Twelve Step Workshop – Part 4 of 6 – 2024 – Peter M.

About This Speaker Tape

Twelve Step workshop - 2024

A Rodney D. joke about cigarettes and sex kicks off a talk that pivots quickly into the war between the ego and surrender. Peter M. describes the 'mechanics' of the program—the rigid programmed approach he once followed—and contrasts it with a genuine spiritual awakening. He details the grueling process of the Fourth Step from the 'master list' of resentments to the surprising fear of firemen rooted in childhood. He speaks on the 'ripple effect' of sexual misconduct and the liberation of the Fifth Step where the ego finally dies. The narrative moves from the wreckage of a marriage destroyed by addiction and coke to the quiet victory of being able to shop for a winter coat alone without feeling like an idiot. He frames recovery not as a boot camp but as a way to stop being a 'dirtbag' and start living in the world of the spirit.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Laughter: Rodney D. joke about cigarettes.
• 5:15 Story about the 'Mr. AA' critic who later asks for sponsorship.
• 12:40 Discussion on the Third Step and the concept of free will.
• 18:20 Detailed breakdown of the Fourth Step: the master list and the 'spiritual translator'.
• 24:10 Childhood fear of firemen and the 'bondage of self'.
• 31:00 The sex inventory and the 'ripple effect' of misconduct.
• 38:45 The Fifth Step: the 'crushing blow to the ego' and the life-and-death errand.
• 45:10 Story about the fear of shopping for a winter coat in Minnesota.
• 52:30 The 'hour of quiet' and the experience of 'imploding' before a spiritual shift.
• 56:15 The end of his marriage and the shift from ego to pity/compassion.