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Steps 6 and 7 have the shortest write up in the big book.  It does not make them any less important.  These are two steps Matt J says he puts into his daily life most frequently.  Steve C and John I join the program to wrap up Step 5 and talk about how to quickly get into being ready to let go of our defects of character and then asking our higher power to remove them.

Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Step 7 - Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

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Steps 4 and 5 go together, much like Steps 8 and 9.  One step is the inventory of our wrongs and the other is when we actually speak them out loud.  They separate the men from boys and can derail someone in early sobriety.  Much like Steps 8 and 9, they cause anxiety in the new person in recovery but can be the path to moving past things that tripped us before.  They are the steps to unload what is no longer necessary and the journey to a new way of life.

John I and Steve C join the show to talk about their experience with Steps 4 and 5.

Step 4: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature
of our wrongs.

Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature
of our wrongs.

Check out our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ for tools, resources and ways to listen to the show.

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John I and Steve C join the show to talk about what each step is and how it's implemented in the 12 steps of recovery.

Step 1:  We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.

Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to
sanity.

Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him

Join us at https://notalonerecovery.com/

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Each week we've focused on the alcoholic but the family is affected by this disease too.  For this episode, I invited my old friend Gerri who has been surrounded by alcoholics in her life.  Alcoholism affects more than just the alcoholic, it affects family and friends too.

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The number one killer of alcoholics is a resentment.  Steve C and John I join the program to talk about what a resentment is and why it's so dangerous.

Check out our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ to listen to the show, find our social media links and find helpful recovery links.

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John I joins Matt J to talk about Living Sober.  This is not about the book "Living Sober," but what it means to put the plug in the jug and change yourself where being sober, happy and free is a reality.  First, Matt J talks about his latest sobriety anniversary and talks about how his life changed.  Then they give their definition of what living sober really means and how it is different than just stopping drinking.

Please visit our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ where you can listen to the show, find links to your favorite podcatcher, social media and email.  You'll find Recovery links and things like recommended podcasts.

If you like what you hear, please give a 5 star review.  We read every review and it is important feedback for the show.

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Matt J's father passed away at the end of January.  He had not seen him since December 25, 1982 at the age of 7.  Matt's father had untreated alcoholism and it led to his parent's divorce.  It also led to Matt's obsession with never becoming an alcoholic and yet failing.  Matt wanted to share this story to talk about two paths, the eventual end that alcoholism presents and the path of recovery.

Check out our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ 

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Hannah got sober after COVID shut down the planet, including most AA meetings in early 2020.  She came to her first AA meeting on Zoom and has only started attending 12 step meetings recently.  Hannah is in her early 20's and talks about her brief run with alcohol, what made her think she had a problem, how she found her first meeting and what she feels she's missing with the fellowship since it's changed with the pandemic.  If you are new to recovery or just feel like you might have a problem, regardless of age, Hannah's story will inspire you.

If you think you have a problem, help is only a weblink away and resources to find a 12 step meeting are on our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/

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John I and I continue the conversation from last week about the history of AA.  The theme for these two episodes are the unsung heroes of Alcoholics Anonymous.  The talk moves to Ebby Thatcher, who Rowland Hazard helped avoid jail.  Through the Oxford Groups, Ebby "found religion," and went to spread the message to those sick and suffering.   Ebby shares the concept of God of your understanding, which changed things for Bill.  Then, a twist of fate leaves Bill W in a place where he can choose to drink or chose to help another alcoholic.  Bill chooses to help someone still sick and suffering, leading him to Dr Bob, the other co-founder of AA.  John and Matt end the podcast talking about their own successes in life after getting sober.

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John I joins me to talk about the early history of AA.  But first, we celebrate another year of John's sobriety (his anniversary date is Feb 14, 1990).  I this podcast, we focus on the unsung heroes of AA, like Rowland Hazard, who had the resources to consult with Dr. Carl Jung in an attempt to treat his alcoholism.  Although Rowland Hazard never joined Alcoholics Anonymous, his connections to the Oxford Groups led him to Ebby Thatcher.  This led Thatcher to share the idea with his friend Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the concept of a God of your understanding.

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📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatch, our weekly newsletter where we go beyond the podcast to share real strategies for alcohol-free living. Join our community by clicking here.