M Workshop , Into Action Konvent Stockholm 2010 – Part 2 of 4 – 2010 – Peter M.

About This Speaker Tape

Peter M. workshop , Into Action Konvent Stockholm 2010 - 2010

A hallway in June 1988 serves as the backdrop for Peter M.'s shift from 'Higher Power fighter' to a man facing his own mortality. He dismantles the 'Higher Power problem' by redefining the term as a 'Group of Drunks' providing orderly directions arguing that the only way to know the Higher Power is through the direct experience of the steps not through theology. Peter M. warns against the 'robotic' Big Bookers and the 'middle-of-the-road' meetings where people just 'put the plug in the jug' without doing the work. He describes the grit of Brooklyn recovery—from the Bowery guys reeking of alcohol in the rooms to the tragedy of a heroin addict overdosing across the street from a meeting because no one gave him the truth. For Peter M. sponsorship is not about friendship or being liked it is about being a teacher who is willing to ruffle feathers to save a life.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Peter M. uses a metaphor about the Jersey Shore to explain the difference between hearing about a Higher Power and experiencing one.
• 3:12 Laughter: Discussion on the 'G-O-D' (Group of Drunks) acronym for those with a 'Higher Power problem'.
• 5:10 Peter M. recounts his turning point in a hallway on June 23, 1988, facing his mortality.
• 11:20 Discussion on the 'phenomenon of craving' and the danger of the ego bypassing truth.
• 16:45 Mention of the Big Book's guidance on when to drop a prospect who is not interested in the solution.
• 21:10 Peter M. discusses the risk of 'middle-of-the-road' meetings and the courage to share a different experience.
• 28:30 A story about a heroin addict overdosing in a park across from a meeting, highlighting the need for truth over being well-liked.
• 32:15 Tribute to Jerry F., an old-timer who provided the 'no-sugarcoating' truth in treatment.
• 38:40 Q&A: Handling a sponsor who has relapsed after six years.
• 43:10 Discussion on the 'physical allergy' and 'mental obsession' as defined in the Doctor's Opinion.
• 48:20 Story about the 'Bill W. mafia' in Staten Island and the resistance to Big Book-based recovery.
• 54:15 Closing thoughts on the 'any lengths' requirement and the metaphor of chopping wood and carrying water.