Steps 1 – 9 – Amarillo – Mark H.

About This Speaker Tape

MARK H. recounts a life derailed by alcohol, detailing his initial rock bottom—weighing 260 pounds with brain, kidney, and liver damage. His recovery journey is marked by the paradox of finding spiritual healing while working an orderly job in a nursing home.

He emphasizes that the steps are not theory, but an internal, lived experience. He shares the profound realization that his selfishness is the root of his trouble, and that true freedom comes from accepting that his will doesn't run the show. The final message is that the only place to find power is right here, right now, in the fellowship.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction and gratitude to the committee.
• 0:19 Mentions the Third Step Prayer, focusing on power and mercy.
• 1:47 Shares the Al-Anon golfer story (lightening the mood).
• 4:08 Describes the initial rock bottom: 260 pounds, brain/kidney/liver damage.
• 13:32 Discusses the difference between the language of knowledge and the language of experience in the spiritual world.
• 15:22 The sponsor's challenge: 'Have you ever gone from the title page to page 164 and done that?'
• 22:25 The realization that the spiritual illness is internal, and only a Higher Power can treat it.
• 34:15 The final meditation, asking for freedom from everything he thinks he knows about the steps.