Step 6 and 7 and the Contractor Who Does All the Work – Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

Sandy B. maps out the spiritual paradox of recovery arguing that the only way to solve a problem is to stop trying to solve it with the ego. He traces his wreckage from a childhood of religious terror to a career as a Marine fighter pilot where he flew F-8 Crusaders while in withdrawal eventually crashing into a mental ward and a straitjacket.

Sandy B. dismantles the idea of 'self-help,' framing the 12 Steps as power tools that only work when plugged into a Higher Power. He uses the metaphor of a house renovation—where the alcoholic merely lists the defects while a divine contractor does the heavy lifting—to explain the shift from self-will to surrender.

He concludes that happiness isn't a goal to be achieved but a byproduct of staying in the 'solution' and asking one simple question: 'What should I do next?'

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Sandy B. opens by discussing the energy of conventions and his regret over not meeting Bill W.
• 4:15 Story about an early meeting in Manassas, Virginia, and the comfort provided by Betsy L.
• 8:30 Discussion on the paradox of 'Higher Power's time' and financial insecurity.
• 13:45 Analysis of William J. and the 'uneasiness' that alcoholics feel in spades.
• 18:20 Laughter: The story of the 'spiritual resolutions' and the problem with the word 'I'.
• 24:10 Childhood memories of religious terror and the crucifix in the Catholic church.
• 28:50 The 'transformation' of the world after the first three drinks in college.
• 34:15 Career as a Marine fighter pilot and the danger of flying in withdrawal.
• 39:40 The 'missing' school building at Quantico and the subsequent grand mal seizure.
• 44:10 Entering the mental ward and the first AA meeting in the hospital.
• 51:20 Detailed breakdown of Steps 4-7 using the 'house renovation' metaphor.
• 58:15 Discussion of the 'riddle of our existence' from the 12 and 12 and the willingness to let go of defects.