Sandy B. at the Far Corners – A Spiritual Retreat – 2009

About This Speaker Tape

Far Corners - A Spiritual Retreat - 2009

A spiritual axiom of simplicity governs this talk: there is only one problem—conscious separation—and one solution—conscious contact. Sandy B. dismantles the ego's love for complexity arguing that the mind invents a thousand problems to avoid the simple act of asking a Higher Power for help. He recounts a period of spiritual arrogance where he believed his connection was unbreakable only to be humbled by chronic physical pain that snapped him back into a self-centered trance. Through the lens of the Big Book and the 12 and 12 he describes the transition from the material world to the 'world of the spirit,' where the only rule is to ask for removal of disturbances. He warns against the 'ego prayer'—thanking a Higher Power for making one so strong that they no longer need help—and emphasizes that true recovery is a deepening dependence on the Spirit.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Sandy B. opens by discussing the 'meaty' passages of the 12 and 12 regarding becoming Higher Power conscious.
• 3:15 Laughter: The 'one solution for all problems' logic applied to buying drinks at a bar.
• 5:40 Story about the 'nut ward' and the simplicity of the solution.
• 10:20 Discussion on the 'World of the Spirit' and the rules for existing within it.
• 15:10 The four-part plan for handling disturbances: self-restraint, honest analysis, and talking to others.
• 20:45 The Big Book as a 'treasure map' rather than a Bible.
• 26:30 Sandy B. discusses the danger of 'political correctness' diluting the spirituality of the program.
• 32:10 The metaphor of the 'life sucks glasses' versus the 'Higher Power consciousness glasses'.
• 38:40 Personal account of spiritual pride and the 'snap' caused by chronic physical pain.
• 44:15 The 'ego prayer' and the danger of self-sufficiency.
• 48:50 A story about a sponsor's refusal to let Sandy B. visit a hospital alone to combat the fear of death.
• 53:20 Reflection on the Prayer of St. Francis and the process of being fixed from the inside out.