The Sober Living Podcast

The Sober Living Podcast

This show focuses on Sobriety and the AA Daily Reflections

  1. 6d ago

    The Center of my Universe

    The Center of My Universe The Sober Living Podcast When we think of someone who's self-centered, we usually picture a person with a big ego who thinks they're better than everyone else. But what if self-centeredness doesn't always look that way? In this episode of The Sober Living Podcast, I reflect on how low self-esteem, focusing on my own problems, and wanting things to go my way can all be different forms of self-centeredness. I've learned over the years that I can't control everything happening around me. But accepting that in theory and actually putting it into practice are two very different things. Sometimes all it takes is a little change in the silverware drawer to remind me that I still have some work to do! Recovery and Alcoholics Anonymous have given me opportunities to look at myself more closely, recognize my behaviors, and learn to let go of things that really aren't worth getting upset over. Sometimes finding serenity isn't about changing what's happening around me. It's about changing how I respond to it. And sometimes, the best thing I can do is ask myself whether something is really worth fighting over, or whether I can simply accept it and move on. Because I don't need to control everything around me to have a good life. And I certainly don't need to be the center of the universe. The Sober Living Podcast is a personal reflection on recovery, personal growth, spirituality, and learning to live sober one day at a time. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but I do not represent AA. The opinions and experiences shared here are my own.

  2. Oct 20

    Celebrating Each Other

    Sometimes, somebody else's success can be just the inspiration we need to keep moving forward. In this episode of The Sober Living Podcast, I reflect on a quote from the ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca about celebrating the accomplishments of others as if they were our own. One of the things I love about Alcoholics Anonymous is watching people succeed. Whether it's somebody picking up a sobriety chip, celebrating another year sober, rebuilding their life, or simply making progress in their recovery, there's something pretty amazing about being part of that journey. But I haven't always been great at celebrating others. I've struggled with jealousy, comparing my life to other people's, and sometimes being so focused on what I wanted that I missed what was happening right in front of me. Recovery has helped me appreciate the importance of lifting people up instead of tearing them down. I've learned that somebody else's success doesn't diminish my own. In fact, watching others overcome their struggles can give me hope for what's possible in my own life. And sometimes, when I'm having a difficult day, celebrating somebody else's happiness can help me get outside of myself and find a little happiness of my own. Because recovery isn't something we do alone. This is a we program, not a me program. And when one of us succeeds, we all have something worth celebrating. The Sober Living Podcast is a personal reflection on recovery, growth, spirituality, and learning how to live sober one day at a time. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but I do not represent AA. The opinions and experiences shared here are my own.

  3. Sep 8

    Reflections - Surender

    Surrender For years, I tried to control my drinking. I made rules. I set limits. I convinced myself that next time would be different. But eventually, I reached a point where I had nothing left to try. I surrendered. In this episode of The Sober Living Podcast, I talk about what surrender has come to mean to me—not giving up on my life, but giving up on trying to fix my life my way. I share the story of my last drink, almost backing out of my first AA meeting, and the last-minute decision to walk into a meeting that would change my life. I also talk about finding something in AA that I wasn't even looking for: belonging. Somewhere along the way, surrender led me back to spirituality, and today I can look back at parts of my life that once seemed completely disconnected and wonder if God's hand was there all along. Sometimes the help I needed was literally right around the corner. In this episode: Trying—and failing—to control my drinking What surrender actually looked like for me Almost backing out of my first AA meeting Finding belonging and realizing, “I found my people” How AA helped me rediscover spirituality Learning to see God's hand in places I couldn't see it before Why surrender doesn't mean giving up Being in the right place at the right time The Sober Living Podcast is a personal reflection on recovery, growth, spirituality, and learning how to live sober one day at a time. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but I do not represent AA. The opinions and experiences shared here are my own.

  4. Sep 1

    Daily Reflections - Willingness To Grow

    The Sun Is Still Rising When I first came into AA, I was spiritually bankrupt. Getting sober was a tremendous gift—but looking back, sobriety was only the beginning. For a long time, I thought a spiritual awakening would be some huge, life-changing moment. I was waiting for a lightning bolt that would suddenly make everything click. Instead, my spiritual awakening has been more like watching the sun come up. At first, everything is dark. Then a little light appears over the horizon. Slowly, the world gets brighter, you begin to feel the warmth, and eventually you wonder how the hell you ever lived in so much darkness. In this episode, I talk about: Why sobriety was the beginning—not the destination The gifts recovery has brought into my life Why remembering the darkness helps me appreciate the light What truly scares me about the possibility of relapse The complicated relationship between gratitude and regret What The Dance means to me without quoting the song The AA Promise: “We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it” Why I wouldn’t choose the pain again—but don’t know that I would erase my past How service, relationships, spirituality, and this podcast have become part of my recovery My spiritual awakening wasn’t something that happened once and ended. It continues every time I recognize God working in my life, help another person, remember how far I’ve come, or become a little more willing to keep growing. The sun is still rising. Stay sober, stay strong, and keep moving forward. I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but I do not represent AA. The opinions shared in this episode are my own. The Daily Reflection discussed in this episode was reworded in my own words to respect copyright.

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This show focuses on Sobriety and the AA Daily Reflections

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