Sobriety Rocks

Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about Our Problem Centers In Our Mind

Idowu Koyenikan. said, “The mind is just like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.”

When I was young, I didn’t have problems with my mind. I thought good things, had an optimistic outlook, and took positive actions. But, as negative experiences began to happen around me, I began to think and act negatively.
 
Then, when I started going down the dark path of addiction, I began to think and act even worse. Thankfully, one day drugs and alcohol no longer helped to relieve the pain of my negative life, and I wound up in the rooms of recovery.
 
Here I found people who used to think and act as negatively as I did. But they had a spiritual program of action that had changed their thinking. So, I did what they did, and over time, my negative thinking began to turn positive too.
 
All these years later, consistently taking the actions of addiction recovery has brought back the positive, optimistic mind of my youth. It also made it so I no longer need alcohol, drugs, or any other addictions, to be happy, joyous, and free.
 
So, wherever you are, and no matter the depth of your negative thinking or addictions may be, know that while our problems may center in our mind, our solutions are right here in the rooms of recovery.

Today we close with a brief meditation to help Ease Tension and Calm Your Mind. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about Get High On Life

Melissa de la Cruz said, “I don't need anything to get high. I'm high on life.”

When I was young, I was high on life. From music, to academics, athletics, community service, art, hobbies, games and more. I loved to participate, and my spirit was energized by doing almost anything.

Then life changed, and I starting using drugs and alcohol to enhance the life experiences I used to love doing completely sober. By time I was fully addicted, I thought I needed the artificial high that drugs and alcohol provided, to do the things I used to do without them. 

When I finally found the rooms of recovery, I learned that being clean & sober isn’t just about abstaining from drugs and alcohol. It’s about finding new ways to experience joy, happiness, and fulfillment, and that we can get "high on life" without the need for drugs and alcohol.

I quickly began to rediscover old hobbies and interests that I had abandoned during my addiction. I also found new passions and pursuits that brought me joy, satisfaction, and that same sense of getting high on life I enjoyed in my youth.

Unlike the fleeting and unnatural high that drugs and alcohol provided, getting high on life is sustainable and meaningful, and brings true and lasting happiness. It also provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment that is unmatched by any substance.

So, if you’re not getting high on life without the need for drugs and alcohol, come join us. I guarantee you’ll experience happiness and fulfillment like never before, 

Today we close with a brief guided meditation to help bring us more confidence. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about Finding Your Resting Place

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. said, “Hope is not a resting place but a starting point - a cactus, not a cushion.”

Yesterday’s A.A. Daily Reflections talked about “A Resting Place”. When I was a kid, there was so much chaos, confusion, and anxiety in our home, that it was not the ‘resting place’, that many of my peers’ homes were. 

Luckily, I participated in so many activities, that I was able to find my ‘safe haven” in many places. From athletics, to academics, music, art, student government, social settings, and a wide variety of outdoor activities, I was able to escape, even if only temporarily.

When the older kids in my neighborhood finally gave me alcohol and marijuana for the first time, it took away my fear almost immediately, and quickly became my go to source to escape. For years after that, alcohol and drugs provided me a temporary resting place, during even the most turbulent times.

Then, one day, no matter what I did, I couldn’t escape the agony and disappointment of my life, and the rooms of recovery opened before me. At first, I found a temporary resting place from the pain and misery I had been experiencing.

But, once I got a taste of the immense relief other people were experiencing, I fully committed to recovery. Sure enough, as soon as I did, I began experiencing the same reprieve and found my safe haven.

Throughout my years in recovery, the universe has continued to place immense challenges before me. Through them all, I’ve stayed in the middle of recovery, been completely taken care of, and had a safe resting place wherever I go. 

So, no matter what challenges you may be going through, no matter who may be causing them, or how bad they may be, know that there’s relief and a resting place for you, right here in the rooms of recovery. 

Today we close with a brief guided meditation to help bring us more confidence. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about The Way of Strength

Napoleon Hill said, ““Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”

When I was a child, I had this natural strength of mind, body, and spirit. I was curious, adventurous, and full of life. However, as I moved into my teens, life got much harder, and I started using drugs and alcohol to give me strength.

Unfortunately, I soon became addicted, and eventually needed more and more alcohol and drugs to get through even the easiest of things. Thankfully, when I finally hit rock bottom, I had just enough strength to ask for help and enter addiction recovery. 

At first, I thought that getting clean and sober meant that I was weak. However, as I got active in the steps, I began to get strength from some power greater than myself, and from the people in the rooms who were helping me. 

Then, as I began cleaning up the mess of my past life, I started being of service, and found an untapped reservoir of strength that had been missing for a long time. 

All these years later, this natural way of strength through unity, recovery, and service, has allowed me to successfully navigate life’s most difficult challenges without drinking, using or causing damage to myself or others.
 
No matter where you are in life, or what you may be going through today, know that this natural way of strength is available to you too.

Today we close with a brief meditation to help bring us strength. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about Building Your Own God Kit

C. S. Lewis said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'” 

When I was young, I believed in God, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. I used to pray with all my might and hoped God would take care of me. But, before I made it to middle school, the anger and violence around me had intensified so much, I quit believing in God.
 
Instead, I started using drugs and alcohol to take away the disappointment and pain of my life. Eventually, I became addicted, and stayed far away from anyone who even mentioned the word God.
 
When I finally I hit rock bottom and found the rooms of recovery, I was introduced to people who were happy, living good lives and believed in God. At first, I was disgusted and offended, and wanted to flee this ridiculous cult.
 
But then someone told me I could build my own God, and find my own spiritual path. They gave me a book of instructions, a sponsor to guide my journey, and told me I don’t have to believe in God, just finish the steps before I judge it.
 
Before you knew it, I was praying to a God I didn’t believe in, and feeling better. Sure, I wanted to leave a bunch of times, but I stuck it out until I completed their steps. And oh how thankful I was.
 
 When I was finished, drugs and alcohol had been removed from my life, I had cleaned up the ‘wreckage of my past’, healed my spirit, formed new, honest relationships, become useful to my fellow man, and had built a new wonderful resource that I use to this day, my very own God.
 
No matter what your spiritual beliefs may or may not be, whether you believe in a Group of Drunks, Gift of Desperation, Great Out Doors, or no god at all, there is a wonderful life for you right here in the rooms of recovery.
 
So please, join us, get busy, build your own god, and watch your life get amazing!

Today we close with the 11th step St Francis Prayer meditation from Alcoholics Anonymous. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about Doing Well In Spite of Drugs & Alcohol, Not Because of Them

Shinji Kagawa said, “You either lose your way or you break through the hardships and live well. There is a massive difference.”

Even though I struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years, I was still able to achieve impressive levels of success. And I would have told you that drugs and alcohol helped me achieve what I did.
  
But, once I got clean and sober, I realized that drugs and alcohol held me back, and prevented me from chasing my wildest dreams. Any success I achieved while still drinking and drugging was in spite of my drug and alcohol use, not because of it.
  
All these years later I see that living drug and alcohol free has allowed me to take my life to heights I never dreamed of before. It’s also given me a strength and resilience to take on new challenges and pursue new opportunities that were previously out of reach.

No matter how much damage drugs, alcohol, or other addictions may have caused you, you can overcome any challenge you face, and make your wildest dreams come true. I guarantee it!

Today we close with one of my favorite breathing meditations. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about Don’t Give Up The Fight

Ardour said, “It takes hope and courage to keep fighting even after the world has given up.”

I was a happy, carefree person when I was young. But as I grew up, outside forces drove fear into my heart and mind, and I lost that sense of happiness and freedom. Eventually, I turned to drugs and alcohol to cope, and found myself sinking deeper into addiction.

When I finally hit rock bottom, a door appeared, and I entered the rooms of 12-step recovery. Here I found the support, tools, and guidance I needed to rebuild my life, get a renewed sense of purpose, and regain the happiness and freedom of my youth.

Over the years, recovery has provided me everything I need to face any challenge that comes my way. It’s also given me a deep sense of inner peace and serenity, regardless of circumstances. Something drugs and alcohol never did. 

Wherever you’re at or whatever you’re going through, it’s never too late to turn your life around. No matter how bad things may seem, there is always hope for a better future, and a brighter tomorrow! So, please, keep moving forward and whatever you do, don’t give up the fight. 

Today we close with a brief guided meditation to help bring us more peace and calm. So please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we’re going to talk about We Rise by Lifting Others

Charles Dickens said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

I thought that once I got clean and sober, life would be wonderful, and I’d be surrounded by happy, successful people nearly all the time. Oh, how wrong I was!

I found out very quickly that being an active member of the recovery community is about caring for and helping the broken, the difficult, the hurt, the misunderstood, the wounded, the repulsive, and even the wicked.

Recovery’s about turning the other cheek when someone hurts you. It’s about loving one another and making amends. It’s about allowing people as many chances as they need, no matter what they may have done. After all, God gave us endless chances! 

So, no matter how many times someone stumbles back into the rooms, we do not shoot our wounded! Instead, we welcome them with compassion, open hearts, and open arms, every time they come back. 

When we do, their heart heals, our heart heals, and we know true happiness and peace, at least for that moment. 

Whatever you do today, be kind to everyone you meet, particularly those who are struggling. Maybe it'll go unappreciated, unreciprocated, or ignored, but spread the love anyway. 

Remember when we give cheerfully and gratefully, no matter how it’s received, everyone is blessed!

Today we close with a brief relaxation meditation to help fill you with love and light, so please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about We Rise by Lifting Others

Robert Ingersoll said, “We rise by lifting others.”

When I was a boy, I was involved in a wide variety of organized activities. Nearly all of them had a teacher, coach, parent, and/or mentor, who gave me encouragement, praise, and support. They helped lift me to heights I wouldn’t have achieved on my own.
  
But, once I started drinking, using, and doing things that went against my values, I quit seeking their counsel, and as time went on, I did fewer and fewer positive activities, and became my own worst critic.
  
Then, when drugs and alcohol no longer made that life okay, I found the rooms of recovery, where people I didn’t know welcomed, encouraged, and praised me. It was wonderful! I hadn’t been welcomed anywhere in a long time, let alone encouraged or praised.
  
The inspiration and support I received from these people gave me such a lift, that I stayed. In no time at all, my self-talk improved, and I was supporting, encouraging, and praising new arrivals whose self-esteem was just as low as mine when I first arrived.
  
Over the years, even though I haven't needed outside reinforcement like I used to, I’ve been surrounded by people who lift me up. And, I've been blessed to be surrounded by people who I get to lift up too.
  
That’s the beauty of twelve step recovery, we rise by lifting others. So please, stay, and we can all rise together!

Today we close with a brief relaxation meditation to help fill you with love and light, so please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few slow, deep breaths, and join me.

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Aloha and welcome to the sobriety rocks podcast, I’m your host, Kirk Waterman. Today we talk about A New Wonderful Way to Live

Mo Yan said, “Human existence is as brief as the life of autumn grass, so what was there to fear from taking chances with your life?”

I used to think that I was this cool, athletic, party guy. But the reality was, I used drugs and alcohol to escape the anger, violence, fear, and chaos around me. 
  
But one day, with no one who hurt me anywhere around, I found myself still trying to escape the life I had. It was only then, with all hope lost, that I was taken to the rooms of recovery. 
 
There I met people who had found this new, wonderful drug and alcohol free way to live. And, they wanted to share it with me. Thankfully, my heart heard what my mind never could, and I stayed.
  
In not time at all, I was filled with a positivity, strength, and faith, I hadn’t had in a long time. I found a sense of purpose, and just like those around me, a new, wonderful way to live, that I still have to this day.
  
So whatever you do, stay in the middle of us and enjoy this new wonderful way of living. You never know, my might just get more than you ever dreamed.

Today we’ll close with a brief guided meditation to help fill you with love and light, so please get comfortable, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and join me.

Find Treatment Centers

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