The Spiritual Axiom of First Things First — Randy

About This Speaker Tape

Elvis Presley died alone on a toilet, despite having the looks and the fame. Randy starts here, noting that while he’ll never be the King, he can have the promises of the steps. He speaks of the "spiritual axiom" that whenever he is disturbed, no matter the cause, something is wrong with him. For years, he lived in "justified anger," believing everyone else was the problem, until he realized that anger is pointless.

He describes the grit of the "price" paid in Step 9—the image of a woman breaking every piece of glass in an apartment after he confessed his infidelity. He wears the memory of that wreckage as a shield against returning to the "scumbag" he once was. Now, he fights the "subtle foe" of the ego by writing lists and doing "first things first" before breakfast. By focusing on his breath and a Higher Power, he moves from blood-boiling rage on Slauson Boulevard to praying for the strangers slowing him down.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Reading the promises of Step 9 and contrasting spiritual wealth with the life of Elvis Presley
• 5:23 Discussing Step 10 and the principle of first things first to clear the mind
• 9:45 The importance of being present and the danger of resting on one's laurels
• 13:12 Account of infidelity and the experience of making a direct amends to a former partner
• 17:50 Addressing the spiritual axiom that when disturbed, there is something wrong with the self
• 22:41 The story of the slow drivers on Slauson Boulevard and practicing restraint
• 26:15 Introduction to Step 11 and the difference between silent and contemplative meditation
• 30:45 The nightly review process and the question: Was I kind and loving toward all?
• 34:20 Sharing a story from Agape Church about the name of a Higher Power