People With Addictions, My relapse, My Inspirations

I don't know how to explain this except but, honestly and straight from my heart. My life was very messed up. The drug and alcohol scene was turning into pure hell for me. In the beginning I thought I was having fun, I thought it was cool and I was at the top of my game---------boy was I wrong!! My addiction led me into a life of hate, destruction and unhappiness. I was so super lost. Before this addiction I had everything, in that I mean, family pride & self pride. I could go any where & do anything--riding my ninja, jamming on my jet skis, wakeboarding, hanging out with my family etc. It was all stripped away from me as soon as my addiction kicked in. It just went downhill faster & faster then anyone could imagine.

It took a lot to get me back. It came down to this -- THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN HELP YOU DO THIS JOHNNY IS YOURSELF!!! I told myself this after the hell I went through after my relapse. I knew I had to stop hanging with my old drinking buddies. Being with friends that were drunk & stoned was not any help to me at all. After 28 days in rehab it wasn't long & old habits returned. It was to late, I was back where I started. I hopped on my Ninja and off to the store and bought one six pack. Drank them all in 30 minutes. BOOM---------RIGHT BACK WHERE I STARTED FROM. Dammit, I had no control.

Finally it felt like a light switch went off- it was - on or off, dead or alive. I sat down and said "NO MORE". I went back to the rehab center and took the program seriously. I listened to everything every counselors had to say I did everything they told me to do. I decided I wanted to live and not die. I got out of rehab and shut my business down, cut off all my friends that used & drank & moved forward. It was now ALL ABOUT ME!! I now am myself - Johnny Ledford. I can live my life and make awesome things happen. I got my family back which is everything to me.

If you have an addiction, there is help. There are people out there skilled to help you. But, first it is YOU that has to make the first step and believe in yourself!!!! Trust me, have faith in yourself and your dreams. Because, they are right in front of you!

A big shout out to my new friends, (who are clean & sober) also to the many people who helped me with my dream. ty at exterme make over and all the guys and girls that help out, Boyd Coddington and his crew, Gary Graham at Extreme Motor Sports, the guys at Fabtech and to Russ, at internet design concepts who helped me build my web site to get my message out. He has done an awesome job.

My Truck - yes, it is a very big inspiration for me. I love driving it down the road--------everybody looks & you can see them freak out on how massive the show truck is. I love talking with all the kids at the skate parks. Getting together with kids from the Pathfinders in Calistoga was also a highlight for me. The guys & girls at AA/NA meetings (yes, I do like the new meetings I attend) They freakin trip when they all see the truck and the theme of it------- CLEAN AND SOBER. They are completely blown away.

Even when I go to Wal Mart, KMart, restaurants, the Mall etc it always takes a long time to get away from the rig as so many people gather and want to talk with me. But, that's what it's all about. I built this show truck to help get my message out and I have all the time in the world to talk and answer questions and listen to their problems.

I know I can't tell anyone what will work for them but, I can tell them how I did it and how " IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE CLEAN AND SOBER".

They say, "you get back from life what you put in". I'm putting back in and the reward is amazing.