RAW Recovery Podcast

Do We Ever Use Willpower?
We've all heard that willpower alone isn't enough to overcome alcoholism. But does that mean willpower has no place in recovery?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're exploring the difference between willpower, self-will, willingness, and the actions we take as part of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Big Book tells us that our attempts to control our drinking through willpower repeatedly failed. Yet recovery requires us to make decisions, follow directions, practice spiritual principles, and take responsibility for our actions.
So where does willpower fit into all of this?
We'll talk about why we cannot rely on willpower alone to overcome the obsession to drink, but how determination, discipline, and willingness play important roles in building a new way of life.
We'll also explore the difference between trying to control everything ourselves and using the abilities we've been given to make positive changes.
Recovery isn't about sitting back and waiting for God to do everything for us. It's about accepting the help we need and taking the actions necessary to grow.
If willpower couldn't keep us sober, can it still help us live sober?
Join the conversation as we explore where willpower ends, where willingness begins, and how both relate to our spiritual growth.
#TheDailyTrudge #Willpower #AlcoholicsAnonymous #TwelveSteps #BigBook #Recovery #Sobriety #SelfWill #Willingness #SpiritualGrowth #EmotionalSobriety #DailyDiscipline #KeepOnTrudging

Recovery is about so much more than putting down the drink. It's about transformation — changing the way we think, the way we act, how we treat others, and how we approach life.
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're talking about Transformation in Recovery and the difference between simply getting sober and becoming a different person through the Twelve Steps.
Are we trying to get back to the person we were before alcoholism, or are we becoming someone we've never been before?
We'll explore spiritual growth, changed behavior, finding purpose, and the freedom that comes from living a new way of life.
Join the conversation, share your experience, and let's keep trudging together.
No one trudges alone. Keep on trudging!
#TheDailyTrudge #TransformationInRecovery #AlcoholicsAnonymous #12Steps #Recovery #SpiritualGrowth #KeepOnTrudging

Being Convinced We Were at Step Three
What does it really mean to be convinced that we're ready to take the Third Step? Have we genuinely accepted the first two Steps, or are we simply moving forward because that's what we're supposed to do?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're opening the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous to page 60 of Chapter 5, How It Works, where we're told that being convinced of three important ideas brings us to Step Three.
We'll explore what it means to admit that we're alcoholic and cannot manage our own lives, recognize that human power alone cannot relieve our alcoholism, and come to believe that God, as we understand Him, can and will help us if sought.
We'll also discuss the importance of becoming convinced through our own experience rather than simply agreeing with what we've read or heard.
Step Three asks us to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. But what does making that decision actually look like, and how do the actions that follow demonstrate our willingness?
We'll talk about self-will, surrender, trust, and the difference between making a decision and following through on it.
Are we truly convinced that our old way of living doesn't work, and are we willing to take the actions necessary to discover a new way?
Join the conversation as we explore how the first two Steps prepare us for the decision we make in Step Three.
#TheDailyTrudge #StepThree #AlcoholicsAnonymous #BigBook #HowItWorks #TwelveSteps #Recovery #Sobriety #Surrender #SelfWill #HigherPower #SpiritualGrowth #KeepOnTrudging

The Spiritual Experience
What exactly is a spiritual experience? Is it something sudden and dramatic, or can it happen gradually as we begin changing the way we think, act, and live?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're exploring the spiritual experience as described in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, including Appendix II, Spiritual Experience.
We'll talk about the difference between a sudden spiritual experience and the educational variety that develops over time, and why we don't all have to experience spiritual growth in the same way.
We'll also explore how the Twelve Steps help bring about a spiritual awakening, what it means to undergo a personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism, and how those changes become evident in our everyday lives.
Through honesty, willingness, prayer, meditation, sponsorship, and service to others, we begin developing a different outlook on life. Our fears, attitudes, relationships, and reactions can change as we continue practicing these principles.
A spiritual experience doesn't have to involve a dramatic moment or something we can't explain. Sometimes the greatest evidence of spiritual growth is simply recognizing that we no longer respond to life the way we once did.
Are we waiting for something extraordinary to happen, or are we recognizing the spiritual changes already taking place in our lives?
Join the conversation as we explore what a spiritual experience really means and how it becomes the foundation for a new way of living.
#TheDailyTrudge #SpiritualExperience #AlcoholicsAnonymous #BigBook #AppendixII #TwelveSteps #SpiritualAwakening #Recovery #Sobriety #SpiritualGrowth #HigherPower #EmotionalSobriety #KeepOnTrudging

Are We Losing the Art of Showing Up for Each Other?
We talk a lot about helping others, being there for people, and making sure nobody has to struggle alone. But when someone actually needs us, are we showing up?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're talking about something that seems to be disappearing in our communities: genuine human connection and our willingness to be there for one another.
With so many people struggling with mental health, financial pressure, isolation, and uncertainty, the need for connection is greater than ever. Yet sometimes we become so caught up in our own lives that we overlook the people right in front of us.
We'll explore what it really means to show up for someone, why listening can be more important than giving advice, and how small acts of kindness, compassion, and service can make a tremendous difference.
We'll also connect this to Alcoholics Anonymous, our Primary Purpose, the Responsibility Statement, and the importance of approaching newcomers rather than waiting for them to come to us.
Having experienced both sides of this, being the person desperately needing help and the person offering it, I know firsthand how much it matters when somebody takes the time to care.
Showing up doesn't mean we have to solve everybody's problems. Sometimes it means making a phone call, offering a little encouragement, sitting with someone who's struggling, or simply letting them know they're not alone.
Are we becoming a community that talks about helping, or one that actually takes the time to help?
Join the conversation. Let's talk about how we can bring connection, compassion, and responsibility back into our everyday lives.
#TheDailyTrudge #ShowingUpForOthers #AlcoholicsAnonymous #Recovery #Sobriety #PrimaryPurpose #ResponsibilityStatement #MentalHealthAwareness #HumanConnection #CommunityRecovery #ServiceWork #EmotionalSobriety #KeepOnTrudging

A Daily Discipline
Recovery isn't something we practice only when life gets difficult. It's something we learn to live every single day.
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're talking about the importance of daily discipline in Alcoholics Anonymous and how the Twelve Steps help us build a new way of life.
We'll explore what it means to practice spiritual principles consistently, even on the days when we're tired, frustrated, distracted, or simply don't feel like doing the work.
From prayer and meditation to personal inventory, sponsorship, meetings, and service work, we'll discuss how small daily actions help us develop honesty, accountability, humility, and emotional sobriety.
We'll also talk about the difference between discipline and punishment, why consistency matters more than motivation, and how the things we practice today can help us avoid returning to old behaviors tomorrow.
Discipline doesn't mean our lives have to be rigid or that we must do everything perfectly. It means becoming willing to take responsibility for our recovery and follow through on the things we know help us grow.
Are we practicing the principles of recovery every day, or are we waiting until something goes wrong before we start using them?
Join the conversation as we explore how daily discipline can help us build a life of greater freedom, purpose, and serenity.
#TheDailyTrudge #DailyDiscipline #AlcoholicsAnonymous #TwelveSteps #Recovery #Sobriety #SpiritualGrowth #EmotionalSobriety #PersonalInventory #Sponsorship #Accountability #ServiceWork #KeepOnTrudging

Men's Mental Health
Why is it that so many men struggle in silence? Why are we taught to be strong, handle our problems ourselves, and never let anyone see us struggling?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're having an important conversation about men's mental health, the expectations placed on men, and how those expectations can affect our emotional well-being, relationships, and recovery.
We'll talk about depression, anxiety, trauma, isolation, and the pressure men often feel to provide for their families, remain in control, and have all the answers.
We'll also explore how those old ideas about masculinity can prevent men from asking for help, expressing emotions, or admitting when life has become overwhelming.
Having lived with mental health challenges and alcoholism, I know firsthand what it's like to struggle with these expectations. I've also spent years working in behavioral health and recovery, helping others navigate some of these same challenges.
We'll discuss the importance of honesty, vulnerability, healthy relationships, professional support, and the spiritual principles that help us develop emotional sobriety.
Being a man doesn't mean having to carry everything alone. Asking for help takes courage, accepting help takes willingness, and taking care of our mental health is part of taking responsibility for our lives.
Are we teaching men how to live healthier lives, or are we still teaching them to suffer in silence?
Join the conversation. Let's talk about it.
#TheDailyTrudge #MensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Recovery #AlcoholicsAnonymous #EmotionalSobriety #MensMentalHealthMatters #MentalHealthRecovery #BreakingTheStigma #TraumaRecovery #AskForHelp #Sobriety #KeepOnTrudging

What Do We Do When We Feel Lost?
Have you ever reached a point in recovery where you just don't know what to do next? Maybe you're sober, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, but something still feels missing.
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're talking about those moments when life feels overwhelming, our sense of direction disappears, and we begin questioning where we're headed.
Alcoholics Anonymous gives us a design for living, but that doesn't mean we're always going to have the answers. Sometimes we struggle with fear, uncertainty, isolation, and old thinking, even after years of sobriety.
We'll explore how the Twelve Steps, sponsorship, prayer and meditation, service work, and the fellowship can help us find direction when we feel stuck.
We'll also talk about why asking for help is an act of courage, how to recognize when we're trying to handle everything ourselves, and why we don't have to figure out our entire lives today.
Feeling lost doesn't mean we've lost our recovery. Sometimes it simply means we need to reconnect with the people, principles, and actions that helped us find our way in the first place.
When we don't know what to do next, are we willing to reach out, listen, and take the next right action?
Join the conversation. Let's talk about it.
#TheDailyTrudge #FeelingLost #AlcoholicsAnonymous #Recovery #Sobriety #TwelveSteps #EmotionalSobriety #Sponsorship #SpiritualGrowth #AskForHelp #RecoveryCommunity #KeepOnTrudging

Guide to a Better Way
What does it really mean to find a better way of living? And how do we begin making changes when the life we've been living no longer works?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're talking about how the program of Alcoholics Anonymous gives us a guide to a new way of life through the Twelve Steps, spiritual principles, and the experience of those who have walked this path before us.
Recovery isn't just about putting down the drink. It's about learning to live without fear, resentment, dishonesty, and the old behaviors that once controlled our lives.
We'll explore the importance of willingness, honesty, open-mindedness, sponsorship, and taking action. We'll also talk about how the Big Book provides directions that we can apply to our everyday lives, not just when we're struggling with alcoholism.
Nobody comes into recovery knowing how to do everything. We learn from one another, share our experience, strength, and hope, and begin discovering that we don't have to face life's challenges alone.
The Twelve Steps aren't a destination. They're a guide that helps us continue growing, building relationships, and becoming useful to others.
Are we willing to follow the directions, or are we still trying to figure everything out on our own?
Join the conversation as we explore how recovery can guide us toward a better way of living.
#TheDailyTrudge #GuideToABetterWay #AlcoholicsAnonymous #BigBook #TwelveSteps #Recovery #Sobriety #SpiritualGrowth #Sponsorship #ExperienceStrengthAndHope #EmotionalSobriety #RecoveryCommunity #KeepOnTrudging

How It Works
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. But what does it really mean to follow that path, and how does the program of Alcoholics Anonymous actually work?
Today on The Daily Trudge, we're going back to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, Chapter 5, How It Works, to explore the foundation of the Twelve Steps and the spiritual principles behind recovery.
We'll talk about honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, and why half measures often leave us struggling with the same problems that brought us into recovery.
We'll also explore what it means to surrender, take responsibility for our lives, recognize our shortcomings, and begin the process of changing the way we think and live.
The Twelve Steps aren't simply words we read at meetings. They're a program of action, designed to help us find a solution to alcoholism and develop a new way of life.
We'll discuss why sponsorship matters, why willingness must be followed by action, and how the spiritual principles of AA become part of our everyday lives.
Whether you're new to recovery or have been sober for decades, How It Works reminds us that the solution isn't found in simply knowing the program. It's found in practicing it.
Are we following the directions, or are we trying to make the program work our way?
Join the conversation. Let's talk about it.
#TheDailyTrudge #HowItWorks #AlcoholicsAnonymous #BigBook #TwelveSteps #Recovery #Sobriety #Honesty #Willingness #SpiritualGrowth #Sponsorship #AARecovery #KeepOnTrudging