I Don’t Remember Telling You to Think — Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

Bob D. and Scott L. AA Speakers "Surrender to Spiritual Awakening" Bob D,Scott L Surrender to Spiritual Awakening - 2013

Bob maps out the daily maintenance of sobriety, focusing on the interlocking nature of Steps 10 and 11. He dismantles the idea of a 'cure,' framing recovery instead as a daily reprieve contingent on a spiritual condition. Using the metaphor of a sailor constantly adjusting his course to Bermuda to avoid drifting into icebergs, Bob emphasizes that the 'trash' of resentment and fear must be cleared out to make room for growth. He shares concrete examples of 'sanity of action'—from the way he and his wife, Linda, start their mornings with prayer and cuddles to the practice of sending love to difficult business associates to shift the atmosphere of a room. He warns against the 'fire chief' style of sponsorship, arguing that true service requires holding newcomers to the rigorous standards of the program rather than merely extinguishing their immediate crises.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Discussion on the distinction between Step 10 (during the day) and Step 11 (at night).
• 4:15 Laughter: Story about the 'thinking' assignment and the need to 'take the trash out' of the soul.
• 7:30 Anecdote about telling business partners 'No thanks, I've had enough' when offered a drink.
• 12:45 Analysis of the 'daily reprieve' as a stay of execution.
• 16:20 Description of the morning routine with Linda: alarms, cuddles, and prayer.
• 21:10 The practice of 'sending love' to a difficult power broker at a factory.
• 28:40 The 'Bermuda' sailing metaphor for spiritual drift and the 'house of cards' collapse.
• 34:15 Discussion on the 'Higher Power-hole' and the Hebrew concept of 'Tov' (completeness).
• 38:50 Warning about using specific religious terms with victims of clergy abuse.
• 42:10 The 'Fire Chief' metaphor: The danger of co-signing a lie in sponsorship.