A Shot Glass of Recovery

Ep 11 12&12 study - From 'Sick and Tired' to Willing: Step Six Unpacked

Hey—welcome back. This episode dives into Step Six of the 12 & 12: "We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character." Lisa opens the meeting, explains how the group records and shares, and guides us through reading pages 63–66 while inviting folks to reflect and share.
We talk about what "entirely ready" actually looks like (spoiler: it’s a process, not a one-and-done miracle), why willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness keep showing up in the literature, and how the steps give us a gentle nudge toward patient improvement rather than instant perfection. Guests in the room share powerful perspectives—some hit a low bottom before surrendering, others describe high-bottom experiences, and many speak about the daily, conscious practices that keep them aligned: prayer, gratitude, sponsorship, and the steady work of character inventory.
Expect candid sharing about control, self-pity, ego, patience, and how defects can be shifted into strengths over time. There’s real tenderness in the discussion—people describing their breakthroughs, returning to daily prayer, and leaning into humility. The group reminds us that recovery is a lifetime job: aim for progress, not perfection, and keep asking for help.
Whether you’re new to the steps or years into them, this episode will meet you where you are—encouraging you to consider if you’re "entirely ready," to practice daily cooperation with your higher power, and to keep moving toward patient, steady change.
 
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
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Ep 10 Step Five: Shine the Light — Admit, Unburden, Heal

Hey friend — welcome to a shot glass of recovery. Today we’re diving into Step Five: "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs." This isn’t about being a bad person; it’s about naming the character defects and natural instincts that got out of hand so they stop running the show.
Step Five is all about ego-deflation and honesty. We’re asked to do something counterintuitive: say out loud the stuff we’ve hidden. Secrets keep us sick — that’s AA wisdom for a reason. When you speak with a sponsor or trusted person, the dark stuff loses its power. Saying it aloud makes it real, and that reality is the first step toward humility and change.
There’s a magic moment in the room when you stop carrying the burden alone. You’ll likely discover you’re far from unique — others have skeletons too, and hearing that normalizes you. A good sponsor or trusted listener will help you see what you missed, point out assets as well as defects, and hold you accountable in a kind way so you can actually clean house instead of just thinking about it.
This step brings responsibility. Once you admit it aloud, you can’t hide behind excuses anymore. That’s painful — especially when you soberly admit things you once blamed on drinking — and it’s also freeing. Forgiveness often follows: once you learn to forgive others honestly, you make room to be forgiven. You’ll also notice humility and serenity start to grow.
Practical tip: choose your person with care — usually a sponsor or someone spiritually fit who has walked through similar stuff. Speak aloud (not just type it), take the hour of reflection afterward, and add anything you missed. It’s okay if you’re scared; most of us are. God, for many, shows up through another human’s wise words — so don’t try to do this alone.
It’s hard. It’s necessary. And it works. If you’re thinking about Step Five, know this: you don’t have to be perfect going in, just willing. Shine the light, tell the truth, and let yourself be lighter on the other side.
 
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
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Bob C from Gutter to Grace: One Man’s Journey Through AA

Hey friend — if you need a honest, messy, and hopeful reminder that recovery really is possible one day at a time, let me introduce you to Bob. He opens with a wry Jerusalem story that makes you laugh, then takes you through the grit: prison, detox, treatment, and years of bouncing in and out before he finally found AA in a way that stuck.
Bob doesn't sugarcoat it. He talks about being a gutter drunk, losing family, and how a two-year sentence and a parole officer’s question nudged him toward help. From 405 Oak Street to Good Shepherd Hall, from sponsors who pushed him to actually do the steps to the life-changing power of working with others — his story shows how practical action and relationship build recovery.
What hits hardest is how he describes the Twelve Steps as a program of relationships — with yourself, others, and a Higher Power. That relationship with God became the center of his life and the source of a peace he didn’t believe possible. He shares how daily practices — reading, prayer, meditation, and carrying the message — keep him steady.
There are tender family moments too: custody of his little girl, fractured relationships healed enough to reconnect with some children, and the joy of grandkids who cued him into a new kind of love. He’s honest about estrangements and loss, and he carries no bitterness — just gratitude for what recovery has brought.
Even now, facing serious health challenges, Bob speaks with calm faith and acceptance. He’s not clinging to certainty about outcomes — he’s holding on to the peace that comes from his spiritual connection and the community that supports him.
If you’re new, or feeling stuck, Bob’s message is simple and fierce: do the work, get a sponsor, show up, and let these relationships transform you. And if you like what you hear, subscribe, leave a review, or toss a few dollars to keep this show going — every bit helps the message get to someone who needs it.
Thanks for listening — one day at a time.
 
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
 

One Decision Away — A Shot Glass of Recovery with Lisa M. (recording got cut but half is better than nothing)

Hey — thanks for dropping in. This episode is Lisa M. getting real: from blackouts as a teen to the joke and the heartbreak of recovery, she walks us through the messy, human truth of staying sober one day at a time.
She talks about the people who saved her (shoutout to sponsors like Lisa Penn and the tough love of Roy), the tiny rituals that keep her grounded (yes — rubbing that coin when urges hit), and those gut-punch reminders that "every choice creates a new reality" — and that the life you want is sometimes just one decision away.
Lisa doesn’t sugarcoat the hard stuff: thoughts of taking herself out, the fallout of addiction, childhood pain, and how discovery of her sexuality in a less-kind decade fueled isolation and drinking. But she also shares the quieter, surprising wins — finding a faithful sponsor, learning to "put thoughts and feelings on the shelf," and actually letting help in.
There’s practical, lived wisdom here about sponsorship (it’s about carrying the message, not owning outcomes), the power of the Big Book, and why both in-person and online meetings deserve a chance — whatever keeps you showing up and sober.
If you’re in the thick of it or sober for years, Lisa’s warmth, blunt humor, and gratitude land like a friend who’s been through it and wants you to keep going. She reminds us: don’t throw shade on what saves people, ask for help, and be willing to do the things you don’t want to do.
Stick around for candid stories, a few laughs, and that steady reminder that recovery is a weird, beautiful mix of humility, service, and daily choices. If this resonates, subscribe, leave a review, or pop into AA Solution Seekers — they meet every day at 7 a.m.
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
******

MIke D. From Rock Bottom to Recovery: One Man’s Raw AA Journey

Hey — stick around for this one. In this episode Mike D. from Common Solution group in NYC (and AA Solution Seekers) gets painfully honest about growing up feeling out of place, how drinking started as an escape, and the long, messy road that led him to suicidal thoughts and a very real bottom. He doesn’t sugarcoat the relapses, the bad relationships, or the time when life felt completely unmanageable.
This is also a story about what happened next: finding meetings that made sense, getting a sponsor who showed up, working the steps, and rediscovering a spiritual life that actually works. Mike shares the moment he realized he’d been given multiple chances and how showing up — even imperfectly — started to change everything.
If you’re curious about how recovery really looks (not just the highlight reel), you’ll hear the raw feelings, the humor, the humility, and the gratitude. It’s about struggling, being led to help, learning to carry the message, and choosing to come back whenever “life gets lifey.”
So if you’ve ever felt alone with your drinking or your shame, or you just want a real, human story of recovery and hope, this episode is for you. Pop in, take a seat, and listen to someone who’s been there and is still showing up. If it lands for you, subscribe, leave a review, or consider supporting the show — every little bit helps keep these honest conversations going.
 
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
 

From Broken Roots to Sobriety: Frank’s Honest Recovery Journey

Hey friend — if you stick around for one hour with Frank you get a raw, honest snapshot of what recovery really looks like: not a straight line, but a slow, steady reworking of who you thought you were. He talks about the brutal parts of his childhood, how that shaped his drinking, and how the 12 steps slowly rewired his default values so he could actually live in the world without terror and control.
Frank shares the little things that show progress — a shattered van window that used to mean rage but now means, "we’re okay, let’s fix it" — and the big things, like reconciling with his kids after years of silence. He credits real sponsors, real meetings, and a spiritual practice (he mentions The Course in Miracles) for helping him trade scarcity, shame, and control for humility, connection, and love.
This episode is warm, frank, and sometimes painful — the kind of honest conversation you’d have over coffee with someone who’s been through the fire and isn’t afraid to talk about it. If you’re curious about what the steps actually change, what happens after you stop drinking, or how to rebuild relationships, this episode feels like a close, hopeful map forward.
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
 

Killer Joe From Skid Row to Serenity: A Journey of Relapse, Recovery, and Rediscovery

Welcome to the Speaker Series on "A Shot Glass of Recovery" — a raw, honest, and heartfelt talk from Joe, who walks you through the darkest moments of addiction and the unexpected path to lasting sobriety. This episode feels like sitting in a living room with a friend: we hear about dime-in-the-phone loneliness, freezing nights on bridges, hospital bed sheets, and the slow, sometimes messy awakening that follows repeated attempts to quit. Joe doesn’t sugarcoat it — he admits to trying marijuana, relapsing, and thinking AA was nonsense. But he also shares the life-changing power of taking action even when you don’t believe in it, the gift of a sponsor who simply shows up, and the surprising freedom that comes from working the steps. Over decades, Joe learns to stop comparing himself to others and to love the life he was given — climbing Kilimanjaro, becoming a pilot, raising a family, and finding joy. This episode is for anyone who feels unworthy, stuck, or skeptical; Joe’s message is simple and intimate: don’t wait to understand — take action, trust the process, and you’ll discover the life you were meant to live.
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
 

Ep 9 12&12 study : finishing Step Four — The Honesty That Heals

Hey friend — welcome back to Shot Glass of Recovery. In this episode we dug into Step Four from the 12&12 (pages 51–52), and yeah, it gets real: resentments, the sex inventory, harms, fears, money worries, and those sneaky character defects (ego, insecurity, lying, cheating, stealing) that kept us stuck.
We shared honest personal stories about playing the victim, staying in bad relationships, overspending, and catching ourselves in automatic lies — and we talked about how the inventory isn’t just a list, it’s a chance to see motives and take responsibility. Sponsors, meetings, and the little daily checks (“where’s God in this?”) are part of how the work changes us.
If you’ve ever wondered why financial insecurity or emotional insecurity shows up in sobriety, this episode breaks it down: the questions to ask, the excuses to face, and the truth that sets you free. We also hear members’ shares — the awkward, the humbling, and the hopeful — and celebrate how doing the work opens new doors.
Listen in wherever you are, and if you’d like to invite our speaker seekers to your meeting, drop an email to ashockglassofrecovery@gmail.com. Grab a shot glass of recovery with us — honest, messy, and real. Stay tuned for the next episode.
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
******

From Blackouts to Bright Mornings: Lisa's AA Journey a talk at the Port Credit group 2025

Hey — thanks for joining this Speaker Series episode of A Shot Glass of Recovery. Lisa M. takes us through her raw, honest, and often funny story of addiction, identity, and healing. From early blackouts and painful family secrets to the life-saving simplicity of a sponsor, the Big Book, and finding a higher power of her own understanding, Lisa shares how she went from bitter and broken to grateful and at peace.
She talks about the real work of recovery — showing up to meetings, asking for help, doing the steps, and building human connections (yes, in-person matters). Lisa mixes vulnerability with humor and offers practical, lived advice: go early, make coffee, get numbers, and keep coming back. She also reflects on motherhood, trauma, being a lesbian in the ‘80s, and how therapy, prayer, and fellowship helped reshape her life.
If you want an intimate, relatable talk that balances tough truths with warmth and hope, this episode delivers. Come for the gripping stories, stay for the laughter, and leave with the message that, one day at a time, recovery is possible.
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.
******
 

From Hopelessness to Hope: A Speaker's Journey in AA - Michael D

Welcome to the Speaker Series on a shot glass of recovery. In this heartfelt episode, Michael Donnelly shares his 34-year journey in Alcoholics Anonymous — not just about quitting drinking, but about uncovering the deeper, three-part problem: a physical allergy to alcohol, a mind that lies, and a broken soul. With honesty, warmth, and a touch of humor, Michael describes the moment he realized sobriety alone wouldn’t fix his life, how a compassionate sponsor helped translate truth into simple language, and why the 12 steps — and a relationship with a power greater than himself — gave him real, lasting change. He explains how sobriety is just the start: the steps recharge your inner batteries, restore power, and lead to a spiritual awakening that brings purpose, better relationships, and peace. If you or someone you love struggles with alcohol, this episode offers raw insight, practical wisdom, and a genuine invitation to find hope in community and the program’s spiritual path.
 
A Shot Glass of Recovery
Welcome back to A Shot Glass of Recovery! Whether you're a first-time listener to A Shot Glass of Recovery or a loyal member from my 2 Sober Chicks days, I’m glad you’re here. 🌟
paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery
If you love the show, I’m asking for your support. Drop a 1$, 5, 10 or 25 in the virtual pay pay basket at paypal.me/AShotGlassofRecovery .  Any amount will help me afford to fund this project and continue to bring you great speakers, the Big Book Study, Literature studies on recovery, workshops and Lisa shots that contain a wildcard of variety.
You can also support the show by liking, subscribing, and following it on your favourite platforms. Leave a 5 star review while you're there! There is nothing I love more than your engagement so please email me at ashotglassofrecovery@gmail.com and let me know how this show has contributed to your unique journey in recovery. Let me know if I can celebrate a milestone with you and give you a shout out. Would you like to be a guest? Drop me a line by email.