Joe and Charlie on the Big Book Process from Step 5 Through Step 8

About This Speaker Tape

Mississippi, a living room, and a Third Step prayer. Charlie J. cuts through the noise of "life stories" to focus on the wreckage of the fifth column. He describes the alcoholic as a con artist and a stage actor, living a double life while hiding nightmares in the dark crannies of the mind. For Charlie, a solitary self-appraisal is insufficient because a lifetime of rationalization creates a blind spot that only another human being can pierce.

He views the process as building an arch to freedom, where Steps 6 and 7 are the tools of change. He warns against the "zap me" mentality, insisting that a Higher Power won't remove a defect and leave a hole in the head; instead, the old habit of selfishness must be replaced by the active practice of unselfishness. From returning ten dollars of mistaken change to the "right now, later, maybe, never" lists of Step 8, Charlie insists on concrete action to slay the old self.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction to the 'Into Action' section of the Big Book focusing on steps 5, 6, and 7
• 5:42 Explanation of why solitary self-appraisal is insufficient for identifying character defects
• 11:32 Discussion on the alcoholic as a con artist and the habit of leading a double life
• 18:23 Personal account of doing the fifth step with a sponsor named Franklin in Mississippi
• 26:48 Teaching on Step 6 and 7: replacing defects with opposite positive traits through practice
• 34:12 Anecdote about returning 10 dollars in extra change to a grocery store clerk
• 43:15 The story of Dr. Bob's last drink and the importance of making amends
• 51:20 Strategy for Step 8: organizing a list into Right Now, Later, Maybe, and Never
• 59:40 Advice on making direct, face-to-face amends and handling those who do not accept them
• 73:15 Comparison between the artificial serenity of alcohol and the genuine promises of the program