The Bondage of Self and the Illusion of Success — Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

Karl M., Clancy I., Peter M., Katie P. AA Speakers One of the BEST AA Workshops E. Recorded! Karl M,Clancy I,Peter M,Katie P Workshop - 2017

Sandy B. maps out the wreckage of a life stripped bare by divorce and bankruptcy, where the ATM's 'insufficient funds' served as a final, cold wake-up call. She dismantles the illusion of the 'most likable' girl, exposing the approval-sucking chameleon and the 'sheriff' who polices everything from grocery stores to cleavage. Sandy cuts through the myth of the 'good parent,' admitting to slapping her children while in untreated alcoholism and the subtle, self-righteous drive to be 'better' than her husband's ex-wife. She advocates for a technical, rigorous approach to the Big Book, treating the fourth step not as a chore, but as a life-or-death errand to escape the bondage of self and the 'shapeshifter' of ego that keeps her in collision with the world.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Sandy opens with the wreckage of divorce and bankruptcy.
• 2:15 Discussion of the Third Step and the surrender of self-will.
• 5:40 Laughter: Sandy jokes about her sobriety date vs. her husband Charlie's.
• 9:10 Sandy defines 'untreated alcoholism' and the danger of being a 'loose cannon'.
• 14:20 Analysis of the Fourth Step and the 'corroding thread' of needing everyone to like her.
• 18:45 The 'bedevilments' and the darkest 18 months of her life.
• 23:10 Admission of slapping her children while in untreated alcoholism.
• 28:30 The 'fact-finding mission' of inventory and the danger of re-feeling emotion.
• 32:15 The 'rattlesnake' metaphor regarding her relationship with her step-daughter.
• 36:00 Discussion of the 'Sick Man's Prayer' and seeing others as sick friends.