Step 3 – Step-Tember to Remember Workshop – Part 3 of 7 – 2025 – Chad P.

About This Speaker Tape

Step-Tember To Remember Workshop - 2025

A childhood in rural Oklahoma was spent riding bikes and mowing lawns but beneath the surface a voice whispered that Chad P. was never enough. This internal noise eventually found a mute button in alcohol leading to a cycle of 'quitting years' and a catastrophic wreck that left him with a wired-shut jaw and a walker. He navigates the tension between the 'Dr. Bob S.s' and 'Bill W.s' of the world arguing that sobriety alone is a hollow victory if the spiritual malady remains. Chad P. dissects the delusion of managing life through character defects—using lying and rage as tools to arrange his world—and describes the grueling process of surrendering these defenses. He views the 'perfect storm' of mid-range sobriety where life's gifts mask deep-seated defects as the ultimate testing ground for a state of surrender.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening prayer and introduction of Chad P.
• 5:45 Chad P. describes the 'voice' of inadequacy that haunted his childhood in Oklahoma.
• 12:15 Discussion on the spiritual malady and the difference between Bill W. and Dr. Bob S.
• 18:30 The 'turning point': a bad wreck and the failure of the 'quitting years'.
• 25:10 Meeting Dave and the experience of being 12-Stepped into hopelessness.
• 32:40 Reflections on moving to Austin and the influence of Charlie P. and Mark H.
• 41:15 Deep dive into Step 3 and the necessity of destroying self-centeredness.
• 48:50 Analysis of Steps 6 and 7: character defects as tools for arranging life.
• 55:20 Laughter: Chad P. discusses his history of lying to his boss about his car breaking down.
• 1:01:10 Raw account of rage and the cycle of fighting with his partner, Julie.
• 1:12:40 The 'perfect storm' of mid-range sobriety and the danger of the 'normalcy' delusion.
• 1:22:15 Closing thoughts on using life's problems as vehicles for spiritual growth.