In this edition of The Way Out, we’ve got an incredibly special interview with a person in long term recovery from the Native American Indigenous Community. His Native American name is Wanbdi Gdeska, which translates to Spotted Eagle, and he’s otherwise known as Michael Oconnor. Michael’s journey through and to this point in his recovery is both strikingly similar to, and profoundly different to so many we’ve had the sacred opportunity to share. So many of us can relate to adverse childhood experiences, and the trauma that can haunt us. So many of us can relate to the allure and vicious and seemingly unbreakable spell alcohol, drugs, and addictive behaviors can have on us. Indeed many of us can relate to reaching spiritual and emotional bankruptcy, and the unmistakably awful feeling that accompanies it. The truly fortunate among us have had the experience immediately following of a profound and sincere surrender and a genuine willingness to truly change and do whatever it takes to get better. Not too many of us, however, can truly understand how growing up as an indigenous person in America, complicates life. Likely very few of us can relate to the underprivileged conditions that are pervasive in the Native American community. Very few of us can truly relate to the experience of not seeing anyone that looks like you in recovery. No doubt, many of us thought we were unique and different, but the astonishingly low rates of recovery in the indigenous community make it very difficult for those in the indigenous community to find someone from their own community to relate to and serve as a mentor in recovery. Michael has taken this on as important part of his own recovery, to provide an example to those in his community that enduring, meaningful, and rewarding recovery is possible. Despite the very real differences in his journey to recovery, we get the unshakable feeling that the spiritual and recovery truths that Michael so humbly shares with us are with out a doubt universal and indeed achievable to all who earnestly seek them so listen up.

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