In his classic work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell described a dominant myth pervading the world’s cultures. Campbell noted that, in spite of their myriad variations, mythic stories of the heroic adventure shared a common structure: the hero’s departure, the hero’s transformation by great trials, and the hero’s return. Campbell’s portrayal of theContinue reading “Recovery As A Heroic Journey By William White”
Category Archives: Isolation
Owning Our Power – The Language Of Letting Go January 19th By Melody Beattie
There is one feeling we need to pay particular attention to in recovery: feeling victimized. We do not need to become comfortable with that feeling. How do we feel when we’ve been victimized? Helpless. Rageful. Powerless. Frustrated. Feeling victimized is dangerous. Often, it can prompt us into addictive or other compulsive behaviors. In recovery, we’reContinue reading “Owning Our Power – The Language Of Letting Go January 19th By Melody Beattie”
Bedevilments Are Transformed Into Promises – Big Book Awakening By Dan Sherman
On page 52 of the Big Book, we have a description of what has come to be known as the ‘bedevilments’. The bedevilments are fundamental life problems many of us were unable to solve in our active addiction and perhaps in our dry drunk state of abstinence without the practice of the Twelve Steps. DanContinue reading “Bedevilments Are Transformed Into Promises – Big Book Awakening By Dan Sherman”
When Age Happens – Grapevine Article February 2026 By Anonymous
The pains of getting older are no fun. But she uses every AA tool she’s got and copes a day at a time I got sober when I was 54, and I’m not so young anymore. Aging with pain has been one of the most emotionally challenging things I’ve had to deal with in sobriety.Continue reading “When Age Happens – Grapevine Article February 2026 By Anonymous”
In God’s Hands – As Bill Sees It #2
When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned. ************ My depression deepened unbearably, and finally it seemed to me as though I were at the very bottom of the pit. For the moment, the lastContinue reading “In God’s Hands – As Bill Sees It #2”
Relational Sponsorship – 12 Step Philosophy By Steve K
In the context of 12 Step recovery “relational sponsorship” is an ongoing recovery-based relationship that supports humility, accountability, and spiritual discernment through honest dialogue rather than authority or instruction. It’s a form a sponsorship that sometimes follows an initial introduction to the 12 Steps. It’s not written anywhere within the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)Continue reading “Relational Sponsorship – 12 Step Philosophy By Steve K”
From Loneliness To Solitude – Daily Meditations January 4 -6 By Henri Nouven
Henri Nouven, in his classic book Reaching Out, has a powerful way of describing the new ‘response ability’ we can experience ‘with God’ as we encounter our loneliness. He outlines what he describes as this movement from loneliness to solitude. These three daily meditations along with their reflection questions may be a good way toContinue reading “From Loneliness To Solitude – Daily Meditations January 4 -6 By Henri Nouven”
Clancy’s Seven Journaling Questions About Guilt, Resentment, Fear, Feeling Inadequate, and Loneliness By Dallas B
The very well known AA speaker Clancy I. shared these questions with one of his sponsees Dallas B. who published them on the AA resource website step12.com as a tool for sponsors. Thanks to Jim A. who extracted these questions and this background from that very useful website. You can find the full article thisContinue reading “Clancy’s Seven Journaling Questions About Guilt, Resentment, Fear, Feeling Inadequate, and Loneliness By Dallas B”
Powerlessness; We Learn By Doing It Wrong March 23rd 2023 Daily Meditation By Richard Rohr
Father Richard describes the futility of trying to “fix” ourselves: The genius of Twelve Step programs is that they situate powerlessness and surrender right where they belong—at the beginning. They teach how sin or addiction are overcome not through willpower or by control, but much more by recognizing that we are powerless to overcome them. ForContinue reading “Powerlessness; We Learn By Doing It Wrong March 23rd 2023 Daily Meditation By Richard Rohr”
Between Stimulus And Response – Extract From Chapter 22 of Strong Ground By Brené Brown
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” – Victor Frankl I experienced one of the most disorienting experiences in my life when I got sober in 1995. I use the word disorienting because time slowed toContinue reading “Between Stimulus And Response – Extract From Chapter 22 of Strong Ground By Brené Brown”