The High Cost of Anonymity Podcast: Exploring the Cost of Keeping Your Life Experience to Yourself

Mental health, social emotional regulation and addiction seems to be on the top of everyone's list these days and yet, many people do not know how to talk about the subject. I got to speak to a group of instructors at a local community college about how to create a safe environment for students to ask for help. A tool I've been using for years has been, what I call, an indirect sandwich. Instead o...

How often do you try to fix, manage and control your life and wonder why things aren't working out the way you want them to? I distinctly remember "giving up" a few years ago and saying to myself, "I guess this is it. I'm in a job I don't like, my wife isn't doing what I want her to, I work 6 days a week, don't get to see my son enough and when I'm home, I just want to be left alone. I give up"! a...

I shared my recovery story at a local recovery high school here in Columbus. It was such an honor to be asked and to have an opportunity to make an impact on a few younger kids trying to navigate their road to recovery.

This episode is about one of my favorite metaphors for how I came into the rooms as a low down, skunk’y, funky trash can. Then, with the help of sponsorship, mentorship and group support, cleaned up to become a responsible, productive member of society. Now, I’m a clean trash can that can handle that which used to baffle me. I know what you’re thinking, a trash can? That doesn’t sound so uplifting...

Some of us have to learn this lesson the hard way... by getting fronted out in a meeting for breaking the traditions. This can be a touchy subject. It’s important when you’re in a 12 step meeting to introduce yourself in the way that they do it in that fellowship. For example typically, you do not want to introduce yourself as an alcoholic “and a” addict in an AA meeting or as an addict “and a” al...

As much as I love that there are more conversations going on about mental health and addiction, getting people help can be complicated. From having to answer questions in an assessment correctly, ie: we’ll detox you from alcohol but not opiates or we’ll cover the opiates but not meth, to, getting into treatment and getting discharged early or: the doctor recommends 30-60 day of treatment and insur...

I can’t tell you how big of a part support groups have played in my life. Not only groups I physically go to but more importantly, the list of people I call on a regular basis. When I’m going through something, in life, at work and in relationships, I have to check my motives. I have to see where my thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, defects of character and most importantly, my ego is. These are the...

Many people have been in situations when they have to be around their old people, places and things. And, just because we quit drinking or using doesn’t mean the world should stop. So what should we do when someone offers us a drink or invites us out to an event where there will be alcohol? What about when you start a new job or meet someone for the first time, how do you address the “drink” quest...

Responding instead of reacting... it’s sounds so easy doesn’t it!? • At any given moment I can feel consumed with fear, insecurity and or shame. One thing that comes up for me a lot is, the fear I’m not going to get what I want or fear I’m gonna lose what I have. If I’m not actively doing “the work I must do” in order to maintain the sense of ease and comfort that I desire from life, as well as th...

Ever been in a meeting or listen to someone talk and they say, “you know how we are” or “you know how alcoholics act”? I want to stop them in the middle of their share and say “no, we know how YOU act”! Now, I know it’s mainly just a way of speaking or euphemism however, when I use the word “I”, there’s a lot of power that comes with it. And by power, I mean the ability to change my behavior. I th...

It’s pouring out of me • The foundational principals for personal development and the major religions are the same • Half truths = Good advice that won’t work • If I change me, you now have to change because I’m not the same person • One thing I can do for sure is change my perspective • Speeches and workshops I’m working on • The High Cost of Anonymity • Quit Your Way to Success • 10 Life Lessons...

I laugh every time I realize I'm getting paid to do something I'd do for free! You can't make this stuff up!

I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, Short Story Long with Chris Drama Pfaff and he interviewed a guy named Dr Joe Despinza. Dr Joe has written numerous books like You Are The Placebo and Becoming Supernatural. He has an interesting background and his quest all started when he healed a terrible back injury with thinking and visualization... even though 4 specialists said the only option was...

Does anybody really know what the hell they’re doing? • How do you know when you need to make amends? And when you do, what do you say? • Be careful not to talk to much smack about “what you would do” if you were in someone else’s shoes because, until you’re in it, you do not know how you will act. • In the case of, hurting someone’s feelings, of course you need to clean up the mess you helped cre...

I have to laugh at how often I live in contradiction. Flowing from serenity and spirituality to out right self-centeredness! My thoughts after a 12 o’clock meeting and a conversation with my wife and mother-in-law.

Why am I seeking outside "things" to change the way I feel?

A bit of the questions I like to ask up front and explaining the sale. Positioning a quick install as the best deal 2 up the possibility of signing paperwork.

It's suddenly it's me why I'm hesitant say what the truth is for sure. Who am I to say what your truth should be? I'm not even sure I know it for myself.

Morgan Freeman is one of the best Men of our time, yet do you agree with what he says about marginalized minorities? Is it easier to cast aside a group when they don't have a face? What do you think about AT&T, Verizon and Comcast paying over 101 million dollars to elected politicians, totally legal of course, and do you think our politicians will vote for whats best for you?

Guy gets shot by police officer while crawling down the hallway. Should he still be alive? Should the officer be prosecuted? How much does the War on Drugs and the corporatization of Prisons have to do with the militarization of our police force? Daniel Shaver, Philip “Mitch” Brailsford, graphic video,

One of my best cell strategies: set yourself up as a resource. How to present yourself as a resource for your customers by being a service to your customer, what did they buy or not, have a trusted network of people that you send business to and complement the competition!!!