Self-Seeking and the Arrogant Tough Guy Act – Gisli K.

About This Speaker Tape

15th Annual Berlin AA Convention - 2020

Gisli K. maps out a recovery based on 'brutal prioritizing,' treating AA not as a hobby but as a life-saving dialysis machine. He dismantles the idea of the 'perfect' alcoholic admitting to a fragile ego and a history of detesting others while playing the tough guy. He traces his path from the early days of being a 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' type who blacked out and became psychotic to a long-term sobriety where the greatest danger is the 'gifts' of a stable life pulling him away from the rooms. He emphasizes the necessity of a rigorous 12-step foundation and the critical shift toward a '10-step community'—learning to call his buddies when he feels like a terrified seven-year-old boy rather than waiting to call and declare victory after the problem is already solved.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening serenity prayer and preamble.
• 2:30 Gisli K. introduces himself and mentions his sponsor got sober one day before he was born.
• 5:15 Discussion on the 'dialysis machine' metaphor for prioritizing AA.
• 8:40 Laughter: Discussing the 'false dichotomy' of choosing between work/family and meetings.
• 12:10 The contradiction of long-term recovery: how the 'gifts' of sobriety can lead one away from the rooms.
• 15:45 The 'versions of the Big Book' concept and the importance of diverse representation in the fellowship.
• 18:20 Admitting to past arrogance and the 'tough guy' persona.
• 22:10 Mention of the 12-step foundation and the 'magic' of the steps.
• 26:30 The importance of a '10-step community' and sharing vulnerabilities in real-time.
• 29:15 Closing thoughts on the 'Icelandic Viking' masculinity and the necessity of showing up.