Early on in my sobriety, I had a friend who would not let go of a particular feeling of being wronged. She suffered daily, over the course of 2-3 weeks. Gradually she stopped going to meetings and stopped coming to the Alano Club. I remember learning one Friday night that she was out with some “old playmates”. I tried to speak with my friend, but she did not want to hear all the reasons she had to be grateful. She seemed to prefer the needless suffering over something out of her control. I finally said to her, “maybe you should go get drunk.” Do you know what? That was the only advice she was willing to take. Fortunately, she came to her senses in a couple of days and was able to make it back to AA. To my knowledge, she is sober to this very day. She was one of the lucky of the lucky ones
Posts by Robert

Robert is the Recovery Guy. Getting clean and sober on April 25, 1986 has given me the insight and practical skill set to not only stay sober, but to also re-invent myself to the person I always wanted to become. Showing others how to do this is my life goal.
Episode #198 -Friday The Checkup – I am Responsible
I am Responsible
Responsible is a word that only responsible people want to accept. I know that sounds simplistic in its presentation, and it is meant to be. Those who are irresponsible have made an active choice to not accept what their role is in the things that occur to them. More specifically, in addiction, the individual who is addicted is the person responsible for their addiction. Until I am willing to realize I am my own worst enemy I will not recover. If I do have a period of sobriety, more often than not, it will be shallow and short lived. That has been my experience. You can disagree if you like but that would likely mean you are not being responsible.
Being Positive in a Negative World
As we travel life’s highway and navigate the roads and obstacles along the way one thing remains clear. That one thing is to maintain a degree of positivity. There are so many things in this world that we cannot control. I cannot control how someone treats me, how the world or universe views me or how a situation may turn out without my permission. Because these things are true and could create a degree of negativity the only recourse, I have is to remain positive despite the negativity. I need to take charge of my life.
Help Along the Way
Every person who accomplishes something great rarely achieves the result on their own. At time the value of other’s contribution is lost in the moment. Sometimes, we like to think that we had an original idea, which is exceedingly rare. We may have an idea that is piggybacking off something else. Most things original are another version of something that has been previously done. Once we realize that we received help along the way it elevates those who have made a difference in our life. The value of others contributing is expanded in the moment rather than lost. If we lose them in the moment, we do not carry them forward with us and that would be unfortunate.
Episode #197 -Tuesday The Fix – Others are the Key to Sobriety
Today I am in studio with Justin B of Reco12. we are discussing his personal recovery, exchanging recovery ideas, and sharing how individuals can get in touch with him at Reco12.com. Justin is always willing to share his personal story as well as inviting sober people on as guests. Please reach out to him as a listener or a guest applicant. Go to www.reco12.com where you can email Justin from the website.
Episode #196 -Friday The Checkup- Are You Teachable
Being teachable is the prerequisite for learning anything. If I am not teachable in an overall perspective or in a specific area I wouldn’t find it necessary to be taught anything. With that, being teachable is to learning what air is to breathing.
Bottoms Up
What makes a bottom so dangerous, outside of all those we have harmed along the way, at some point that bottom is death and there is no coming back from death. It is sad to consider that more people die from addiction than those who recover and become well. The reason for that is most alcoholics and drug addicts die on their way down and hitting their bottom is just a finality to a death that was inevitable. I hope you have hit your bottom and I hope you have seen the need for “Bottoms Up.”
Sober Isn’t Always Sober
Let me say, that if marijuana in Its varying forms is medically indicated in prescribed by a clinician and or position then of course a person should use it. I would not want to have knee surgery without adequate pain medication for my recovery, nor would I want to be a cancer patient who could hardly keep down food if marijuana would help me keep that food down or if I have a psychiatric disorder to take a non-narcotic psychotropic drug. This is not what we are talking about though when we talk about California sober.
Episode #195 -Tuesday The Fix – What Path Are You On?
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Episode #194 – Friday The Checkup: No End in Sight
I was watching the Masters this last weekend and I heard a commercial regarding the universe and a particular perspective. Lack of power was our dilemma. Outer space is so vast that we don’t know where it starts or where it ends. The same is true in recovery. We might be able to come close to where our addiction began. We might be able to discern the varying degrees of nature versus nurture, but pinpoint where it begins is near impossible.
Why H.O.W. Now and not Later?
The reason so many of us put off starting later and not now is because of fear. In this particular blog the “HOW” stands for honesty, open- mindedness, and willingness. We find it near impossible to be any of these three things let alone being them simultaneously. If I am honest I have to admit that I have a problem. That goes 100% counter to protecting the supply because that supply is my medication of which I need to get through life.
Episode #193 -Tuesday The Fix – Traditions Are The Glue
Traditions are the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information. These travel from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. They are also long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting.