Step 10 — Daily Inventory – Chris S. – FOTSNY – 2016

About This Speaker Tape

Chris S. opens with a dive into the brutal history of addiction treatment—heavy metal injections and molten lead—before pivoting to the Oxford G.'s influence on Bill W. and Dr.

Bob. He frames the alcoholic as an 'unresolved mystic' driven by a spiritual hole that they try to fill with shiny baubles, H2 Hummers, and whiskey. Chris breaks down Step 10 as a reactive tool for cleaning up wreckage in real-time, using the image of dragging a block of lead behind him if he doesn't make prompt amends.

He emphasizes Step 11 as a discipline of prayer and meditation to move from the 'self' to a plane of inspiration, sharing a harrowing contrast between a collapsed lung in early sobriety and the calm he felt when his wedding ring ripped his finger off years later.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening: Chris introduces himself and expresses gratitude to the organizers
• 2:30 History of alcoholism: Discussion of early brutal treatments and the 'gold cure'
• 5:15 The Oxford Group: Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob's early experiences with the group
• 9:45 Transition to Step 10 and 11: The 'genetic bullet' and the spiritual hole
• 12:30 The concept of alcoholics as 'unresolved mystics' seeking a connection to the divine
• 15:00 Step 10: Reactive inventory and the story of borrowing $500 from Mark
• 18:30 Reliance on Higher Power vs. meeting dependence and the growth of the fellowship
• 21:00 Step 11: Prayer and meditation disciplines upon awakening
• 23:00 Personal story: Relying on Higher Power during a medical emergency (finger injury)
• 24:15 Warning against leaving AA for religion: 'Jesus is a bad sponsor'
• 24:50 Closing remarks and transition to the Q&A session