M Louisville KY Living in Sobriety Workshop – Part 3 of 2 – Don L.

About This Speaker Tape

Don M. Louisville KY Living In Sobriety Workshop -

A 1920s Western Union messenger boy is the image Don L. uses to describe the 12th Step: the quiet loving delivery of a message he didn't create and isn't responsible for. A lawyer in Louisville Don L. dismantles the 'big deal-ism' of the ego arguing that stress is a spiritual mistake born from making a big deal out of oneself. He navigates the wreckage of a daughter's childhood trauma and the grueling process of forgiving the unforgivable noting that he had to act out forgiveness before he ever felt it. Through a series of 'broken bat singles'—the small unglamorous actions of showing up—he defines success not as a home run but as the willingness to act in the face of fear. He warns against the trap of 'talking oneself well' and insists that sanity is found in action not in a mindset urging the newcomer to stop trying to flip a mental switch and simply make the bed.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening Serenity Prayer and introduction to Step 12.
• 4:15 Discussion on 'big deal-ism' and the ego in the legal profession.
• 8:30 The Western Union messenger boy metaphor for carrying the message.
• 12:45 The importance of simple courtesy and the example of Judge Ben S.
• 17:20 Laughter: Don L. and Billy H. discussing the irony of their business name 'NOBID'.
• 21:10 The 'unmade bed' principle and the necessity of action over prayer.
• 26:40 The 'broken bat singles' sports metaphor for long-term success.
• 31:15 Raw and Emotional: Discussing his daughter Dana's childhood abuse and the process of forgiveness.
• 36:50 Analysis of Bill W.'s strategy to avoid controversy in the Big Book.
• 41:10 Advice on sponsorship and the danger of 'talking oneself well'.
• 45:30 The 'Ask It Basket' Q&A session begins.
• 52:10 Closing thoughts on the 'fourth dimension of existence' and the 5% who want it all.