Getting Sober, Coming Out, Finding Happiness

In this week's episode, I am delighted to welcome Tate Barley to the podcast who joins me from North Carolina, United States. 

Tate carried the burden of shame for years, stemming from poverty, addiction, and the struggle of being a closeted gay man. Through Alcoholics Anonymous, he found sobriety and now seeks to inspire others by sharing his transformative journey. His memoir, unveils his troubled relationship with his father and his path to overcoming shame and a scarcity mindset. Tate reflects on his challenging childhood from rural North Carolina to poverty in Central Florida, and their move to 1970s Houston. He details his battle with repressed sexuality and escalating drinking, leading to rock bottom. Tate's story resonates as he pursues self-acceptance and inner peace. A Houston-based attorney, speaker, author, and educator, Tate lives with his husband, Anson, and their dog, Emerson.

Tate Barkley grew up in the small towns of North Carolina, where money was tight, dreams seldom came true, and family secrets were kept hidden. His Grandmother’s house was a sanctuary where he felt loved—and her big Sunday dinners nourished his stomach and his soul. After his parents divorced, he discovered his mother’s new boyfriend, and eventual husband, was his biological father— a charming dreamer who would disappear for months at a time, leaving his family to fend for themselves. As a teen, Tate began drinking. His father was a heavy drinker, and Tate was always looking for ways to connect with him, for a way to hold on to the moment before he slipped away again. Drinking gave Tate a sense of calm, and it numbed him from the love he was missing in his life. After years of drinking, losing his law practice, and hitting rock bottom he realized he either needed to take responsibility and change—or he’d end up dead.

This is a Southern boy’s story of surviving in a good ole boys’ world. Tate fought his way back, ended a life built on lies, and forged a path to accept his true self—with or without his father’s love.

It has been my pleasure to have Tate join me, and I know, my listeners, that you will enjoy the episode. 

Enjoy the episode, and a special thank you to my listeners for joining me on this journey. 

If you wish to connect with Tate, check out his website and social media links below. 

Website: http://tatebarkley.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barkley.tate

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barkley.tate/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tatebarkley3829

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-tate-barkley-3014bb14/

Please, head to Amazon, Takealot or Audible at the link and get your copy of my E-book, paperback book or audiobook edition, of Ray of Light, and please leave me a rating and review. It would mean the world to me.

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