Kirsten shares her lifelong struggle with alcoholism that includes early, long term periods of sobriety followed by painful relapses. Kirsten candidly and sometimes hilariously details the mental traps of addiction and the transformative power of genuine spiritual surrender. Her story, rich with both struggle and an infectious gratitude, reveals the humor and humility found on the path to lasting sobriety. Through a dedicated engagement with the 12 Steps and the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous, Kirsten describes a spiritual awakening that shattered her reliance on self-will.Key Topics & Themes Discussed:

• The Thinking Disease: Kirsten unpacks the concept that alcoholism is predominantly a mental obsession, not just a physical craving, and how this understanding was crucial to her recovery.
• The Illusion of Control: Her journey through cycles of sobriety and relapse, highlighting the "lurking notion" that she could manage her drinking despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
• Hitting Rock Bottom: The pivotal moment where all self-reliant options were exhausted, leading to true teachability and surrender.
• Fear as the Root: How identifying and surrendering her fears has been instrumental in dismantling self-centeredness, dishonesty, and selfishness.
• Beyond the Academic: The distinction between intellectual understanding of the program and experiencing a deep, personal spiritual connection.

Memorable Quotes:

• "I really had to get that this condition was not going to go away. Their only treatment for it was the 12 steps. For me, this was it."
• "Drinking is 10% of it. The rest of it, 90% percent of it, is thinking."
• "I’ve never been to jail not drinking."
• "I could sound great. It was very academic, but I hadn't had a spiritual awakening. I didn't know that self-reliance failed me."
• "I don't drink my booze, I don't smoke my booze, I don't gummy my booze, I don't shoot my booze, I don't pill my booze. Because I want to feel everything now."
• "My mind can't figure everything out."
• "Ultimately, there's a bigger plan, there's a script, I pick it up, I read from it, I play my part. But I'm not the writer, I'm not the director, I'm not the producer."

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