The Difference Between Being Willing and Being Ready – Chris C.

About This Speaker Tape

A crowded airport, a shared bag of chips, and a sudden realization: the reality of the experience is rarely what we think it is. Chris C. speaks from the perspective of a man who shouldn't be here—not in this house, not in this car, and certainly not sober. He describes a life of "needle nose plier fingers" and blackouts that ended in felony assault charges and helicopter spotlights. For Chris, the insanity wasn't the jail cell, but the "lack of proportionate ability to think straight" that led him back to the liquor store the moment he was bailed out.

He dismantles the idea of willpower, contrasting the "willing" with the "ready" through the image of a man willing to fly an F-16 but not ready because he doesn't know where the key goes. By treating his Higher Power not as a "Ronco pocket God" to be waved around in a crisis, but as a Director to his Actor, Chris navigated a brutal inventory of 488 resentments. He found the "key to his future" in the fourth column, shifting the blame...

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Chris C. opens with a reflection on the grace of his current life and his Higher Power.
• 2:15 Laughter: The story of the imaginary bag of chips at the airport.
• 6:40 Chris C. recounts a blackout that led to a felony assault charge and a ride in the car with his father.
• 11:20 Discussion of the physical allergy and the 'phenomenon of craving' as described in the Big Book.
• 15:45 Analysis of Step 1 and the 'unmanageability' of life beyond just the drinking.
• 20:10 The 'simple reliance' on a Higher Power, using the analogy of a cell phone.
• 25:30 Detailed breakdown of the Step 4 resentment inventory and the importance of the fourth column.
• 31:15 The difference between being 'willing' and 'ready' using a skydiving analogy.
• 35:40 The process of making formal amends to his father and the eventual emotional breakthrough.
• 40:10 The high-stakes amends to his former employer regarding $25,000 in stolen money.
• 45:20 Discussion of Step 11 prayer and meditation as 'cultivation'.
• 50:00 Closing story about the desert and the primary purpose of carrying the message.