Myers R. – Steps 8-9 Amends – The Danger of Being a Taker – 2020

About This Speaker Tape

Myers maps out the critical necessity of Step 12, arguing that sobriety without service is a dangerous half-measure. He reflects on a decade spent as a 'taker' in AA, ignoring the mandate to work with others until a sponsor pushed him to see that immunity from drinking comes through intensive work with other alcoholics. Through the story of Terry—a red-haired, wired-jawed man he met in detox—Myers illustrates how the act of sponsoring others transforms the sponsor as much as the sponsee.

He dismantles the idea that some people are 'not good' at 12th step work, instead advocating for a gritty, proactive approach to sponsorship: spotting the newcomer reading the Big Book in the corner, qualifying them on page 44, and getting them busy immediately to prevent them from getting 'nutty' and quitting.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Myers opens with the anxiety of walking into an empty hall and the joy of seeing people show up.
• 2:15 Laughter: The 'foreplay' metaphor regarding those who have decades of sobriety but have never sponsored a soul.
• 5:40 Reading from the Big Book (page 14) on the absolute necessity of working with others to survive low spots.
• 11:20 Discussion on the 'Primary Purpose' group in Dallas and the idea of being 'too busy carrying the message' to have more meetings.
• 16:10 Myers recalls a speaker who told him he didn't have to do 12th step work if he 'sucked' at it, which led him to avoid it for years.
• 21:30 The story of Terry: Meeting a man in detox with wired-together teeth and a 'McDonald's clown' head of red hair.
• 26:45 Spiritual Experience: The sunlight hitting Terry's green eyes in the park, creating a 'laser' effect.
• 31:10 Terry's growth: Starting a window washing business and doing Step work on ladders.
• 38:20 Sponsorship 101: Advice on finding a sponsor who has had a spiritual awakening and doesn't treat the steps as a slow race.
• 43:15 The 'golf pro' story and the danger of being 'just okay' with being sober.
• 47:50 Practical demonstration: How to spot a newcomer reading the Big Book and 'qualifying' them using page 44.
• 52:10 Closing thoughts on the transformative power of carrying the message to save one's own life.