Francis, David, Travis, and Amanda return with a new set of Be The Change exercises focused on the 12th Step and practicing recovery principles “in all of our affairs.”

In this episode, the group reviews how the spirit of welcoming newcomers began to naturally show up in everyday life — at home, at work, in conversations, and in how we respond to challenges outside of meetings. What started as intentional kindness within the fellowship began to overlap into personal lives, reminding us that the message is carried through how we live.

Together, we introduce this next series of exercises designed to help us practice being the change in practical ways — applying spiritual principles consistently, not just inside meetings, but wherever we go.

This discussion explores:

• living the 12th Step through action

• how welcoming others changes us

• practicing principles beyond the meeting room

• carrying the message through example

• building consistency between recovery and daily life

• simple ways to Be The Change in relationships, responsibilities, and community

These exercises are intended to support continued growth, deepen awareness, and strengthen the connection between recovery and everyday living.

If you are interested in participating in this next set of exercises, reach out to Francis by text.

Recovery is not just something we talk about — it becomes something we live.

Be The Change — In All of Our Affairs

In this episode of The Living Clean Podcast, we continue our journey through Chapter 4 of the Living Clean book as we begin exploring the section on “Disabilities.”

We’re joined by a group of special guests who bring real, lived experience to this conversation. Each of them faces different types of disabilities, and together they help us break down the first half of this powerful section.

This episode dives into what it really looks like to navigate recovery while also managing physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges. Our guests share honestly about the obstacles they’ve faced—but more importantly, they share the strength, courage, and perseverance it takes to stay clean and keep moving forward.

This is a conversation about resilience. About not giving up. About finding hope even when life adds extra layers of difficulty.

Because recovery doesn’t require perfect circumstances—it requires willingness, connection, and the courage to keep going.

In this episode of the Living Clean Podcast, I’m joined by Jay L. (Montana) and Chris C. (Yreka, CA) as we sit down with Marc S., who shares a powerful story of addiction, transformation.

Marc’s journey takes us deep into the counterculture era, where LSD became a central part of his life and identity. From couch surfing and hitchhiking to living on the streets, Marc found himself immersed in a fast-moving lifestyle shaped by the psychedelic scene and the cultural shifts of the time. What began as experimentation gradually turned into deeper involvement in the drug trade, eventually spanning multiple cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

At first, the lifestyle seemed exciting and full of freedom. But over time, the consequences of addiction began to surface. Marc describes how the very thing that once felt like connection ultimately led to isolation, instability, and spiritual bankruptcy.

Marc eventually found recovery in the early 1980s in Miami, beginning a new way of life grounded in principles, community, and service. His recovery journey carried him across both coasts, where he built friendships with longtime members and individuals connected with the World Service Office, helping shape a foundation of lasting recovery and connection.

His story reminds us that no matter how far we go into addiction, there is a way back—and a life beyond what we ever imagined possible.

After sitting in the archive for over a year, we’re finally releasing this conversation with Bo S.

Bo was there in the early days. He served as the first World Literature Conference Chair and was one of the members who stepped forward when the question was asked, “Who’s going to write the book?”

The answer he got was simple: “Any addict.”

And Bo said, “Well, I’m an addict.”

He would go on to be one of only two members to attend all seven World Literature Conferences, playing a role in the development of what would become the Basic Text.

This episode wasn’t easy to release.

When we recorded this, Bo’s health was declining. At times he was sharp and clear, and at other times he struggled with details and timelines. Because of that, we held onto this recording for a long time. We wanted to make sure anything we shared respected both the history and Bo.

After going back through the archive and carefully editing this conversation, what remains is something honest and human.

This may not be our cleanest episode but it’s real.

From the early days of Narcotics Anonymous in Memphis, Chet P. shares firsthand memories of a time when the Fellowship was still finding its footing in the Mid-South. He recounts going through treatment at the historic Memphis House, attending the Mid-South Regional Service Conference, and taking road trips with Joseph Proctor to help carry the message of recovery wherever addicts were still suffering.

But Chet’s story doesn’t end there.

Decades later, in his 70s, Chet found himself living a very different reality—homeless on the streets of San Francisco. His journey reflects both the promise and the fragility of recovery, reminding us that addiction is a lifelong illness and that staying connected matters.

This episode is not just NA history—it is a powerful reminder that recovery is something we live, one day at a time.

Follow Chet’s current journey and outreach work on Instagram:

@uplifthumanitysf

Living Clean Podcast — preserving our history, carrying our message, and remembering that every story matters.

This week on the Living Clean Podcast, we dive headfirst into Step Four: “We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

Our consistent panel returns — Archer, Pete, and Douglas — and we’re joined by two powerful guests, Tim and Dawn, as we break down all things Step Four. We talk about what it really means to be searching. What fearless actually looks like. How to write honestly without drowning in shame. Why resentment, fear, and sex inventories matter. And how this step becomes a turning point in recovery instead of a punishment.

This conversation is real. It’s raw. It’s practical. And it might be the strongest episode in our Step series so far.

If you’ve ever been intimidated by Step Four… If you’ve ever avoided it… If you’re in the middle of it right now…

Do yourself a favor and listen.

This is where freedom begins.

In this episode of Francis’s Archive, we follow Brad S. from Jackson, Mississippi as curiosity about his home group, the Foglifters, turns into a deep dive down the NA history rabbit hole. What begins as a simple desire to learn more about the roots of his home group quickly grows into a passion for preserving the stories of how Narcotics Anonymous took hold in Mississippi.

Brad doesn’t just listen—he pitches in. Through interviews and conversations with trusted servants who were there in the early days, we begin to piece together a living history of the Mississippi Region. Dennis E. shares his recollections of the beginnings of the Mississippi Region and the spirit of service that helped carry the message in its formative years. Scott P. reflects on what is believed to be the first meeting in Jackson, Mississippi, and possibly the first meeting in the state, offering insight into the courage and commitment it took for NA to take root in a new place.

These stories remind us that NA history is not just about dates and events—it is about addicts helping addicts, one meeting at a time. The willingness of members like Brad to ask questions, seek connection, and participate in preserving our shared past helps ensure that the message remains available for the next newcomer who walks through the door.

From one home group’s story to the broader development of a region, this episode highlights how our history lives through the members who care enough to learn it, share it, and carry it forward.

Welcome to Francis’s Archive.

This week’s episode came together in a way that honestly couldn’t have been planned any better.

Francis and I had the opportunity to be together in person at the Texarkana Area Convention in Texarkana, Arkansas, and that alone made this week different. While we were there, we were both involved in different parts of the convention. We did a History of the Basic Text workshop together, I shared on conscious contact, and Francis was scheduled to be the Sunday morning spiritual speaker on the topic “Creative Action of the Spirit.”

All of the topics for the convention were pulled directly from Living Clean: The Journey Continues, and as we were talking through what we were going to do for this week’s episode, Francis mentioned he was having a hard time figuring out what he wanted to say on his topic.

That’s when the idea hit.

Instead of just recording a normal episode, we decided to take advantage of being surrounded by addicts in recovery from all over and do a live, in-person Living Clean study on the section “Creative Action of the Spirit.” We broke it up into its 12 paragraphs and had members from the convention share on different sections.

What came out of that was something powerful. You’ll hear different perspectives, different experiences, and real-time insight from people who don’t normally sit in the same rooms together.

And then we took it one step further.

At the end of this episode, we included Francis’s full Sunday morning message. So what you’re getting is the process and the result. You get to hear the preparation through the study and then hear how that message came to life.

This one is special.

n this episode of Be The Change, the team presents the Welcoming the Newcomer workshop based on Traditions Three and Five.

Together we explore how the actions of a group shape the atmosphere of recovery and how every member plays a role in creating a space where newcomers feel safe enough to stay.

Through discussion, reflection, and role-play examples, we talk about what it really means to carry the message—not the addict.

This episode reminds us that Tradition Three keeps the door open and Tradition Five keeps the message clear.

n this episode of the Living Clean Podcast, we continue our book study of Living Clean: The Journey Continues, focusing on the final six paragraphs of the “Illness” section in Chapter 4.

Illness can challenge our recovery in ways we never expected. Physical suffering, fear of the future, and difficult choices can test the spiritual principles we rely on every day. In this conversation, we explore how the tools of recovery help us navigate those moments when life becomes uncertain and painful.

We discuss the importance of reaching out—calling a sponsor, leaning on our support group, and turning to the wisdom found in NA literature such as In Times of Illness. These tools help us make decisions we can live with and take the next right action, even in the middle of crisis.

The episode also explores the spiritual tension many of us feel when illness strikes. We talk about bargaining with God, expectations in prayer, and the powerful shift that happens when we move from demanding outcomes to practicing surrender. Recovery teaches us that our Higher Power is not a vending machine, and that acceptance of life on life’s terms often opens the door to gratitude—even when gratitude feels hardest to find.

We also examine the deeply personal nature of health decisions. Recovery does not give us a single model for how to live, and each of us must find our own balance between caring for ourselves and avoiding the self-destructive patterns of our past. Through honest reflection, inventory, and surrender, we learn how to live according to our values rather than our fears.

Ultimately, this section reminds us that recovery is not about perfection. It is about continually returning to the tools of the program, refining our balance between health and illness, action and acceptance, and learning how to live a life that aligns with our beliefs.

Freedom in recovery means something powerful: we get to live life according to our own choosing and design.