The Emotional Hangover After a Self-Will Binge – Bob

About This Speaker Tape

The hidden illusion of value is what anchors character defects, rendering the process of becoming 'entirely ready' in Step Six a grueling experience for Bob. He dismantles the idea of conquering oneself through willpower sharing a cautionary tale of a sponsee who clung to a secret defect until it physically ravaged him. Bob traces his own path through the wreckage of his finances and family detailing the meticulous years-long process of paying back his father in silver coins and gold certificates.

He frames the Ninth Step not as a quest for forgiveness but as a necessary act of spiritual integration and 'rubbing away' the wreckage of the past through altruistic action ultimately arguing that material well-being only follows spiritual progress.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Laughter: The three frogs on a log analogy regarding Step Six and Seven.
• 5:45 The 'candy bar' story: an illustration of why we hold onto defects.
• 12:10 Discussion on the 'emotional hangover' and the cost of inappropriate sex.
• 17:30 The 'slingshot effect' of fighting defects with willpower instead of surrender.
• 24:15 The tragedy of a sponsee who refused to surrender a defect, leading to physical illness and death.
• 32:10 Step 9: The distinction between a simple apology and a full amends.
• 42:40 The 'floodgates' opening during an amends session with his ex-wife, Mary M.
• 52:15 The process of paying back his father using silver coins and gold certificates.
• 58:20 The promise of material well-being following spiritual progress.