Prepping my day with the 11th step

·35 min·3 clips

He describes God as a smoke detector with a bad battery that chirps when he's out of alignment.

The episode begins with the host greeting listeners on August 20, 2025, noting hurricane Aaron is off the coast, causing rough ocean conditions that canceled a paddling trip. He shares personal updates, including spending summer with his sons, particularly enjoying paddling with his oldest son Dave, which he finds heartwarming. He also mentions helping his kids clean out his parents' house, describing it as an emotional process. The host explains he hasn't podcasted in a while due to this family time. He then transitions to discussing his recovery, noting he attended a meeting on Monday focused on the 11th step. He reads the step aloud: 'sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.' He admits he long misunderstood this, initially seeing God as a source to ask for things, based on others' interpretations. He references the Metallica song 'Holier Than Thou' and recalls being high when the album came out. The host describes working with newer members in recovery, emphasizing the importance of the third step in making better choices. He explains his current understanding of God as 'peace, love, free of fear,' a 'vanilla zone' free from worry or ego. He uses an analogy of a smoke detector with a bad battery that chirps when he's out of alignment, prompting him to make amends. For meditation, he shares a practical approach: in the morning, he reviews his day, especially his client schedule, to anticipate pitfalls like political disagreements that could cause conflict or lose business. He aims to avoid surprises that lead to inconvenience and arrogance. The host recounts a recent conflict with a longtime friend in recovery over organizing meeting responsibilities. They argued loudly at a meeting, prompting someone to intervene. He reflects on this tension, noting the friend hasn't worked the program thoroughly and acts like a 'permanent martyr.' The episode concludes with the host reading a daily reflection about emotional freedom and the 8th step, emphasizing the value of the program. He signs off, hoping to podcast more regularly as summer ends.

As heard by us

A morning meditation becomes a practical road map for staying sober when the day turns unpredictable.

Morning meditation gets a plainspoken frame here: preparing for the day is likened to following old MapQuest directions, with each ordinary choice tied back to the host's work not to drink again.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when you need a sober morning route and can spare a detour through MapQuest.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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