The Simplicity of Accessing the Power – Kent C.

About This Speaker Tape

"Do you pray with that mouth?" An old-timer’s question once snapped Kent C. back to reality, cutting through the noise of a man who entered the rooms as a "dime store dummy" wearing a Mr. T starter kit and Air Jordans to hide an empty inside. For years, Kent lived as a "fake and a phony," a man addicted to acceptance and trapped in the bondage of self, drifting toward a place of cold-blooded indifference where he didn't care if anyone lived or died. He describes his wreckage not as a lack of will, but as a lack of power—a fuse on a stick of dynamite getting shorter every day.

Recovery for Kent is "monkey see, monkey do," a gritty adherence to the simplicity of the Big Book and the guidance of sponsors who trained his feet to move against his head. He rejects the intellectualization of the program, insisting that sobriety is found in the dirt of service and the discipline of a home group. By accessing a Higher Power, he moved from being "more dead than alive" to a life of active, fl...

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening prayer and the Serenity Prayer.
• 5:15 Laughter: Discussion on the Greek root of 'enthusiasm' and the 'Higher Power within'.
• 12:40 Kent describes the state of 'cold-blooded, cold-hearted indifference' he felt before recovery.
• 18:20 The 'practice, practice, practice' advice from Al P., the eccentric attorney with orange hair.
• 25:10 Discussion on the responsibility of sponsors and the danger of 'sponsoring' without action.
• 32:45 Kent reflects on his 'dime store dummy' phase and the 'Mr. T starter kit'.
• 42:10 The 'insidious insanity' of the alcoholic mind and the 'sound reasoning' vs. 'insane' logic.
• 51:30 The 1986 cardiac arrest and the failure of the 'bargaining' prayer in the hospital.
• 58:15 The 'moment of clarity' and the call to his friend Richard for help.
• 1:05:20 Detailed breakdown of how his childhood lessons map directly to the 12 Steps.
• 1:15:40 The story of his brother's death in 1972 and the subsequent 'shadow' he lived in.
• 1:28:10 The 'effect produced by alcohol' and the first time he felt 'whole' while drinking.