My “Light Into Dark Places” series is to pay tribute to the speakers who carried light into my very, very dark years. Many don't resonate with me today, which is fine. I don't need them today like I did 13 years ago. In gratitude, I want to share their stories with you. 

Or, "How disassociation promotes my self-centered way of being in the world." Seems appropriate. It's Winter Solstice, so why not? Truthfully, this topic has been up for me all year, and today I finally recorded my thoughts...AND, it just happens to be Winter Solstice. Are the two connected? You decide.

p.s. Here's a link to the personal values test

My “Light Into Dark Places” series is to pay tribute to the speakers who carried light into my very, very dark years. Some still resonate and some don't. Either way, I am deeply grateful and want to share their stories with you. 

Bonnie asked me to send her a voice memo about my financial sobriety. Hopefully, it will be of service to someone else, too. 

Link to Debtors Anonymous Newcomer Pamphlet

Link to Debtors Anonymous Website

Link to Consumer Credit Counseling Services.

Link to Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life

In this 1995 talk, Fr Jim talks about his experience of being sober in AA and living with chronic physical pain. He ties how his relationship to pain is similar to his relationship to alcohol. 

I really enjoyed this conversation with Matt, who has decades of sobriety in AA and less than 5 months in OA. I pitched doing the podcast while he was fresh in the experience (and disorientation) of the slogan "Those AA credits don't transfer". He was immediately on board, and our hope is to help anyone else who may be celebrating their AA sobriety while feeling so beat up by the food. You are not alone.

Seconds and Inches

This is the unedited episode of Krista Tippet's On Being podcast with Franciscan Friar, Richard Rohr. I pray she forgives posting this conversation. For those who don't know, Richard Rohr is the author of Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the 12 Steps.

Here is a link to the produced version of this episode.

During my purifying-flames-of-hell years, every night I would fall asleep listening to this pitch by Bob Olson from Denver, Colorado. Bob is like the men in my family—stoic, old-school, very John Wayne. When I was with my dad, I felt safe from everyone but him. Listening to Bob would not only calm my nervous system but also give me hope for the healing power of 12 Step.

I’m honored to introduce Selah to my recovery community. Selah carried light through the darkest period of my adult life, and I’m not sure I would have made it through without her. So when the topic of “victim identity” arose, I knew she was the shaman to ask. As always, I hope this conversation with her, Stevi and myself carry light into any dark places that need it.

My “Light Into Dark Places” series is to pay tribute to the speakers who carried light into my very, very dark years. Many don't resonate with me today, which is fine. I don't need them today like I did 13 years ago. In gratitude, I want to share their stories with you.