Charlie, Charlie, Charlie! On October 4, 2019, he hit 365 days in a recovered state. What a blessing to walk beside this man! We met in a yoga studio and we've sweated together on many occasions, he a genuine bad ass on and off the mat, a recovery powerhouse who is destined to touch many lives. And once again, what began as the standard sponsor/sponsee relationship transformed into a deep and true friendship, a brotherhood really. His story, and how we came to be friends is told here today, I ho...
Oct 13, 2019•2 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Public Quit Announcement #4 I named today’s PQA “Complacency is the enemy of recovery” and here is why. Of the many times that I have attempted nicotine recovery, where I failed on each occasion was when I had myself convinced that I had a good handle on my recovery… when I thought that I no longer had to work so hard at maintaining my quit. This was all stupid addiction talk of course. Folks, let me tell you, I am not the only one..... Listen up! ARE YOU READY TO QUIT? Subscribe! Like! Share! h...
Oct 06, 2019•2 min
For eternity, men have gathered around campfires to commune, nine of us with direct sponsorship lineage gathered at Jesse's lakehouse to fellowship; A name emerged, "The Neverglades" - a magical place for swimming, fishing, eating, meditating, spelunking, holding meetings and recording Podcasts :-). We crawled into a cave as Drew led us through a guided visualization meditation in the pitch dark, we shared about our experience, found one another in the dark for a closing prayer. A third step dec...
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 52 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Vlad is one special dude to me, he is a cross between a brother and a son. Having had the honor of sponsoring him for the past 365 has been a real highlight of my recovery, all sponsee's are super special and I've been truly blessed with a bunch of great ones, but Vlad's story has a special energy that I can't exactly put my finger on. As the title says, the day of this recording is his actual one year date, super cool that we were able to make this happen. Subscribe! Like! Share! https://spirit...
Sep 29, 2019•2 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Christopher and I were out together the night before this recording, he was supporting me in my Mankind Homecoming and we had some dinner and great conversation afterwards. This whole sponsor/sponsee relationship has grown into a "Iron sharpens Iron" friendship that I really treasure, our chemistry is fantastic, we are able to be completely vulnerable and because of that we have the ability to truly be of service to one another as Brothers in this journey. This morning the two of us met at the D...
Sep 25, 2019•3 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 13
During the opening of the show, I explain how I initially came to know Don, I'll spare you that here. Few folks have impacted my recovery at the level that his gentleman has. During our conversation, I kept realizing just how many of the "sayings" I use, more than likely can be attributed to Don. I could sit and talk to him for hours on end, he is so full of wisdom, he conveys it with humility and in a very down home easy to understand manner. He has truly made recovery the primary force in his ...
Sep 15, 2019•1 hr 49 min•Season 1Ep. 135
B-Mo and Mike pull up chairs to talk about what has been going on lately, B-Mo just completed his 5th step, and Mike has been making major moves in personal growth. The miracles of 12 Step Recovery are showing up in the lives of these men, one nearly new, and the other a half dozen years down the path. Listen up as they tell us what can happen when we practice these principles. Subscribe! Like! Share! https://spiritualunderground.org https://www.facebook.com/SpiritualUnderground/ https://instagr...
Sep 08, 2019•1 hr 46 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Public Quit Announcement #8 Many of you might be asking yourselves, why does the Colonel keep mentioning this “daily Promise” thing… what does it really mean? Well, my friends, let me explain that concept since it is the foundation of any Quit plan or recovery program. Each morning we folks in recovery go thru a routine that is essential to our success, regardless of what substance we are trying to rid ourselves of..... Listen for more on the daily promise :-) ARE YOU READY TO QUIT? Subscribe! L...
Sep 03, 2019•2 min
I had met Mark at a meeting but I did not put two and two together when I received a heart warming email that was hugely complimentary towards the podcast. I immediately replied and we had a few exchanges before I was able to put the face with the name. Mark has filled a spot in my heart with his vulnerability, his deep sharing, and his ability to humbly explain what recovery has meant in his life. You are gonna like this, listen for why this is subtitled "Prime Time" ! Subscribe! Like! Share! h...
Sep 01, 2019•1 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Public Quit Announcement #3: Today’s subject is a controversial topic in the world of nicotine recovery. To use or not to use tobacco Quit Aids or even those substitutes. The difference being Quit Aids include the nicotine patches, gum or prescription meds to ease off of nicotine, while substitutions are like choosing to use fake tobacco products that do not have nicotine… there are several types of dips out there and maybe even a few fake cigs who knows. The topic for me boils down to this… “wh...
Aug 30, 2019•2 min
Public Quit Announcement #7 In the words of one of my dearest quit brothers Kyle-J, “When I get a crave, I just go to my room drop my pants, open the drawer of my nightstand… place my testicles in said drawer, and the SLAM it!!! Bammo, no more craving.” Kinda extreme you say? Well, since a craving can last an excruciating 3-20 minutes, some extreme measures may actually save you from starting the entire miserable process all over again… meaning another Day 1. Listen up for some less intense ways...
Aug 27, 2019•2 min
I love it when HP brings folks into your life and you almost immediately recognize it from the start. Some others take time, but Marshall was a known factor from my first conversation with him and I still recall exactly where I was when that happened - that says something in itself. I think it’s important to hear guys like Marshall, he just hit his first year of recovery and is a shining example of what can happen for a guy or a gal relatively quickly. Give this a listen, it’s another truly amaz...
Aug 25, 2019•2 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Public Quit Announcement #2 Today, I want to talk about something extremely important to all of you just starting and to those with some Quit time already under your belts. Its called a Quit Plan, i.e., what are you going to do when the cravings are too much, or you are caught off-guard when a friend lights a cigarette next to you or cracks open a fresh can of Copenhagen just upwind of you. That shit sucks. So… how you react to it is what we call a Quit Plan. This battle drill should include hav...
Aug 20, 2019•2 min
Sharing some things that are going on lately as I approach my 50th birthday, talked a little about my home incarceration experience, about my 2017 trip to Japan, nicotine quitting and a few other rambling thoughts. We have some super cool guests coming up over the next few weeks, so stay tuned, also PQA #2 has been been included which speaks to having a Quit Plan - Keep your eyes open and your ears to the wind :-) Subscribe! Like! Share! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIxWlFjnErnCToptCvNKs2A/ ...
Aug 18, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Public Quit Announcement #1 - Days 1-3, Am I Normal Everyone always wants to know about that first couple of days and how bad it is, or whether their’s was a normal experience. Well, after Lord knows how many times I have gone through it, I can tell you that each one.... Listen for more... Are You Finally Ready to Quit?
Aug 13, 2019•2 min
The three banned bandito’s of nicotine quit picked up the microphones and chatted on a Saturday morning, discussions were primarily around Billy’s Quit journey, but also about quitting nicotine in general and what fun we used to have as we battled what was, and is still considered the Nic Bitch. The three of us met on a nicotine quitting website and our story is partially told here, and also in Episode 126 in Jim's Story. Somehow, nearly two years later, the three of us remain nicotine free and ...
Aug 11, 2019•2 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 132
My buddy Wayne came by the studio to share his story, he and I met in early 2015 as we were both finding our way, our dates are just a couple months apart. We saw each other regularly for the first year or so and then as things tend to happen, we found ourselves drifting apart. We are battle buddies of sorts, and those are lasting bonds. Then fate brought us back together through a mutual friend, and I knew I wanted to catch up with him and what better way to do that than with the Podcast. I rea...
Aug 04, 2019•1 hr 48 min•Season 1Ep. 131
“A Fighter’s Submission” Alex visited the studio on a Monday morning to tell his amazing story, and I promise you this one does not fit the script. Alex was a professional MMA fighter who had the world in his hands, yet, “everything” was still missing. A solid meditation practice kept him sane for a few years before he found 12 Step Recovery, then with a lot of hesitation, he waded in and now has placed all of his chips in the middle of the table. I feel like I could go on and on about Alex, an ...
Jul 28, 2019•1 hr 59 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Recovery: To Regain Something Lost or Stolen The Universe is opening up my thoughts as they pertain to the word "Recovery", I want to explore these various ways one might find that which was lost or stolen. As a divorcee, I know that was one of the toughest periods of my life, and I was unable to maintain my sobriety through that process. When Bryann popped up on a podcaster's networking site and used the word recovery in relation to divorce, I knew I wanted to talk to her. Finding my true voice...
Jul 21, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 129
I met Dave on a New Years Day, I don't know what year, I'm gonna guess 2015. Anyway, here comes this dude walking into Happy's Meditation with a big bronze singing bowl in his backpack. He started talking about goofy stuff like Yoga, and his personality grabbed me instantly. Neither knew the other was in recovery, and it took a few weeks before we bumped into one another in a meeting. His walk is one I wish to emulate and there are some things he's doing that I'm certain to follow - or as we say...
Jul 14, 2019•1 hr 55 min•Season 1Ep. 128
I met Lisa in 2014 at a friend's meditation meeting above his garage, and I felt like Higher Power told me to "Watch what I do with this woman". Her energy was an immediate attraction. That story is recorded in the podcast, and so is the fact that Lisa was sentenced to 30 years in prison and served only nine months. I have told countless people the "I have not seen anyone work the steps and place those principles into their lives, and still go to jail", Lisa's sentence changed that and myself, a...
Jul 07, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 127
On October 17, 2017, I bounced into a nicotine cessation website where groups of nicotine users were gathered in 30 day increments to begin a nicotine free lifestyle. We walked the cold turkey "Quit" path together, and with the help of others further down the path, some of us succeeded. One of the first guys I met was Jim A, also known as Colonel_No_Cope, later shortened to The Colonel. Not only a combat veteran and retired Army Officer, but a veteran of countless battles with the nicotine addic...
Jun 30, 2019•2 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Nick and Mindy visited the studio to discuss recovery relationships in recovery . I often joke around about “resentments" being the number one offender, I disagree, "relationships" are the number one offender; I've heard "finances and romances" are some of the biggest threats to sobriety. Somewhat a joke, but the fact is that relationships are hard to navigate, especially in early recovery. In this episode, Nick and Mindy share their experiences in walking that path. Subscribe! Like! Share! http...
Jun 23, 2019•2 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 125
I simply can't begin to express how much this man means to me, he held his hand out and brought me along side of him when I most needed a mentor, a spiritual guide, a lantern bearer... He showed me the path to recovery beyond my greatest expectations. He is the author of "Twelve Step Spiritual Recovery, How to Reclaim Your Original Self/Soul", he is my sponsor and above that, he is my best friend. The miracles in my life are a direct result of Christopher, and the tools and principles laid out i...
Jun 16, 2019•2 hr 50 min•Season 1Ep. 124
As I search for ways to carry this message to a broader audience, I am finding connections with other podcast hosts to be a great way to learn and to increase exposure. on today's episode, I was invited to Chef Salty Pork's "Pork and Wine" podcast. This is that conversation, check him out at the following links: https://www.youtube.com/c/porkandwine https://anchor.fm/chef-salty-pork https://www.instagram.com/pork.and.wine/ Subscribe! Like! Share! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIxWlFjnErnCTopt...
Jun 12, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 10
I met Mike in my very first Spiritual Underground meeting, and one point he was on my short list as a sponsor (listen to my story, Episode 122), Mike is a solid member of our tribe who has struggled with some things while remaining recovered. Those stories are discussed here and I know it important that we see challenges still exist and can be survived in a healthy manner as long as we continue to keep the twelve step principals in our daily lives. Almost exactly one year ago Mike approached me ...
Jun 09, 2019•2 hr•Season 1Ep. 123
Typing show notes for this one is not easy, I really don't know what to say except that I was completely consumed by addiction at one point in my life and ended up with consequences that backed me into a corner that I felt there was no escape. The Twelve Steps revolutionized my entire being and that story is told in this podcast, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing it. Subscribe! Like! Share! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIxWlFjnErnCToptCvNKs2A/ https://spiritualunderground.org ht...
Jun 02, 2019•2 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Josh is just an awesome guy, he’s another one of the many that have come in to our group over the past few years, at the time this recording he was just over one year from his last use. I think it’s really important to tell the stories of how far person can come in such a short amount of time when they implement these tools the “right” way. Josh is really rocket it into the fourth dimension quickly and it shows very clearly and his spirit. Subscribe! Like! Share! https://www.youtube.com/channel/...
May 26, 2019•2 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 121
I’m attending the MyPath festival down near Harrodsburg Kentucky on Memorial Day Weekend 2019, led to take a few minutes and share a little bit what’s going on down here and all the juiciness we are getting to experience. More info -> MYPATH to Empowerment ~May 23-26, 2019~ "Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights." BE ACTIVE: Vinyasa/Hatha Yoga AcroYoga Kaleidoscope Yoga Kundalini Aerial Yoga Paddleboa...
May 26, 2019•11 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Beginning in 2016, our home group began holding overnight retreats on private property in Southern Indiana, this is the sixth one of these. We began at noon on a Friday and grew to 32 men around the campfire meeting on Saturday night. Great food, awesome fellowship, and deep connections are enjoyed by all. Truly a fantastic time, it is transformational, if you ever get a chance to go on one of these type events, specifically same sex events, please do yourself a favor and go. This podcast contai...
May 20, 2019•2 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 8
