Willingness Found in the Fact That the Message Is Not the Messenger – Jay S.

About This Speaker Tape

Living in a flammable Ford Pinto and facing a string of DUIs, Jay S. eventually transitioned to a life of spiritual experimentation in Sedona. He recounts a blunt encounter with a former member who told him to drink his money up and then call AA for free a moment of clarity that bypassed the usual hand-holding.

Jay dismantles the idea of a rigid recovery process advocating for 'trying stuff'—from burning first inventories to practicing 'spiritual terrorism' through prayer for others. He maps out his transition from the noise of Los Angeles to the silence of a retreat house in Arizona having stripped away the distractions of television and radio to remain present. His narrative focuses on the shift from self-loathing to a state of 'infinite potential,' where the heart takes precedence over the mind.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Jay S. opens with a joke about the oddity of being sober at 7:30 PM on a Thursday.
• 2:15 Story about living in a Ford Pinto and the blunt encounter that led him to AA.
• 5:40 Meeting 'Butcher J.' and the promise that one never has to feel that way about themselves again.
• 8:20 The 'miracle' of the inner voice telling him to turn the car around and seek the Big Book.
• 10:15 Discussion of the first three steps and the prayer to 'just get me the top'.
• 13:40 Advice on sponsorship: 'If they're sick enough to ask you for help, you can't hurt them'.
• 17:10 Laughter: Discussion of the '11-step group' and forcing people to meditate on the phone.
• 21:00 The 'voice' that told him to move to Sedona and his experience with the feminine vortex.
• 25:30 Detailed explanation of the Oxford Group's method of seeking guidance via pen and paper.
• 28:15 Story about making amends to Grandmother A. and the concept of 'spiritual terrorism'.
• 31:40 Advice for the newcomer on the practical miracle of simply not being loaded.
• 34:10 Explaining the decision to ditch the television to stay engaged with his daughter.