’re doing needs to be done, but this isn’t touching 98% of the population,
like at all. At all.” And then, and that makes me sad. Right? Because that’s that’s what we’re talking about here is like you didn’t know. You thought you had to go through something because you deserved a therapeutic community, you know, with all the [ __ ] I did. And that’s what they make you believe, too, right? It’s like, no, man. This is just what you got, what you’ve always been, you know, like right here. Instead, like, and I used to say, and I didn’t go through a therapeutic community. I didn’t hear about him until I moved to Colorado. Um, but I used to say things like, “Well, I needed that.” I think what I needed was a hug and some love. And I eventually found that, but it took me a lot of years. Yeah. Don’t know it if you don’t know it. Yeah. And so that’s that’s my shtick with it’s not about the program or the resource in the community. It’s just um I want to aim, especially in my verbiage, in my conversation, to dismiss the shame um that for some reason has been a part of this recovery process for so many years. We we we don’t need that. And in fact, it’s not sustainable. That’s why they open extended care treatment 20 25 years ago in Florida. It’s like people in Alcoholics Anonymous, people with long-term recovery 15, 20 years are blowing their heads off. They’re not getting drunk. They’re dying sober.
You know, my name’s Chris Burns, your name is Patricia, and like there’s a lot more going on in your life today than alcoholism. Yeah. And I’m grateful to to let the people know that, you know, thanks. And I’m grateful to be more addicted today to the life that we get to experience, you know? It’s like cool. Like I want to I want to wake up tomorrow, you know, as I’m trying to be like how do I live to 140? Like I’m digging this [ __ ] right? They said I was talking to No, I wasn’t talking. I was listening to a podcast. They said, “If you’re alive in 8 years, you should be able to live to 120 cuz that’s going to be the advancements.” I was telling my boys this morning. What? Watch this. Ready? I tell my boys this morning, I said, “This place is going to blow up. This earth is really on fire here, but eventually, but not I’m going to be gone before it does.” Um, but I’m going to make sure I got him a reservation on the new Earth. Have you heard about the new the new planets? You haven’t heard about the new planets? Cool. What are they called? They’re called super planets. No, they’re super super Earth. Super Earth. Is that Super Earth? Oh, super Earth. Yeah, they’re super Earths, right? Aren’t they super Earth? Yeah, Super Earth. So, these Super Earth, they’re way off in the distance, right? But Elon Musk is trying to like get these things to like go to these super earths and they’re going to cultivate them. But they got like here, man, they got gravity and stuff. They’re way far away. It take a long time to get there. Like and I don’t know how long coup would know, but like I’m sure it’s like like days. It could be like I don’t know like 30 days to get the new earth. But when this environmentally if this place goes you want to have a reservation on the new So I told my boys today before I left, I said they’re like, “You got to work today?” I’m like, “You think I don’t work cuz it snows? I’m trying to get you a reservation on New Earth, you know, and that’s going to be expensive.” You and Judy are going to want to look into that, too. You don’t want to miss your You’re going to need a plane ticket to get over there. And then this is not a conspiracy theory show or anything like that. I just heard a podcast. New Earth, look them up. They’re crazy, man. I had no idea. I’m going to have Cool Cooper help me look it up. Well, you know how to do Keeper now. That’s cool. More than keeping. What is you talking about, man? Well, thanks for have this. I I never thought that I would be sitting here with you doing a podcast. And we’re a lot of people watch this. I watch them, but I never see myself sitting here. Oh, and C, thank you. You’re welcome. Thank you for all you do. Yeah. Looking forward to rocking it with you. You going to have to put me up. Let’s keep it moving. Yeah, me too. Yep. I’m here till the wheels fall off, buddy. Let’s do it. Or we get some new cool ones on. Yeah, let’s do that. Yeah, I love you. I appreciate you, my friend. I love you, too. All right, we’ll get back to it. And I mean that. I know you do, my beautiful people. Until next time, check us out podcast. We usually got pikes off to the left. We got the snow today. What a beautiful day to be alive and a blessed day to serve others. Until next time. Peace.