Position of Neutrality

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session on Steps 5, 6, & 7, Joe discusses the struggle of addiction, particularly when people around you say, “You’re dying,” yet you can’t quit. He explores the emotional conflict of caring deeply about those who are...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session on Steps 5, 6, & 7, Joe speaks on the struggle that many alcoholics face with living a double life. The Big Book explains that the alcoholic is very much like an actor, presenting one persona to the world whil...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session on Steps 5, 6, & 7, Joe highlights the struggle with personal identity. Many of us develop a persona that we want others to see, but even when people believe in that facade, it often doesn’t feel like it truly...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session on Steps 5, 6, & 7, Joe discusses the importance of sharing your story with someone when the time is right. The power of these steps is not about a rigid process but rather a power-driven transformation that h...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session on Steps 5, 6, & 7, Joe discusses the shift from trying to think your way into better actions to acting your way into better thinking. The authors of Alcoholics Anonymous emphasize that recovery isn’t about si...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In Steps 5, 6, and 7, we begin to see that our experience of the world is a reflection of our inner state. The founders of AA understood that it’s not the world that shapes our thoughts and feelings, but our internal responses th...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session, Joe discusses the mindset of preparing for what lies ahead in recovery through Steps 5, 6, and 7. Rather than condemning or resisting challenges, he encourages us to embrace them as part of the growth process. Dr...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this segment of Steps 5, 6, and 7, Joe shares a powerful reflection on identity and self-worth. No matter how low we may feel, he reminds us that we are deeply loved, both by a higher power and those around us. Joe highlights...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session, Joe reflects on how fear falls away as we progress through the steps, and how we begin to feel the nearness of our creator. He reminds us of the transformation that occurs as we work through Steps 5, 6, and 7, mo...

Join Joe McDonald as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this session, Joe discusses the profound realization he experienced when he stopped drinking, drugging, and running. He thought his life was over, but instead, he discovered a long, vibrant life waiting for him beyond the chao...

Join Wayne Giles as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In Step 4, we learn that making the decision to turn our will and life over to a higher power is a vital step in our recovery, but it is only the beginning. The Big Book emphasizes that this decision alone is not enough to bring l...

Join Wayne Giles as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. Wayne delves into one of the most misunderstood and debated topics in recovery—sex and relationships. In the Big Book, the authors remind us to maintain a balanced and sensible approach when it comes to intimacy, as it is an area...

Join Wayne Giles as he explores the balance between offering help and avoiding burnout in Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this reflection, Wayne discusses the reality that while we cannot help everyone, we can at least learn to take a kindly and tolerant view of each person we meet. However, this comes with the understanding that chasing after someone who doesn’t want help can lead to frustrati...

Join Wayne Giles as he walks us through the challenging experience of taking a personal inventory in Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this powerful reflection, Wayne addresses those moments when old thoughts, regrets, and painful memories creep into our minds—whether from yesterday or decades ago. These are the grouch and the brainstorm, and for alcoholics, these are dangerous poisons. The Big B...

Join Wayne Giles as he dives into the challenging but crucial lessons of Step 4 in Alcoholics Anonymous. In this session, we explore the destructive nature of our resentments and how we must cultivate tolerance, patience, and goodwill—even toward those we perceive as enemies. It’s difficult, but necessary for our healing. The Big Book reminds us again and again that true spiritual growth comes fro...

Join Wayne Giles as he explores the powerful lessons from Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous, focusing on the impact of holding onto resentments. Many of us have used our anger as fuel, living for our resentments without realizing how deeply it harms our recovery. Wayne reminds us that while others may feel justified in their anger, we must let go of it if we want to grow spiritually. The Big Book of...

oin Wayne Giles as he reads and expands on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, offering deeper understanding and practical advice for those on their recovery journey. In this Step 4 session, Wayne shares insights into the common struggle of fear—fear of not being good enough or of constant failure. Self-reliance, while once useful, often falls short in addressing deeper fears and uncertainties,...

Join Wayne Giles as he takes us through the unique approach to the 12 Steps, focusing on the suggested instructions for Step 4, directly from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Wayne explains that the process described by the authors has been proven to work for addicts of the hopeless variety—those addicted to alcohol and other substances. The depth and weight of this recovery program are desig...

Join Wayne Giles as he reflects on the resilience developed through the recovery journey, especially in Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this session, Wayne asks how many of us in sobriety have faced challenges we never could have handled in active addiction. He reminds us that it’s often the deep inner power—the connection to a higher power—that enables us to overcome life’s calamities. Prior t...

Join Wayne Giles as he shares insights into the often complex topic of sexuality, particularly as it relates to Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this session, Wayne reminds us that our sexual powers are God-given and inherently good. Whether we struggle with shame, misuse, or fear regarding our sexuality, it’s important to recognize that these feelings can either help or hinder our spiritual gro...

Join Wayne Giles as he takes us through a deeply personal moment in his recovery journey during Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous. Wayne opens up about childhood trauma and how his initial approach to his fourth step provided temporary relief but not lasting healing. His sponsor had told him he was a victim and had no part in the event, offering him permission to move on, but true healing didn’t foll...

Join Wayne Giles as he unpacks the role fear plays in our lives, especially in the context of Step 4 in Alcoholics Anonymous. Wayne discusses the underlying fear that drives us—whether it’s the fear of losing something we already have or not getting something we want—and how that fear often leads to poor decisions. These choices, rooted in fear, set off a chain of events that result in misfortune,...

Join Wayne Giles as he dives into Step 4 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, focusing on how we deal with resentments and begin the action steps of recovery. Wayne reminds us that in dealing with resentments, we set them on paper, listing people, institutions, or principles with which we’re angry. He emphasizes that we often think we can control ourselves—yet we were unable to control our act...

Join Wayne Giles as he discusses the concept of spiritual sickness in Step 4 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this session, Wayne emphasizes the importance of compassion when dealing with others who are spiritually unwell. Just as we wouldn’t judge someone with cancer for the symptoms of their illness, we must extend the same understanding to those suffering from spiritual sickness. Oft...

Join Wayne Giles as he explores the deep connection between fear and the impact it has on our spiritual and personal lives in Step 4 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this session, Wayne addresses how fear can consume us, much like how stealing robs us of our time, peace, and focus. Fear becomes a thief, holding us back from the growth we seek and causing us to spiral into unproductive t...