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Host Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hageman reflect on sobriety anniversaries, including Peg’s 25 years sober since choosing July 4th in a relapse prevention group, and use the milestone to explore purpose in recovery. Heather connects her trauma work to a shift from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” and finally “What are you going to do with this?”, emphasizing nervous-system dysregulation, self-compassion, and embodied healing. 

Both describe how alcohol once soothed self-hatred, loneliness, and chameleon-like coping, and how recovery becomes an evolutionary process of subtracting false layers to reveal love and service. Heather shares yoga’s concept of santosha (contentment) and small daily purposes, while Peg discusses compassion for her alcoholic father, forgiveness, and living sober without using alcohol or people to cope.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:58 Sobriety Anniversary Story

02:43 From Wrong to What Happened

04:24 Finding Purpose in Recovery

06:49 Peg on Identity and Alcohol

13:54 Self Compassion and Healing

16:07 Embodiment and Contentment

20:32 Living Love and Service

23:38 Forgiveness and Family Patterns

29:12 Purpose Finds Us Closing

29:59 Outro and Subscribe