Stepping Stones Workshop – Part 1 of 14 – 2010 – Scott S.

About This Speaker Tape

Stepping Stones Workshop - 2010

A plastering contractor from New Jersey describes the grueling process of stripping away spiritual pride and the 'masks' of a tough guy. He frames Steps 6 and 7 as the altar where he must surrender his ego to avoid becoming a 'spiritual thug' who smashes people with the Big Book. Through a series of brutal life events—a business deal that nearly bankrupted him for the sake of integrity a catastrophic truck accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a battle with kidney cancer—he explores the difference between the feeling of love and the action of love. He recounts the delayed surfacing of childhood sexual abuse and the subsequent need for a forgiveness that doesn't rely on 'finding my part.' He views recovery not as a euphoric beach trip but as a desert of sharp rocks where spiritual muscle is built through the resistance of contending with pain.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Scott S. opens with a warning about his loud voice and discusses the 'black belt in process' vs. everyday alcoholism.
• 5:15 Discussion on spiritual pride and the danger of treating prayer and meditation like an athlete.
• 12:40 Laughter: Scott S. describes his childhood habit of throwing Brussels sprouts behind the refrigerator.
• 18:10 Detailed story about a restoration project and the financial cost of maintaining integrity.
• 25:30 Mention of Step 6 and the 'spiritual thug' phase in Rittenhouse Square meetings.
• 31:10 The metaphor of the Charlie Brown tomato plant and the need for spiritual energy.
• 38:20 Recounting a childhood friendship with a 'tough guy' and the realization that no one is tough enough for alcoholism.
• 45:10 Raw and Emotional: Scott S. discusses the surfacing of suppressed memories of childhood sexual abuse.
• 52:15 Discussion on the 'action of love' vs. the feeling of love while supporting his partner's dying parents.
• 58:40 Account of the truck accident on the PA Turnpike and the subsequent discovery of kidney cancer.
• 64:20 Reflection on the 'jam on your face' and the necessity of transformation.