The Solution Found in the Absence of Fear – Dave

About This Speaker Tape

Dave W. maps out a life defined by a 'bone-chilling solitary confinement' that existed even in crowded rooms. He traces the trajectory from a childhood medical experience with an anesthetic mask that first gave him a taste of the 'absence of fear,' to a high-flying material success that left him feeling like a 'peeled zero.' Dave W. dismantles the illusion of the 'golden boy' image he maintained while serving on the board of a detox facility all while losing consciousness during business deals

. He describes the turning point not as a desire to quit but as the moment the bottle finally 'went flat.' He works through the necessity of surrendering the 'over-extended capacity to have faith in myself' and the gritty reality of being mentored by 'hobos' and drug dealers who understood the disease better than the experts ever did.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Dave W. opens with a joke about the room temperature and the 'retail' nature of the program.
• 5:15 Laughter: The story of the farmer and the 'North 40' cows.
• 12:40 Dave W. describes the 'bone-chilling solitary confinement' and the concept of identification.
• 18:20 The childhood memory of the anesthetic mask and the first experience of the 'absence of fear'.
• 28:10 Dave W. discusses the 'double life' and his time on the board of a detox facility.
• 35:45 The 'loudest message' of AA: watching a friend drink 7-Up for weeks without saying a word.
• 44:10 The 'mini Alzheimer's' moment where he forgot to think about drinking for 19 hours.
• 52:30 The 'three curtains' of recovery and the necessity of a spiritual experience.
• 61:15 Discussion on the 'disease of the mind' and the 'contempt prior to investigation'.
• 72:00 Closing thoughts on the 'power of choice' and the necessity of being 'under the influence' of the program.