Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

Walking Hand in Hand: AA Speaker - Dave A. - Denton, TX

"Blind" Dave A. from Austin, TX speaking at the Show Me Group in Denton, TX - December 7th 2008
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Dave shares a powerful, experience-based message about moving beyond mere abstinence and into a life guided by conscious contact with God, showing how the Twelve Steps—especially humility, honesty, amends, and daily inventory—transform fear, crisis, and temptation into living spiritual experiences; through deeply personal stories of near-disaster, surrendered decisions, and unexpected outcomes that could only be explained by a Higher Power, he highlights the real miracle of recovery as a faith that works under all conditions, the ongoing deflation of self-centeredness, and a life of peace, usefulness, and awe that grows richer as one continues to live in the world of the Spirit and help others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Row Your Boat Gently: AA Speaker - Dan P. - Fort Worth, TX

Dan P. at the Glasshous Group in Fort Worth, TX - March 2001
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Dan shares a deeply honest and expansive recovery story that traces his progression from early discomfort, daily drinking, denial, and professional success masking inner collapse, through failed marriages, financial ruin, and spiritual emptiness, to lasting sobriety that began in 1986, when he finally accepted help and took simple, consistent action in Alcoholics Anonymous; through working the Steps, learning to trust a Higher Power of his own understanding, practicing daily disciplines, and shifting his perception of life, Dan highlights his greatest personal accomplishment—not just long-term sobriety, but freedom from loneliness, fear, resentment, and self-centeredness—culminating in a life of gratitude, service, emotional sobriety, and the ability to “row his own boat” gently, happily, and sober alongside others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

From Hopeless to Free: AA Speaker - John K. - Fort Worth, TX

John K. from Dallas, TX speaking at the Eastside Group in Fort Worth, TX - February 2006
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John shares a powerful, no-nonsense message grounded in lived experience, tracing his journey from years of failed attempts at sobriety, repeated hospitalizations, and utter hopelessness to lasting recovery that began on September 4, 1999, when he finally surrendered and took the steps exactly as outlined in the Big Book; he clearly explains alcoholism as a two-fold illness—an allergic physical reaction that destroys control once drinking begins and a mental obsession that guarantees a return to the first drink—emphasizing that meetings alone, willpower, or life improvements never saved him, but precise action, sponsorship, and wholehearted acceptance of Step One did; through humility, gratitude, and decades of sobriety, John highlights the life-or-death importance of understanding real alcoholism, the sharp decline in recovery rates when the program drifts from its original design, and the profound personal accomplishment of moving from “certain death” to a life of service, freedom, and hope that he now passes on to others exactly as it was given to him.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

The Language of the Heart: AA Speaker - Burns B. - Houma, LA

Burns B. from Louisville, KY speaking at the 12th Annual Bayouland Jamboree in Houma, LA - January 23rd 1993
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In this sweeping, deeply compassionate AA talk, Burns B shares a lifetime journey from untreated alcoholism, amphetamine addiction, psychiatric hospitals, ego-driven perfectionism, and near suicide into a living, breathing spiritual recovery grounded in love, honesty, and action; sober since the late 1970s, Burns explains how Alcoholics Anonymous didn’t just teach him how to stop drinking, but how to live—how to surrender control, release resentment, stop lying, love without possession, serve without ego, and show up as a father, husband, physician, and human being even when life is painful—illustrating through powerful stories of his children’s recoveries, his marriage, his professional redemption, and a final moment of grace with his dying father that AA is ultimately the language of the heart, where real miracles aren’t flashy but quietly revealed through humility, service, and learning to be exactly what God needs us to be in each moment.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Sober at 15 — Still Standing Years Later: AA Speaker - Karl M. - New Orleans, LA

Karl M. from New Orleans, LA speaking at the Mississippi conference of Young People in AA - May 23rd 2008
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In this raw, vulnerable, and deeply human AA talk, Karl shares how getting sober at just 15 years old didn’t magically fix life, but gave him a way to survive it, grow through it, and keep showing up when everything hurts; walking through family alcoholism, early violence, juvenile detention, homelessness, addiction-fueled crime, grief, broken relationships, gambling, untreated sobriety, and profound loss—including burying friends and sponsees—Karl makes it clear that Alcoholics Anonymous was never about “quitting drinking” for him, but about learning how to live, ask for help, rely on God when he’s empty, and stay spiritually connected one day at a time, proving that real recovery isn’t measured by comfort or success, but by honesty, humility, service, and the willingness to keep getting back up sober no matter how hard life gets.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Laughter, Sobriety, and the Spiritual Life: AA Speaker - Paul O. - Laguna Niguel, CA

Paul O. from Laguna Niguel, CA speaking at the Club Med Playa Blanco conference in Playa Blanco Mexico - 1998
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Paul shares how decades of untreated self-obsession, insomnia, professional success, and denial quietly spiraled into alcoholism, ultimately landing him in a psychiatric ward where a single AA meeting became the turning point that reversed the entire direction of his life; sober since July 31, 1967, Paul reflects on laughter as a spiritual force, acceptance as the hinge of recovery, and the necessity of both meetings and step work, explaining how repeated returns to the steps opened new plateaus of sobriety, healed his marriage, quieted the chaos of his mind, and taught him that approval is the enemy of acceptance—leaving a powerful message that real freedom comes from surrendering self-will, insisting on enjoying life, and continuing to grow spiritually for as long as we stay in the program.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Give Up, Clean Up, Make Up, Grow Up: AA Speaker - James T. - Duluth, MN

James T. from Auburn, CA speaking at the 70th Annual Roundup in Duluth, MN - September 15th 2015
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James shares how long-term sobriety—dating back to December 6, 1982—was made possible not by meetings alone, but by sponsorship, rigorous step work, and a complete shift from self-management to spiritual living; weaving stories of marijuana substitution, early resistance to God, painful honesty, transformative amends, family healing, service, and daily spiritual practice, James shows how the 12 Steps rebuilt his life from isolation and secrecy into connection, love, purpose, and usefulness, emphasizing that everything good he has today—marriage, family, service, peace of mind—flows directly from Alcoholics Anonymous and a willingness to keep growing along spiritual lines.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Untreated Sobriety Is Still Alcoholism: AA Speaker - Chris S. - Bernardsville, NJ

Chris S. from New Vernon, NJ speaking at the Spiritual Awakenings group in Bernardsville, NJ - 2006
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In this foundational AA workshop talk, Chris shares how lifelong fear, untreated alcoholism, and repeated failure finally led him to discover the difference between mere sobriety and real recovery, explaining that meetings and fellowship alone were never enough for him until he fully engaged the Big Book, worked the steps as written, and began carrying the message to others; through stories of early drinking, blackout insanity, failed rehab solutions, resentment-filled sobriety, and eventual freedom through sponsorship, amends, and service, Chris makes a clear case that recovery requires a spiritual awakening brought about by action—not attendance—and shows how Big Book–centered work transformed his life and helped spark a broader renewal of recovery-focused AA meetings.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Sobriety, Cancer, and Grace: AA Speaker - Jim S. - Lake Forest, CA

Jim S. from Laguna Hills, CA speaking at the El Toro Friday Night speakers meeting in Lake Forest, CA - April 25th 2008
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In this candid and grounded AA talk, Jim shares how a man who never expected to live past 30 became a recovered alcoholic through working all 12 steps, sponsorship, and living in the Big Book solution, not just attending meetings; sober since January 31, 1986, Jim describes crossing the invisible line early, destroying relationships and opportunities in pursuit of alcohol, finding AA through a simple act of honesty with a friend, and later learning that material success without spiritual honesty nearly killed him sober, before recommitting to the steps, service, and truth—lessons that carried him through heartbreak, starting over, sponsoring others, and even facing cancer with grace—ultimately showing that real recovery comes from doing the work, staying connected, and relying on God and Alcoholics Anonymous no matter the circumstances.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Living in the Sunlight of the Spirit: AA Speaker - Paul M. - Bloomington, MN

Paul M. from Oceanside, NY speaking at the 60th Gopher State Roundup in Bloomington, MN - May 25th 2013
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Paul shares his journey from growing up in Northern Ireland amid drinking culture and conflict, through decades of compulsive alcoholism, seizures, hospitals, and repeated failed attempts to stop, to finally finding lasting sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous by putting unity, service, and recovery into action; he emphasizes that AA was the last thing he tried and the first thing that ever worked, describing how one alcoholic helping another—following the example of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob—gave him hope in human form, freedom from self, a new life of purpose, education, family, and peace of mind, and a commitment to stay in the middle of the program so he can help others find what he was freely given.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu