I'm Still Here

Part 1 Description

I’M STILL HERE: Rebuilding the Man is an honest account of what happens after survival—when the substances are gone, incarceration is behind you, and the real work of rebuilding begins.

For years, Levi R. Stansberry Sr. believed surviving was enough. Making it through another dangerous situation, avoiding the worst consequence, or living to see another day felt like victory. But eventually, he had to face a harder question:

What was he surviving for?

God’s grace gave Levi another opportunity, but grace did not remove his responsibility. Sobriety did not automatically repair broken relationships. Freedom did not erase the thinking, anger, shame, pride, fear, and survival habits he carried home. Saying “I’m sorry” did not immediately restore trust.

Stopping the substance and reckless behavior was only the beginning.

After getting sober, Levi still had to confront his character defects. He had to learn how to tell the truth when a lie would have been easier, keep his word, accept correction, control his reactions, and take responsibility without blaming his childhood, addiction, incarceration, circumstances, or other people.

He also had to face the damage his choices caused.

Some people were not against him—they were tired of being hurt by him. Some relationships could not be repaired with words alone. The people he disappointed needed time, distance, boundaries, and evidence that his change was real.

Levi learned that the strongest apology is sometimes the life you live from that day forward.

In Part 1 of The I’M STILL HERE Series, Levi speaks openly about repairing relationships, rebuilding trust, renewing the mind, becoming a more present father and dependable man, forgiving without forgetting the lesson, and accepting that transformation must be demonstrated through consistent action.

He also confronts one of the hardest parts of recovery: forgiving himself.

The shame was not something he may have struggled with—it was one of the hardest battles he faced. He could ask other people for forgiveness, make amends, and change his behavior, but he still had to stop allowing his past to convince him that he was permanently disqualified from becoming someone better.

This is not a story about pretending the past never happened. It is about learning from it without continuing to live inside it.

Levi writes from lived experience—not from opinions, slogans on a wall, or lessons borrowed from somebody else’s book. These lessons were paid for through addiction, incarceration, broken promises, missed years, damaged relationships, consequences, tears, and painful self-examination.

An opportunity from Faraz Shadpour at Sober Clarity became more than employment. It became a place to learn, serve, grow, accept responsibility, and develop as a leader. But an open door could not do the work for Levi. He still had to walk through it, remain teachable, become dependable, and decide what he would do with the chance he had been given.

That journey helped shape his work through Community Resources United Sharing Hope—CRUSH—and his commitment to meeting people where they are without leaving them there.

Rebuilding the Man is for anyone recovering from addiction, returning home from incarceration, carrying regret, rebuilding damaged relationships, confronting shame, or wondering whether too many years have already been lost.

You cannot change yesterday.

You cannot force people to trust you.

You cannot recover every missed moment.

But you can decide what you will do today.

Survival gave Levi more time. Responsibility gave that time direction. Faith helped renew his mind. Purpose gave him a reason to reach back.

He is still here—not because he always made the right decisions, but because God gave him another chance.

And every day, he still has to make CHOICES.