Step 3 Hit When He Shouted ‘You Son of a B*tch’ at Higher Power – Barney M.

About This Speaker Tape

A former news anchor from Detroit and Los Angeles Barney M. describes a life spent chasing 'stuff'—the BMWs the big houses and the ratings—to mask a deep-seated feeling of being a 'moral leper.' He spent years convinced he wasn't an alcoholic because drinking made him feel better only to find that sobriety was the actual agony he couldn't handle. After a messy divorce and losing everything he hit a wall of total surrender on a beach in La Jolla realizing he was 'absolute zero.' He now navigates life by simply 'showing up and looking alert,' trading his ego for the humble role of the coffee maker and the quiet discipline of doing the next indicated thing.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Barney M. discusses his career in broadcasting and the obsession with ratings.
• 4:15 Laughter: The story of Rhodes starting the first meeting on the island while still drinking.
• 8:30 Sponsorship: A funny story about flipping a coin to decide which meeting to speak at.
• 12:10 Barney M. explains why he prefers making coffee and the 'sense of ownership' it gives him.
• 18:45 The 'stuff' obsession: Barney M. describes his drive to accumulate expensive things to look successful.
• 25:20 Barney M. describes the feeling of being a 'moral leper' and his struggle with religious guilt.
• 32:10 The 'sobriety problem': Barney M. discusses the pain of staying sober and the disease concept.
• 38:50 The story of Ben, the newcomer without shoes, and the struggle of working with others.
• 45:15 The beach in La Jolla: Barney M. describes his total surrender and the Third Step prayer.
• 52:00 Barney M. discusses his current life as a reporter and the practice of doing the 'next indicated thing'.