Sobriety Didn’t Just Change What I Said, It Changed How I Communicate. How Recovery Rewired the Way I Speak, Listen, and Think One of the most overlooked miracles of recovery has very little to do with alcohol. Most of us came to Alcoholics Anonymous because drinking had become unmanageable. We stayed because we discovered somethingContinue reading “Rewiring the Way We Speak, Listen, and Think – Take The 12 Blog June 2026 By Rick W.”
Category Archives: Principles
Now I Am Enough – Recovery Poem By Damon E December 2008
I love this short poem my friend Damon shared with me yesterday. I also love the Big Book’s variety in describing a Higher Power … unsuspected inner resource’ ( BBp.567/568) , ‘a position of neutrality’ (BB p.85)… even as ‘a new found Friend (BB p.13). Allen Berger in his writing and talks has shared theContinue reading “Now I Am Enough – Recovery Poem By Damon E December 2008”
Practicing The Twelve Steps And Finding Real Freedom – Epilogue ‘The Fix’ By Ian Morgan Cron
We’re on this earth to learn how to “bear the beams of love,” as William Blake wrote, to lean into the Spirit, to avail ourselves of healing, to ease the burdens of others, and not rely on overeating, drinking, drugging, watching porn, compulsively controlling people, or any other repetitive, self-medicating behaviors to escape reality andContinue reading “Practicing The Twelve Steps And Finding Real Freedom – Epilogue ‘The Fix’ By Ian Morgan Cron”
Practicing Surrender – Extract From Progloue/Epilogue Of Surrender To Love By David Benner
How does surrender address the fundamental reality of ‘lack of power, that was our dilemma’ (BB p.45) ? What is the dynamic between the surrender of offering myself or abandoning myself and finding who I really am … my true self … distinguishing the true from the false ? Is it possible that to “thineContinue reading “Practicing Surrender – Extract From Progloue/Epilogue Of Surrender To Love By David Benner”
What Do You Get When You Squeeze An Orange By Wayne Dyer
I love this very simple 3 minute video. It’s a powerful reminder that what comes out from me is a direct reflection of what is in me. On the final page of the Big Book (before the stories ) on page 164; we find these suggestions and observations: “Ask Him in your morning meditation whatContinue reading “What Do You Get When You Squeeze An Orange By Wayne Dyer”
Acceptance vs. Denial By Michael P
“Acceptance is the answer to all of my problems today.” That’s what it says on page 417 of the AA Big Book, but when I was first getting sober, I found that suggestion de very difficult to accept. Fortunately, my sponsor explained that “acceptance” was not the same as “approval” – we aren’t saying weContinue reading “Acceptance vs. Denial By Michael P”
Drop The Rock – 3 Minute Hilarious Audio/ Transcript June 1976 Talk By Sandy B.
‘Drop the rock’ is a powerful way of imagining and working steps 6 and 7. I love Sandy B’s hilarious way of helping us see these steps more clearly in this very short, impactful talk – Bruce M. Transcript If there is anybody new here tonight—and I hope there are some new people—there’s one lastContinue reading “Drop The Rock – 3 Minute Hilarious Audio/ Transcript June 1976 Talk By Sandy B.”
Accepting Life As It Is – Interview With Pema Chödrön By Ezra Klein
My alcoholism and its personal and collateral damage evoke a lot of emotions. And yet, as I work the program and move from the bedevilments of my addiction(s) (BB p.52) to the ‘new freedom’ (BBp.84) of recovery, I have an experience of acceptance as well as conscious contact and spiritual fitness from a God ofContinue reading “Accepting Life As It Is – Interview With Pema Chödrön By Ezra Klein”
Emotional Sobriety Growing Toward Our Fullest Potential – Audio May 2026 From Dr. Allen Berger
I found this 5 minute slice of a recent YouTube from Allen Berger very helpful. You can listen and follow the complete transcript of his short talk below. This past Wednesday we read the story ‘Acceptance Was The Answer’. Buried in that story is a very important idea that is not generally recognized as aContinue reading “Emotional Sobriety Growing Toward Our Fullest Potential – Audio May 2026 From Dr. Allen Berger”
Feel, Deal, Heal – Grapevine Article By Briggs C.
A three-word phrase that he didn’t understand—until he spent some quality time in the program There are very few original thoughts in the rooms of AA, but this may be one. It was a cold November morning years ago now that I walked through the door of Dawn Patrol in Albuquerque. I wanted to beContinue reading “Feel, Deal, Heal – Grapevine Article By Briggs C.”