Sobriety... Now What? with Stuart Cline

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In this shorter episode, host Stuart Cline shares a recovered conversation with Nick Jonsson, #1 international bestselling author of Executive Loneliness: The 5 Pathways to Overcoming Isolation, Stress, Anxiety & Depression in the Modern Business World.

Nick (joining from Thailand while Stuart was in New Mexico) decided to write the book in 2019 after losing a friend to suicide, about a year into his own recovery. Technical issues limited the full interview, but the eight minutes we salvaged are packed with practical insight. Nick walks through his five pathways:

• Taking stock (honest self-assessment)
• Asking for help
• Getting healthy
• Nurturing healthy relationships
• Finding your purpose

He also touches on burnout, the cost of strained relationships (citing research that poor close relationships can be as harmful as smoking), how purpose often emerges once the basics are in place, and how he rediscovered his own sense of purpose by looking back at what he loved as a child.

Whether you’re in recovery, leading under pressure, or simply feeling the weight of isolation and modern stress, this conversation offers a clear, grounded framework you can start using right away.

Connect with Nick Jonsson

Website: https://www.nickjonsson.com/

Book a free connection call (speaking, coaching, or collaboration): https://www.nickjonsson.com/contact-me

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-jonsson/

Nick also hosts The Limitless Podcast.

About the show

Sobriety… Now What? (soon becoming Live Unclouded) helps people who are sober—or building a life worth staying sober for—navigate purpose, relationships, stress, and meaning.

If this episode was useful, share it with someone who might need it or leave a quick review.

Note: This is a shorter salvaged episode due to connectivity challenges during the original recording.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

How do you stay sober when life falls apart?

Joseph Ganci has been in recovery for nearly 30 years. Along the way, he has faced divorce, financial loss, and the devastating death of his daughter—without returning to alcohol.

In this episode of Sobriety, Now What?, Joe shares what helped him keep moving forward through grief, loss, and some of the hardest moments of his life. We talk about AA, service, asking for help, letting go of how life “should” be, and the role spirituality and faith can play in recovery.

Joe also explains why “even high bottoms have trapdoors,” shares the questions he asks people he sponsors, and tells the remarkable AA story of a roll of nickels and a phone call that helped change recovery history.

Whether AA or faith is part of your recovery or not, there are lessons here about connection, grief, service, resilience, and staying sober when life doesn’t go according to plan.

At the end, I share three simple tools from Joe’s story that you can put into practice today.

In this episode:
• Staying sober through grief and major loss
• Why having a “high bottom” doesn’t mean alcohol isn’t a problem
• Service and connection as recovery tools
• Allowing yourself to grieve and cry
• Letting go of “should” statements
• Spirituality, faith, and finding your own path
• Three practical tools you can use today

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and the death of a child. If you are struggling or in crisis in the U.S., call or text 988.

To reach joseph checkout his website: Rumradio.com

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

What if one of the most powerful tools for feeling better, reconnecting with others, and strengthening your recovery was something as simple as kindness?

In this audience-favorite episode, I sit down with Francesca Donlan—journalist, educator, kindness teacher, and my sister—to explore what kindness actually looks like in everyday life.

Francesca created and taught a college course on the science and practice of kindness, and in this conversation, we talk about what she learned from her students—and from putting kindness into practice herself.

We explore why kindness is more than simply being “nice,” why it can be surprisingly difficult to receive a compliment, and how small intentional actions can change the way we experience ourselves and the people around us.

We also talk about:

• Why kindness begins with how you treat yourself
• How small acts can create a ripple effect
• Using kindness and gratitude as healthy coping skills
• Getting outside of your own head by helping someone else
• Learning to notice the good that is already happening around you
• Why receiving kindness can sometimes be as important as giving it
• Simple ways to practice kindness when you're struggling
• How kindness can help rebuild connection in recovery

Francesca shares stories from her kindness classes, including the $10 Kindness Challenge, unexpected acts of generosity, and the student who learned that sometimes the kindness we go out to give comes back to us in ways we never expected.

One of my favorite ideas from this conversation is also one of the simplest:

Kindness isn't just something we think about. It's something we do.

You don't have to change the world today. Smile at someone. Give a genuine compliment. Write down three things you're grateful for. Do something thoughtful for yourself.

Then see what happens.

A question to carry with you today:

How can I be kind today—to myself, to others, and to the world?

This episode originally appeared earlier in the podcast and remains one of our most-listened-to conversations, so I'm bringing it back for listeners who may have missed it the first time.

Live free, evolve fully, and live unclouded. And be kind to yourself.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Alcohol does not always call you back through an obvious craving. Sometimes its siren song sounds like self-doubt, regret, loneliness, shame, and the belief that no one understands what you are going through.

In Episode 44 of Sobriety: Now What?, Stuart Cline uses the story of Odysseus and the sirens to explore how negative thinking and isolation can quietly pull people toward relapse. One painful thought may seem small, but repeatedly feeding those thoughts can create an emotional hole that becomes increasingly difficult to climb out of.

In this episode, you will learn how to:

• Recognize alcohol’s “siren song” before following it
• Notice a negative thought without treating it as the truth
• Use the HALTS check-in: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, or Stressed
• Interrupt isolation by reaching out and borrowing someone else’s hope
• End the day by recognizing your wins instead of replaying your mistakes
• Replace winning or losing with winning or learning

You do not have to believe every story your mind tells you. You can put down the shovel, reconnect with support, and make one choice that moves you toward the life you want.

Learn more at StuartCline.com or LiveUnclouded.com.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide in the United States, call or text 988 for immediate support.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Winston Churchill and the Black Dog: What Bricklaying Can Teach Us About a Racing Mind

Winston Churchill helped lead Britain through World War II. He also battled dark moods he called his "black dog." When those moods showed up, he didn't just wait them out. He painted. He wrote. And strangely enough, he laid bricks, one at a time, until he joined an actual bricklayers union.

In this episode, we use Churchill's story to talk about something a lot of people in recovery know well: rumination. That loop where your mind keeps circling the same question. Why did I do that? What if this happens? What does that person think of me? Alcohol may have quieted that noise for a while, but once it's gone, the thoughts are still there, and you need a new way to respond.

We'll talk about the difference between reflection and rumination, why trying to force a thought away often makes it louder, and a simple practice for redirecting your attention when your mind won't let go. Plus, a quick update on where things stand with the first Live Unclouded book.

What's your brick? By the end of this episode, you'll have a plan for finding out.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Something is shifting.

After 18 months and listeners in 81 countries, Sobriety… Now What? is becoming Live Unclouded — and this episode is where that transition begins.

But before the rebrand announcement, Stuart shares something personal: a season of burnout so complete he had nothing left to give. No job. No relationship. Sleeping on family members' couches. A back injury that left his leg atrophying. Days when he genuinely believed everyone would be better off without him.

What pulled him back wasn't a dramatic breakthrough. It was small choices, one conversation at a time.

That experience, combined with 25 years of sitting with people in recovery, quietly shaped what Stuart is now calling the Unclouded Life Philosophy — three ideas that change everything about how you see where you are right now:

• You are not lost. You are disconnected.
• The path ahead still belongs to you.
• You are not finished becoming.

This episode also includes the story of a man in his seventies who entered treatment to get his grandchildren back — and discovered something about his marriage that broke his heart open in the best possible way.

If you've been feeling stuck, questioning your direction, or wondering whether it's too late — this one is for you.

🎙️ Visit liveunclouded.com to get on the list for the book dropping September 1st — and grab the first 60 pages free when you sign up.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

Most people think a liver transplant is the finish line.

But for many transplant recipients, it's actually the beginning of a completely new journey.

In this follow-up conversation, Tia Bean returns to Sobriety Now What? to share what life has really been like nearly three years after receiving a life-saving liver transplant.

From unexpected fatigue and medication side effects to navigating relationships, rebuilding confidence, and learning how to dream again, Tia offers an honest and inspiring look at recovery beyond the hospital. She also shares valuable insights for family members, friends, and anyone facing a transplant journey of their own.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What recovery really looks like 1–3 years after transplant
• The hidden challenges of fatigue and brain fog
• Medication side effects and long-term health concerns
• Why family and friends often misunderstand life after transplant
• The "Spoon Theory" and managing limited energy
• Returning to work, college, and rebuilding a future
• The emotional and spiritual impact of surviving a life-threatening illness
• Advice for people waiting for or considering a transplant
• How loved ones can provide meaningful support

Tia's message is simple but powerful:

Don't give up. There is life on the other side.

Whether you are recovering from a transplant, supporting someone who is, or simply looking for a story of resilience and hope, this conversation will leave you encouraged.

Thanks for listening to Sobriety Now What? Live freely, evolve fully, and thrive.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

What keeps someone sober when cravings hit, motivation fades, or life gets difficult?

In this powerful episode of Sobriety… Now What?, Stuart Cline explores one of the most important foundations of lasting recovery: discovering your “why.”

Why do some people relapse even after treatment, therapy, books, and support? Why do others find the strength to keep going through the hardest moments of sobriety?

The answer often comes down to emotional connection, purpose, and meaning.

In this episode, Stuart shares:
• Why information alone rarely creates lasting change
• The powerful difference between head knowledge and heart-level motivation
• A moving parable about passion, persistence, and emotional investment
• How addiction itself operates through goal, plan, and emotional energy
• Viktor Frankl’s insights on meaning and survival
• The “Five Whys” exercise to help you uncover your deeper reason for staying sober
• Why you do not need to hit rock bottom to want a better life
• How to stop merely escaping life and start building one you truly want to live

This episode is for anyone who:
• Wants to strengthen their recovery motivation
• Feels stuck, disconnected, or emotionally exhausted
• Is sober curious or early in recovery
• Has relapsed and wants to reconnect with purpose
• Wants more than just “not drinking” — and is ready to thrive

Stuart also gives listeners an early preview of his upcoming book:

Unclouded: 100 Strategies to Clear Your Mind, Break Free from Alcohol, and Build a Happier Life

If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who may need encouragement today.

Website: StuartCline.com

Thanks for listening to Sobriety… Now What?
Live freely, evolve fully, and thrive.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

EP 39 Do the AA Promises Really Come True? | 72 Years of Sobriety at the Round Table

In this powerful round-table conversation, Stuart sits down in the studio with Mike and Colm — two men with over 70 years of combined sobriety — to talk about one of the most well-known parts of Alcoholics Anonymous: the AA promises.

Do the promises really come true?
 Can people truly find peace, freedom, happiness, and purpose in sobriety?

Together, the three share honest stories and reflections about recovery, fear, spirituality, friendship, service, emotional healing, and what life actually looks like after decades of sobriety.

This episode is not about perfection. It is about hope.

Whether you are new to recovery, struggling to stay sober, curious about AA, or simply looking for encouragement, this conversation offers real-life experience from people who have lived it.

Topics include:
 • The AA promises explained in real life
 • Fear, shame, and emotional healing
 • Spirituality vs. religion in recovery
 • Self-seeking, service, and friendship
 • Learning to live without alcohol
 • Why connection and community matter
 • Finding peace and purpose in sobriety

If you’ve ever wondered whether life truly gets better sober, this episode is for you.

Thanks for listening to Sobriety Now What. Live freely, evolve fully, and thrive.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you.

In this short bonus episode of Sobriety… Now What?, Stuart Cline guides you through a simple, calming kindness practice you can use anytime to help calm your mind, reduce stress, and reset your mood.

This guided practice is inspired by the long-standing tradition of loving-kindness (also known as metta), adapted into a practical, real-life tool you can use while driving, walking, or taking a moment to pause during your day.

You’ll be guided through a series of gentle phrases to help you:

•  calm your thoughts 
•  reduce stress and emotional reactivity 
•  practice kindness toward yourself and others 
•  create a small but meaningful shift in your state of mind 

This episode builds on Episode 37 and gives you something simple you can actually do—not just think about.

Use this practice in the morning, at night, or anytime you feel overwhelmed.

Even a small reset can make a big difference.

Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions. 

Support the show

HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer, check out the links below. I am transitioning the title from Sobriety...Now What? to Live Unclouded, after the book title, I am publishing September 1st. 

🌐 Website: www.Liveunclouded.com

🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com

🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

Have a topic you’d like me to cover?
Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you.

If this episode helped you:
Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend

Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.