Sobriety Rocks

Today we talk about Bravery and Freedom.

Albert Camus said “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” 
 
There was a time I was totally free and had enormous amounts of bravery. But once I fell into the spiral of addiction, the liberty I previously enjoyed and acts of heroism I once displayed, began to diminish rapidly.
 
Then I ended up in 12-Step recovery and found people bravely walk through their fears, cleaning up their pasts, and reclaiming their freedom. So I too, walked through my fears and reluctantly did all the unity, recovery and service everybody else was doing.
 
Sure enough, like those before me, I was able to reclaim some of the courage and independence that had eluded me for so long in my addiction. I also found a way of life that worked, no matter how much fear I had, or how restricted I felt.
 
All these years later, what began with the smallest amount of courage, has turned into unlimited amounts of freedom. and unexpected bravery.
 
Wherever you are, no matter how much fear you may have, or whatever may be holding you back, all you need is the smallest amount of bravery to get started on your path to freedom.
 
So don't give up!

Today we close with a brief meditation on patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.

Thank you for joining us. Aloha!

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Aloha and welcome to the Sobriety Rocks Podcast!

Today we talk about Giving One Hundred Percent.

Viola Davis said "Your ability to adapt to failure, and navigate your way out of it, absolutely 100 percent makes you who you are." 

Recovery has taught me that we aren't forgiven just because we promise to be good from now on. We have to earn our way back, and giving everything we’ve got, one hundred percent, is the price.
 
My one hundred percent started with me admitting my addiction, then moved into a one hundred percent effort to go through all twelve steps while clean up the mess of my past life with everything I had. 

I didn’t like it at first, but today it seems like a small price to pay to get to be whole again. Do 100% of the work with 100% of our effort for as long as it takes and we get 100% of the rewards. Forgiveness, understanding, peace, freedom, happiness, love, truth, hope, faith, community, light, joy, comfort, security, and so much more.
 
The beautiful thing is, when we do one hundred percent of the twelve steps, we're provided 'the elements of a living which answer all our problems', and more often than not, given a life that is far superior to the one we had before.
 
Today I choose one hundred percent. I want to be able to say 'I did everything I could. There was nothing more I could do. I gave everything I had, and my life is a reflection of that.'
 
 How about you?

We close with a brief meditation to bring us peace and freedom.

Thank you for joining us. 

Aloha!

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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 Failure Is a Springboard to Freedom

 John Wooden said "Failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be"

  When I was young, I did most everything with a full, open heart, not caring how well I did or what anyone thought of me... As my addiction grew, fear of failure began to limit my risk taking, and my life grew smaller and smaller.  By time I arrived at the doors of recovery, I was locked in fear, afraid to do anything that I wasn’t sure of a positive outcome beforehand
  
 Once I got to the rooms, I saw people closing the doors on their pasts and using them as springboards for a brighter future. I was reminded that those who don’t take chances, risk failure, and put it all on the line, can rarely achieve greatly. 

So, I followed your lead, and took the lessons from my failures to create a new life.

That life has not been what I thought it would be when I first arrived. It’s been risks, rewards, success, failure, happiness, sadness, victory, loss, peace, freedom, and more contentment than I imagined. I never thought that everything I ever wanted, was on the other side of fear and failure.
  
Failure’s important. We speak about success all the time. But it’s the ability to learn from our failures that often leads to our greatest success. I know that’s the way it’s been for me…

Failure is not defeat. It’s a delay, a temporary detour, not the end of the road or a dead end., but most often, a beginning…
  
So I urge you, please do not be afraid of failure! Take risks and learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail. Both are equally important. If we don’t take risks, we can’t fail. It takes courage and risks to lead the life you want.
  
So please, dare greatly, fail greatly, find the freedom we all deserve, and live the life of your dreams!

Today we close with a five-minute breathing meditation to bring us more peace and freedom.

Aloha :-) 

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For years I woke up, or came to, and had to treat my alcoholism and addiction. I’d treat it with booze, drugs, tobacco, food, sex, gambling, and anything else I could find. If you had it, I’d do it!
 
Then one day everything stopped working, the pain became too much to bear, and I was driven to the ‘joy filled’ rooms of recovery.
 
It was here I first learned that every day I wake up with untreated alcoholism and addiction. I also learned that one way or another I was going to have to treat them.
 
Thankfully, the people I met shared the tools they used to properly treat the conditions I had. They showed me how to use them consistently day in and day out until all my addictions were at bay, and I was free.
 
 Over the years, I’ve had long periods where I’ve used the tools of recovery abundantly and consistently. Each time the result has been the same. One day I wake up with nothing but peace, love, and service in my heart and mind. I wake up with ‘treated’ alcoholism and addiction.
 
 Now mind you, this has never been anywhere close to a permanent state. But many times, after months and months of consistent meetings, reading, writing, self-examination, prayer, meditation, and immense amounts of service, I’ll wake up totally free, with this ‘treated’ alcoholism and addiction, day after day after day.
 
 But then out of the blue, the day always comes, when I awaken with my mind in doomsday mode, ready to give it all up, with ‘untreated’ alcoholism and addiction wanting to kill me once again.
 
 Thankfully, whenever this happens, I take the spiritual actions I’d been doing consistently all the days before, and the addiction and alcoholism are once again held at bay.
 
 Fortunately, or unfortunately, this is where I’ve been most recently. Untreated alcoholism is running my morning routine and I’m having to do significant amounts of work just to get grounded and centered, before heading out the door.
 
 But, I have faith, that as I continue to consistently take enormous amounts of spiritual action, one day in the not-too-distant future, I’ll wake up with “treated’ alcoholism yet again. Totally free, with nothing but peace, love, and service coursing through every fiber of my being.
 
Until then, I'll keep doing the daily work. How about you?

Today we close with a gratitude meditation to help bring peace and love into our hearts and minds. 

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How many of us let fear keep us trapped in the past while we’re worrying about the future? When I was in the cups of my addiction, I refused to acknowledge my fears. I had no idea that to escape them, I had to walk through my fears, rather than drink and use to keep them at bay. 

Then I met people in recovery who knew that fear was simply an opportunity to begin again. Only this time, using new tools, doing it more intelligently, and walking through them together.

All these years later I know that fears are really messengers. There’s a new opportunity, something I’m supposed to do, or something I’m supposed to learn. Rather than being afraid of fear, I let fear do its job.

Once I recognize and identify my fear, I pray, meditate, write, and talk to people in my recovery crew. Then I do a little service and get the strength to walk through the fear so I can grow into a better version of myself.

When it’s all said and done, I say, "Thank you fear. Thank you for bringing my attention to something I didn't know about myself and for giving me this opportunity. Thank you!

If fear is holding you back, know that every day is a new opportunity to overcome fear. We can build on yesterday's success, put fear behind us, and together make today an amazing day. That's the way life in recovery is. 

We close with a brief meditation to help us overcome fear. 

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Today we talk about It Being Your Time!

Bill Keane said “Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.”  

I was a fool when I was running the streets. I let opportunity after opportunity slip through my fingers, like I had all the time in the world to do something great.
  
 Thankfully, when there was nothing left but darkness, time stopped, recovery shined like a beacon in the night, and I was drawn in like a moth to a flame.
  
 All these years later, recovery has blessed me with many opportunities to be useful, make a difference, and contribute to something far greater than me.
 
 If you’re reading this today, know that it’s your time!
  
 Time for you to be your best, time for you to make an impact, time for you to be the person you’ve always wanted to be, and time for you to live the life you’ve always wanted to live.
  
 So go out there, give your best, help where you can, and be the change you want to see. At the end of the day, you won’t need any excuses or explanations, because you’ll know, it’s your time!

Today we close with a brief love and compassion meditation 

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Today we talk about you Where the Sidewalk Ends!

James Anthony Fraude said “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” ― 

I had big dreams when I was a kid. I was going to do something important and make a difference in the world. But, once my addiction took over, my childhood dreams were gone, and making a difference or contributing anything useful to society, no longer mattered.
  
When I finally made it to the rooms, I found a group of former misfits who had righted their wrongs and were traveling roads of meaning and substance. Not only that, many of them had created new, brilliant lives, setting magnificent courses for destinations unknown.
  
Thankfully, they took me under their wing, and gave me the strength and direction to do the same. And what a ride it’s been! All these years later, I’m stepping off the sidewalk again, and forging another new, beautiful, uncharted path.
  
If you’ve strayed off the path or come to the end of another road, don't give up! We’re here for you and will do whatever we can to help you successfully navigate your next adventure.

So enjoy the ride!

Today we close with the 11th Step St Francis Prayer Meditation from Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Today we talk about, “You Have Arrived!”

Charlotte Eriksson said “I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I'm born to leave.” 
 
 At the end of my drinking and using, I felt worthless, all my past glory was gone, I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere, and there was nothing left to celebrate.

I was so desperate and damaged when I arrived in the rooms, that I listened to people with all my might, as if my life depended on it.  Thankfully, the people I met listened to me with all their might too. They made me feel important, like I had finally arrived.

That acceptance, support, and love they showed me, carried me through the challenges of early recovery; especially taking the steps, cleaning up my past, and finding my place in this new community I had been dropped into.  

As I look back over my years of sobriety, I see a bunch of different plateaus I’ve “arrived” at. But the brightest and most fulfilling, are always the ones where I was surrounded by the fellowship, active in the steps and doing as much service as I possibly could.
  
 Wherever you are on your journey, jump in the middle of us and get busy! Then dream, create, be daring, be brave, but most importantly, be the you, you’ve always wanted to be and don't care about what people say. Because wherever you are, you have arrived…..

Today we’ll close with a brief, relaxing meditation.

Aloha 😊

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After years of chaos and life-threatening situations, I wound up in a treatment center, grateful to have a moment to relax. I was astounded when I realized people there were celebrating their newfound life in recovery.
 
All these years later, I know that my time in treatment doesn't just deserve to be enjoyed, it deserves to be celebrated! It was proof that the world was a good place, people help each other without wanting anything in return, and that I could heal my brokenness and I too cold live a life worth celebrating.
 
It was in treatment I learned to quit waiting for others to make my life beautiful, to smile even when we have nothing to celebrate, and to surround myself with people who did celebrate life.
 
I also learned to celebrate myself, stay positive, and remember that each clean and sober day in recovery is a reason to celebrate.

If you're listening to this, I encourage you to celebrate your life today!
 
There's much to celebrate! Besides, you never know when your celebration will be the light someone else needs to help them get through their darkness.

Today we close with a brief meditation to regenerate, rejuvenate and restore.

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When I was drinking and using, I didn't like change. Unless of course, the change included a promotion, a bag of money, or something 'complimentary'.
 
 Then, when I finally arrived in the rooms, I was relieved to hear I only had to change one thing. Unfortunately, that one thing, was everything!
 
 All these years later I've learned there will always be change, and resistance to change. But I also learned that change can be a very wonderful thing!
 
 The most successful people I know are those who accept and adapt to constant change. This adaptability requires a degree of flexibility and humility I can only get close to through consistent practice of the 12 step program of recovery.
 
 Today I am grateful to all those who taught me me how to successfully navigate change. Thank you for also showing me I no longer have to change the world, I only have to change myself!

We close with a breathing meditation to help bring us peace, happiness, and freedom. 

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