Amy D. at the FOTS Toronto Step 11 Speaker Series – 2022

About This Speaker Tape

FOTS Toronto Step 11 Speaker Series - 2022

A grizzly bear of a woman Amy D. spent five years of sobriety acting as a '12-stomp' bully who used aggression as a shield for her fear. Despite working the steps and sponsoring others she remained a volatile force of nature who once literally kicked in a neighbor's door to 'save' her son. The turning point arrived when her sponsor Linda S. challenged her to actually work the second half of Step 11. Moving from a 'say a prayer' recovery to a disciplined practice of meditation—starting with clumsy two-minute videos—Amy found the 'pause' she had previously lacked. She describes a shift from being a 'time traveler' with a chaotic mind to someone who can exist in stillness transforming her professional life as a Director of Nursing from a source of trauma responses to a place of patience and kindness.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Amy D. introduces herself and her sobriety date (March 6, 2010).
• 2:15 Laughter: Amy describes her 'grizzly bear' persona and using aggression to keep people safe.
• 4:30 The story of her father being mugged and the family's fear of her reaction.
• 6:10 Amy discusses her aggressive sponsorship style and the advice from Linda S.
• 8:20 The incident where she literally kicked in a neighbor's door while five years sober.
• 10:15 Step 11: Linda S. pushes her to move beyond prayer into meditation.
• 13:40 Amy describes the 'pause' and the shift in her perception of other people.
• 16:10 A trauma response at her new job as Director of Nursing and her subsequent recovery through fasting and meditation.
• 18:30 Discussion of conscious contact and the 12 and 12 prayers.
• 19:50 Final thoughts on the results of meditation in her daily actions and behaviors.