The Scrumptious Woman

S2 EP23 From Rock Bottom to Real Presence: Recovery, Truth, and Reclaiming Your Life with Wardell Harding

Juliette Karaman Season 2 Episode 23

Welcome

Hello, lovelies. It’s Juliette here, and today I’m joined by Wardell Harding.

In this conversation, we talk about addiction, recovery, and the moment life asks you to choose differently. Wardell shares his journey through substance abuse, incarceration, and the slow rebuilding of trust, purpose, and connection. We speak about vulnerability as strength, community as medicine, and the kind of honesty that gives others permission to come forward.

This episode is about resilience, responsibility, and the quiet courage it takes to keep showing up, one day at a time.


Episode Summary 

In this episode, Wardell and I talk about what it means to choose life when old patterns are pulling hard, the long arc of recovery, and the courage it takes to tell the truth about addiction without hiding or polishing the story. We explore belonging, accountability, grief, and the role of community in real change, as well as how creativity, music, and new tools like AI can become pathways for expression and purpose. This conversation is an invitation into honesty, responsibility, and the steady work of rebuilding a life from the inside out.


Key Takeaways 

Recovery Is a Daily Choice

Change doesn’t arrive in one moment. It’s built through repeated decisions to step away from what destroys and toward what sustains.

Belonging Heals What Isolation Breaks

Real support comes from people who have walked the road themselves and are willing to stand beside you without judgment.

Honesty Opens Doors

Speaking the truth about addiction, grief, and struggle doesn’t weaken you. It creates permission, connection, and momentum.

Discomfort Is Part of the Work

Growth asks you to leave familiar patterns, familiar places, and familiar excuses. There’s no transformation without unease.

Vulnerability Creates Safety

When one person goes first, others follow. Being open turns silence into shared ground.

Purpose Can Be Rebuilt

Through service, creativity, and giving back, life finds shape again. What was once used to escape can become a way to contribute.


Resources and Links 🔗

Find out more about Wardell and the work he brings into the world. Connect with him if you’re drawn to honesty, recovery, creativity, and lived experience.

I'd love to hear from you drop me a text!

Let’s keep the conversation going over on Instagram.

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