Rick H. – Steps 10-12 Maintenance – Power In The Pen – 2024

About This Speaker Tape

Rick and Sonia map out the daily maintenance of Steps 10 and 11, moving from the wreckage of resentment to a state of spiritual neutrality. Rick describes the 'power of the pen,' recounting how a sponsor forced him to pull over his truck and write a resentment on a candy wrapper to see his own selfishness. He uses the metaphor of a pebble in a shoe—a small annoyance that, if ignored, becomes an infected sore.

Sonia dismantles the delusion of the 'sharp tongue' as an asset, reflecting on her journey from trying to 'fit in' at the Senate to finding a sense of belonging. She describes her recovery as a mosaic of sea glass, retrieving broken pieces of herself to build a new, more resilient identity. The conversation shifts from the petty arguments over coffee cup colors in meetings to the deeper work of managing one's own 'ick' and maintaining a daily reprieve through prayer and meditation.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Allison reads the text of Steps 10 and 11 from the Big Book.
• 2:30 Rick discusses his nightly routine of shutting off the TV to review his day.
• 4:15 Rick tells the story of writing a Step 10 inventory on a candy wrapper after a call with his sponsor, Dick.
• 7:10 Rick explains the 'pebble in the shoe' metaphor for unaddressed resentments.
• 11:45 Rick discusses the 'power of the pen' and the danger of the 'bingo ball' spinning in the head.
• 15:20 Laughter: Discussion of petty arguments over napkins and coffee cups in group conscience meetings.
• 20:10 Sonia discusses the 'emotional hangover' and checking her motives for 'constructive criticism'.
• 24:30 Sonia reflects on her 'sharp tongue' and the trauma of her childhood.
• 28:15 Sonia describes the 'sea glass' mosaic metaphor for recovering her self-worth.
• 33:40 Rick returns to discuss the 'proper attitude' (Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness) for Step 11.
• 38:10 Rick's motorcycle racing analogy for 'muscle memory' in spiritual practice.
• 44:20 Sonia shares her experience with 'belonging' versus 'fitting in' and the gift of inner joy.