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Service Work

Service work is a cornerstone of the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery process, representing the critical transition from self-centeredness to a life of purpose and altruism. In these speaker tapes, service is presented not merely as a set of chores, but as a spiritual praxis essential for maintaining long-term sobriety. The core principles center on the shift from the pursuit of material accumulation to finding peace through the shared experience of the fellowship. Listeners will encounter a spectrum of service, from the humble beginnings of mopping floors and passing the basket to the complex governance of the 12 Traditions. A recurring theme is the necessity of humility and the adherence to a group conscience, ensuring that principles always trump personalities to preserve the structural integrity of the collective. Through these personal accounts, listeners can expect to hear how service acts as a mirror to the alcoholic's previous isolation. Whether it is guiding newcomers or upholding the sanctity of anonymity, these narratives illustrate that the act of helping another alcoholic is often the very medicine required for one's own survival. These tapes emphasize that the miracle of recovery is not a single event, but is found in the continuous, disciplined work of showing up for others, effectively transforming a life of wreckage into a life of utility.

213 tapes

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All Tapes

Ed H.
Take the Last Twenty-Four Hours and Ask What You’d Do Different — My First Fourth Step – Ed H.
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Frank W.
Newcomers Aren’t Reading the Big Book — They’re Reading the Room – Frank W.
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Michelle M.
Steps 6 and 7 — My Two Biggest Defects Are Fear and False Pride Which Is Also Fear – Michelle M.
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Erin S.
Contempt Prior to Investigation Nearly Cost Me the Best Thing in Sobriety – Erin S.
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Chris H.
Functioning Alcoholic Was My Proudest Label Until Two Liters of Vodka Couldn’t Produce a Buzz – Chris H.
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John C.
Y’all Visit AA, I Live at AA — and That Was Exactly the Problem – John C.
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James H.
Prayer and Meditation Built from Seven Books and One Rule — Help Others, Harm Nobody – James H.
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Chris S.
No Effective Mental Defense — Had the House, the Kid, the Husband, and Drank the Champagne Anyway – Chris S.
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John H.
$640 in Freud and Jung and Not One Page Could Keep Me Sober – John H.
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Sybil C.
You Might as Well Try to Incorporate a Sunset — California AA Before the Traditions Existed – Sybil C.
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Jimmy T.
Our Family Crest Features a Wine Bottle and a Pair of Handcuffs 🤣 – Jimmy T.
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Sandy W.
Thirteen Years Sober and Planning to Jump Off the Building Before My Sponsor Said Get Professional Help – Sandy W.
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Greg C.
Sober at Twenty-Two — the Old-Timers in That Basement Taught Me Checkbooks, Amends, and How to Grow Up – Greg C.
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Terry S.
Worked Steps Six and Seven Until the Tough Guy From Michigan Could Finally Open His Heart
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Todd N.
Even Higher Power Can’t Drive a Parked Car — Thirty Years of Maintenance Sobriety and the Shovel That Changed Everything – Todd N.
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David J.
353 Cassette Tapes and Ramen Noodles — What Carrying the Message Looked Like in Year One – David J.
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Scott H.
$26 a Night in Cuba Included Breakfast, Dinner, and a Bottle of Rum — I Didn’t Get the Rum for Some Reason 😅 – Scott H.
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Madeline P.
Physically Drunk but Never Mentally Drunk — Where an Alcoholic Woman Stops Being Able to Protect Herself – Madeline P.
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Nick
Told Charlie the Big Book Displays a Conspicuous Absence of Intelligence — Don’t Drink, Read It Again 😆 – Nick
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Steve F.
Prayed for Higher Power to Put Somebody Special in My Life and Got John — Guess I Should Have Been More Specific 🤦 – Steve F.
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Larry Scott
Desperation Has Wiggle Room — Hopelessness Is When Every Good Idea Has Already Failed – Larry S.
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Keith D.
Everything in My Life Had to Fail Me Before I’d Go to Higher Power — So Everything Did – Keith D.
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Scott H.
Scored 17 Out of 20 on the Addiction Test, Lied on Two, and the One Honest Answer Was Have You Ever Drank While Pregnant 🤣 – Scott H.
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Mike S.
Contempt Prior to Investigation Is My Favorite Line in the Whole Book Because It Got Me Off My Butt – Mike S.
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Wesley P.
All You Need to Start a Group Is Two Resentments and a Dozen Donuts 🤣 – Wesley P.
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