Higher Power – Spiritual Growth Is by Subtraction – Part 2 of 4 – 2021 – Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

Spiritual Growth is by Subtraction - 2021

A spiritual void described as a wind blowing through a hole in the center of the self drives the addictive cycle of 'detours'—chemicals sex food and work. Sandy B. argues that recovery is not about addition but subtraction: a process of 'growing down' to return to a state of childlike simplicity and spiritual wholeness. Through a retelling of the Prodigal Son Sandy B. illustrates the journey from the personal pig pen of hitting bottom to the unconditional love of a Higher Power. The narrative shifts from the isolation of the egomaniac to the necessity of the fellowship where anonymity serves as the ultimate ego-deflator stripping away titles and status to reveal a shared human experience. Recovery is framed as a movement back home where the only way to stay is to die to the old self and the spoiled brat living eight fingers above the navel.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Discussion of the spiritual void and the 'hole in the middle' of the self.
• 3:12 Laughter: The 'coming in heat' joke regarding alcoholics and romance.
• 6:15 The distinction between the path of recovery and the 'detours' of drugs and work addiction.
• 11:30 Discussion of the 12-step path as the specific starting point for the addict.
• 15:45 The story of the three little fishes in the Pacific Ocean searching for water.
• 19:20 The 'revised Brady version' of the Prodigal Son and hitting bottom in the pig pen.
• 24:10 Discussion of the 12th Tradition and anonymity as an ego-deflator.
• 28:30 The anecdote about the blue-haired lady in Asheville and her view of reality.
• 32:15 Comparison between the internal dialogue of a healthy person versus an unhealthy person.