The Recovery Guy Podcast

Whether you agree with the Big Book or not, I believe you will agree with the principles as they are laid out. The word recover, recovered, and recovery are used throughout the book.

When it comes to the plan of recovery and most specifically the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, they are divided into three categories. The first category is me, the second being God and the third category being others. Once we solve and reconcile these three areas, we are on the road to recovery. Everything in our life, both important and non-important, will stem from me, God, and others. If I fail to address any of these with a sense of urgency and completeness.

In this podcast, Robert lends a glimpse into his 35 plus years of personal recovery. Robert shares his journey from childhood to what it’s like today. He all talks about his relapse and fortunate return to the rooms of AA. Please listen, subscribe, and share.

Have you ever heard of The Everlasting Gobstopper? Pulling information from Wikipedia, It is a candy from Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that is intended, according to Willy Wonka, its creator, “for children with very little pocket money”. It not only changes colors and flavors when sucked on, but also never gets any smaller or disappears. It is like the gift that is recovery. Recovery is the Gift that keeps on Giving.

If recovery were hard very few of us would achieve it. I am so grateful the plan of recovery is designed to be simple. I am not assaying it is easy, I am saying it is simple. The simplicity of recovery makes it accessible to and by everyone. I am not a good artist, but if you arrange the dots in the proper sequence I can draw a horse, a person or anything else you place the dots to portray. That is exactly what was done when the 12 Step Plan of Recovery was laid out. It is my experience that those who do not connect the dots and recovery are those who don’t want to connect the dots. I hope the recovery is for you and you decide to connect the dots as they are laid out.

One of the most challenging things for any person of recovery is holidays and the triggers that often accompany them. In the beginning, holidays can be the most challenging obstacle to our personal recovery. This is true whether you are the addict or the Co-dependent. Keep in mind that most addicts, are also adult children of Alcoholics, therefore co-dependent as well. Keeping this in mind, there are things that we can look out for that can help us stay insulated against relapse, while enjoying ourselves in this festive and holiday season. Here are a few of the things that we need to lookout for as we approach this time of year.

One of the things that I have learned in my recovery journey is balancing expectations. I’ve come to learn that expectations can be positive and negative. Expectations can also be fair or unfair. Oftentimes, expectations will get in the way of our external relationships. Expectations that aren’t met can be different to understand and often judged. Therefore, it is better off to balance the expectation with fairness toward others and the uncontrollable. Expectations are best served with understanding.