December 6

In A.A., they hand out tokens for various lengths of sobriety. Usually, they are for your first 24 hours, 60 and 90 days, 6 and 9 months, and annually from 1 year onward. Unless you get a completely customized one, on the front, it usually has the statement, “To Thine Own Self Be True.” This is from William Shakespeare. Specifically, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 3. The words are spoken by Polonius, who advises his son, Laertes, "To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." Polonius cannot follow his own advice as he is a shady motherfucker who schemes, talks behind people’s backs, conspires, etc. Like some things in A.A., this statement has been taken out of context and turned into something completely different. Instead of an ironic statement made by some lying old coot, this statement is used as an everyday mantra to live authentically to meet your personal aspirations and desires. To live according to your newfound morals and values and no longer betray them.

Reflections

Are you being true to thine own self?

Daily Challenge

Donate your old sobriety tokens/coins back to your meeting or club. Keep what you have by giving it away.

December 5

Today, you have the power to tell yourself a different story. The inner critical voice that’s stuck on repeat has been playing in your head your entire life. Today, you can decide to be a magical storyteller like the great and whimsical Doug Henning (look him up). You can conjure up a new version of yourself. No, really, you are allowed. Today, you have the power to tell yourself an entirely new story and change the voice inside your head. It’s like magic! You’re not the struggling addict, drunkard, fuck up, outcast, not an A+ perfect student, or obedient wife/husband. Having just now read this, you are on your way to becoming an entirely different person. Yesterday, or five years ago, you were not the person you are today. As it happens, we grow and change. We become different people with each new day. Why not choose to be a different person right now? The trick is not listening to or acting upon how others define you. Don’t give that power to anyone.

Reflections

Do you have the power to change your thoughts? How can you better do that? (Word hint: action)

Daily Challenge

What is one thing you really want to do more than anything? Make a plan for that. Start today.

December 4

Christmas is coming! Buy the book for a friend!

The twelfth suggestion: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” – Alcoholics Anonymous

In the final process of working the Twelve Steps, we learn that to keep what we have, we must give it away. This seems like a cult-like multi-level marketing scheme in the making. Those with heavy conspiracy theory leanings certainly will rail, “Aha! You want to sell more books and fill your baskets at the meetings!” And you’re not entirely wrong. But it’s not as nefarious as you think. Most of that money is used to pay to operate A.A. Nobody is getting rich from A.A. donations (check out the annual GSO reports online). As individuals, we don’t give away our money as much as we give our time and energy to help the new person. We attend meetings, make coffee, help with cleaning, and loiter afterward in hopes that we can help someone else. Why? It’s not all “altruistic,” as they say. In this process, we inevitably help ourselves as we have come to understand that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else.

Reflections

Who is really being served by you helping others? Are you still pretty selfish, after all?

Daily Challenge

Attend a meeting. Arrive 15 min early and leave 15 late.

December 3

Buy the book!

Do I really need to attend 90 meetings in 90 days? Do I need to go to meetings every day? Do I need to read the Big Book? Do I need to work the Twelve Steps? Do I need to go to therapy? Do I need to meditate? Do I need to write in a journal? Do I need to be of service to others? Do I need to speak at meetings? Do I need to listen to my sponsor? Do I need to listen to this shitty podcast? Is all of this shit really necessary? NO! Not at all. I bet you were expecting some dressing down after all those questions. Or some statement of, “That’s what I did! Blah, blah, blah.” You don’t need to do any of it. These are all tools and suggestions at your disposal; considerations for your initial success in the process of getting and staying sober. You may choose to do one thing over another, and you may choose not to do something entirely, but don’t NOT consider it just because you want to illustrate how much of a badass you are. Those days and that game are over. Today, we should be focused on our survival and not how we look doing it. And yes, you do need to do that.

Reflections

Do I still care what other people think of me so much that I would let it get in the way of my joy in life?

Daily Challenge

Go to 7 meetings in 7 days and see how that feels.

December 2

Buy the "Fucking" book.

Far too often, our human condition can override our humanity. What the hell do I mean by that, you ask? Well, for starters, we really like to see other people fail. Don’t we? Isn’t that some sad shit? You may feel you’re above all that, but you are only human, and it can feel pretty natural to find a little enjoyment in some asshole’s hardships. As we begin to get sober and see our world and ourselves differently, we need to reflect on how hard it was for us at one time. We should take time to work on being empathetic toward others who are also on the same path. We try to never relish other people’s misery because we know what it feels like. Instead, we should dig deep and try to cultivate our empathy and compassion as much as possible. When we work the Twelve Steps, attend meetings (and really listen), read, and engage in recovery topics, we develop these aspects of our humanity with greater understanding. This helps us to have a greater understanding and better serve others in their time of need.

Reflections

Are you bettering yourself just for yourself or to better serve others?

Daily Challenge

What is one thing you can do today to better help someone else on the same path you were once on?

December 1

Visit soberpod.com - Buy the book!

Don’t fall for the rah-rah shit. You know, the type of stuff out there on the Interwebs. Those recovery types always sound good on social media and will spout off with some positive affirmations and witty quips. You know it’s bullshit. In the end, there is little depth and weight to their words. They may make it sound like some cool and hip spoken word with the music slowly building in the background. But there is something about it that just doesn’t feel right! For me, it doesn’t coincide with the reality that is right in front of us. There is no ignoring the truth. It’s the same truth humanity had 100 or 1,000 years ago. The things that mattered then are the same things that matter today. No amount of screaming from the rooftops on Instagram can compete with the whisper of the truth. So, watch out for the flashy and wordy gurus (especially if they rhyme). The real shit lasts beyond the hip flash-in-the-pan fuckery and will always stand the test of time.

Reflections

Fuck! Did I just rhyme with the word time? You got me!

Daily Challenge

Unfollow some people on social media. Pick the most toxic ones and unfriend the shit out of them!

January 1

So, this is the first day of the year. It’s just another day, don’t make such a big-ass deal about it. If your New Year’s resolution was to get sober and you started today, you might want to get shit-faced right now. It never works when we “put X’s on calendars.” It’s been repeatedly proven that if you have not reached your “bottom” (or close to it), you probably aren’t motivated to follow through. How many times have you made these bold gestures in the past? When was the last time you promised (yourself or someone else) that you wouldn’t do this anymore?

Reflections

Are you getting sober for yourself, or was it someone else’s idea? Are you staying sober today out of fear, habit, joy, or happiness?

Daily Challenge

Say “Hi” to a stranger today. The crossing guard, the mail carrier, or your neighbor. But do it with a huge smile on your face! See how it changes your day to add light to someone else’s.

January 1

BUY THE BOOK!

So, this is the first day of the year. It’s just another day, don’t make such a big-ass deal about it. If your New Year’s resolution was to get sober and you started today, you might want to get shit-faced right now. It never works when we “put X’s on calendars.” It’s been repeatedly proven that if you have not reached your “bottom” (or close to it), you probably aren’t motivated to follow through. How many times have you made these bold gestures in the past? When was the last time you promised (yourself or someone else) that you wouldn’t do this anymore?

Reflections

Are you getting sober for yourself, or was it someone else’s idea? Are you staying sober today out of fear, habit, joy, or happiness?

Daily Challenge

Say “Hi” to a stranger today. The crossing guard, the mail carrier, or your neighbor. But do it with a huge smile on your face! See how it changes your day to add light to someone else’s.

November 30

Support the podcast, buy the book.

“How do you do it?” Do you mean stay sober? You give up. Give up the illusion and delusion that you are the center of the Universe, and accept that you know nothing about living this life. Sober or drunk. Sucks to consider, but it’s true. It’s enough to make the average person jump off a bridge, but not the average alcoholic/addict. For some reason, we have developed a system of averting our existential angst, and we’re good at it! The problem comes when our little system stops working, or we face a genuinely insurmountable crisis. As we examine our options, we have two solutions, we can “go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help.” The choice was up to me, and I decided to do the latter.

Reflections

Have you made your choice? How do you feel about it today?

Daily Challenge

Read this entire book, and repost your favorite reading on the Sober Pod Live Facebook group.

November 29

Buy the book, and support the podcast.

You have 86,000 chances today to make the right choice. That’s about how many seconds are in a 24-hour period. As you go about your day today, remember that you can start it over at any time. For example, when you’re upset the boss didn’t give you the weekend you wanted off or the green light turned red too quickly. Each second within those moments is an opportunity to change your perspective. 86,000 chances to change your mind, make the day different and steer your thinking in a new direction. The trick is to remain aware of each second and not let them all slip away unnoticed. Now that you’re sober, you should have a better chance of making that happen. Don’t ya think?

Reflections

Do I really have 86,000 chances today? Am I oblivious to my own actions and decisions? Think. Think. Think.

Daily Challenge

When you see the clock read 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, 5:55, 10:10, or 11:11 today, take a second to ask yourself what decision you are making at that exact moment. Is it virtuous?