Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

"How AA Saved My Life at 19": AA Speaker - Joshua H. - Alberta, Canada

Joshua H. from Toronto, Ontario, Canada speaking at the Banff Roundup in Banf, Alberta, Canada - March 16th 2007
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Joshua shares an extraordinary journey of survival and transformation, describing how a boy who grew up traumatized, addicted, homeless, and completely broken found a new life through the Twelve Steps and the fellowship of AA. From childhood chaos, blackout drinking, psychotic drug use, and years spent in institutions and living in dumpsters, his life seemed hopeless—until a moment of clarity at 19 brought him into AA, where identification, honesty, and the Steps slowly rebuilt him from the inside out. Through rigorous inventory, amends, spiritual growth, and helping others, Josh repaired relationships with his family, became a loving husband, a dependable son, a sponsor, and a man who shows up for life. His greatest accomplishment is the redemption he never imagined possible: standing in the same city where he once slept in dumpsters, now sober, grateful, and surrounded by friends—choosing love, service, and life one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

I Was a Spiritual Litterbug: AA Speaker - Mike L. - McKenzie Bridge, OR

Mike L. from Indianapolis, IN speaking at the men's St. Benedict retreat in McKenzie Bridge, OR - March 3rd-5th 2006
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Mike offers a deep, practical, and often humorous exploration of Step Three, showing how turning his will and life over to God wasn’t about a one-time emotional moment, but about a lifelong commitment to stop playing God, let go of old ideas, and follow spiritual direction through real action. He describes his early failures—treating God like a bellhop, being a “spiritual litterbug,” clutching old ideas like a monkey trapped by sweetmeats, and managing life with self-centered fear—and then explains how true surrender came when he backed his decision with inventory, amends, and daily willingness. His honesty about money, relationships, sex, resentment, and ego reveals how the Third Step reshaped his entire life: helping him become a better father, a respectful ex-husband, a responsible professional, a generous sponsor, and a man who contributes rather than takes. Mike shows that spiritual growth isn’t about gaining more—it’s about dropping the bricks we’ve been carrying so God can do what we cannot. His greatest accomplishment is learning to live as a steward of God’s power, free from the bondage of self, and grounded in service, humility, and real freedom.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

A Guardian of AA’s History: AA Speaker - Gail L. - Stockholm, Sweden

Gail L. from Akron, OH speaking at the Swedish Serenity group's spring convention in Stockholm, Sweden - May 29th 2009
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Gail shares a heartfelt and humorous journey of recovery, showing how one grateful alcoholic with a simple willingness to say “yes” became a guardian of AA’s history. Sober since 1978, she describes arriving in Akron, discovering the power of our early roots, and unexpectedly being asked to help start an archives—work that eventually led to preserving Dr. Bob’s home, safeguarding original materials, and ensuring the fellowship’s story would survive for future generations. Blending her love of history with service, she walks us through AA’s early struggles, the Oxford Group influence, the humble beginnings of the Big Book, and the many slender threads that kept this movement alive. Gail’s greatest accomplishment is helping protect the legacy that continues to guide millions toward sobriety, one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

From Homeless & Hopeless to Grateful & Free: AA Speaker - Paul M. - New Orleans, LA

☀️🧡🦃Happy Thanksgiving, Sober Sunrise family. We’re deeply grateful for each of you—whether you’re sharing the message, showing up for recovery, or simply taking it one day at a time. Thank you for being part of our little fellowship🦃🧡☀️
Paul M. from Fargo, ND speaking at the Big Easy Group's 2nd anniversary in New Orleans, LA - April 23rd 2011
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Paul shares his story, a life rebuilt through the grace of sobriety, sponsorship, and rigorous action. After years of street living, broken relationships, arrests, and trying every escape but recovery, he hit a devastating bottom when his drinking and rage shattered both his sanity and his family. In AA, he finally discovered he wasn’t broken beyond repair but alcoholic, and through the Steps he learned honesty, humility, discipline, and a daily reliance on a Higher Power. Paul rebuilt his life piece by piece: making amends, becoming present for his children, repairing old wounds, and learning how to live in the “here and now” instead of the noise in his head. Today he stands as a grateful husband, a devoted father, a steady sponsor, and a man deeply connected to God and service—proof that even the most chaotic life can become meaningful, balanced, and full of purpose.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

The Sacred Steps in a Circle: AA Speaker - Don C. - Laughlin, NV

Don C. from Colorado Springs, CO at River Roundup, Laughlin, NV - January 19th 2002
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Don shares a powerful story of recovery that bridges the Twelve Steps with the spiritual teachings of his Mohican ancestors, showing how a man broken by alcohol, trauma, and cultural loss found healing through honesty, surrender, and connection. After crawling out of addiction’s “arena” with nothing left, he fully committed to AA, worked the Steps with discipline, returned to his cultural ceremonies, and discovered that the Steps themselves form a sacred circle of growth—east to south to west to north—guiding him back to the Creator and to himself. Today Don is a respected elder and a leader involved in community healing projects, helping others reconnect to culture, spirit, and sobriety. His journey reveals how the Steps, when treated as sacred, can bring a person from despair to deep spiritual purpose.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

The Spiritual Awakening That Saved My Life: AA Speaker - Chris G. - Austin, TX - 2012

Chris G. from Austin, TX speaking at the Austin Citywide meeting in Austin, TX - September 15th 2012
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Chris shares his 14-year sobriety journey, showing how a man who once sat with a syringe in one hand and a gun in the other transformed his entire life through rigorous step work, deep self-examination, and a willingness to take spiritual action even when terrified. He explains addiction as a progressive malady that began long before drugs, describes his descent through heroin, meth, homelessness, overdoses, and loss, and then details how he rebuilt everything through the mechanical, reproducible nature of the 12 Steps—learning inventory, humility, sponsorship, responsibility, and true freedom. Today he’s a dependable husband, spiritual partner, musician, worker, and son, living a big, meaningful life grounded in God and service. His story highlights that recovery is not about perfection but about daily spiritual fitness, disciplined action, and a willingness to grow beyond fear into the person he was always meant to become.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Raised in Chaos, Saved by AA: Jay K. - Myrtle Beach, SC - 2008

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Jay K. from Greenville, SC speaking at Fellowship by the Sea in Myrtle Beach, SC - September 25th 2008
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Jay shares his journey from chaos to redemption, showing how a man shaped by childhood hurt, addiction, and years of destruction slowly rebuilt a meaningful life through AA, strong sponsorship, and an honest relationship with God. He overcame homelessness, violence, legal trouble, and family pain, yet through thorough work in the steps—not perfection, just willingness—he transformed into a dependable son, loving husband, present father, and steady example of recovery. His story highlights the life-changing truth that who we were is exactly what prepares us for who we can become, and his greatest accomplishment is the life he has recreated through sobriety, service, and love.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

From Yale to the Gutter and Back: AA Speaker - Peter G. - Southbury, CT - 2005

🧡New Merch!☀️We finally got around to releasing our collection of light-hearted, recovery-inspired shirts and mugs. It's a fun way to share the message and support the channel! 🧡 Sober Sunrise Merch
Peter G. from Raleigh, NC speaking at the 2005 Connecticut State Conference of Young People in AA in Southbury, CT - November 26th 2005
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Peter’s story is a powerful reminder of how alcoholism can strip a person down to nothing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—yet still open the door to profound transformation when the gift of recovery is finally accepted. From a brilliant Yale student whose drinking spiraled into hospitals, arrests, and homelessness, to a man with over 25 years sober, a home group, a sponsor, a purpose, and the ability to help others, his journey shows how honesty, willingness, and the 12 steps can rebuild a life from the inside out. His accomplishments—returning to school, becoming a sponsor, traveling the world sober, and learning to live with true freedom—stand as living proof that this program works when nothing else can.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Old Timers Are The Heart: Newcomers Are The Lifeblood: AA Speaker - Bob L. - San Diego, CA

🧡New Merch!☀️We finally got around to releasing our collection of light-hearted, recovery-inspired shirts and mugs. It's a fun way to share the message and support the channel! 🧡 Sober Sunrise Merch
Bob L. from Glendale, CA speaking at the Old Town group in San Diego, CA - March 5th 1989
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Bob’s story is a powerful reminder of how dark alcoholism can get and how unimaginably bright life can become when honesty, humility, and willingness take over. He walks listeners through his descent from barroom bravado and endless blackout drunks to the rock-bottom moment in an abandoned car where fear of living became worse than fear of dying, and one desperate prayer opened the door to a new life. His greatest accomplishments aren’t flashy—they’re profound: rebuilding a shattered family, watching his daughter find sobriety, earning back the trust of his children, learning to laugh again, and becoming the kind of old-timer whose truth, structure, and compassion help newcomers survive. His message hits at the heart of AA’s purpose: newcomers are the lifeblood, old-timers are the heart, and the miracle happens when both sides meet with honesty, laughter, and a willingness to change.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Protect What Protects Us: AA Traditions - AA Speaker - Tom I. - Vancouver, Canada

🧡New Merch!☀️We finally got around to releasing our collection of light-hearted, recovery-inspired shirts and mugs. It's a fun way to share the message and support the channel! 🧡 Sober Sunrise Merch
Tom I. from Southern Pines, NC - speaking at the 22nd Annual Men's Fall Retreat in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | September 17th-19th 2010
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Tom reflects on the strange transition from being the youngest AA member everywhere he went to now being “the oldest rat in the barn,” a role that carries both responsibility and humility. He emphasizes how deeply the Traditions have shaped his life—often more than the Steps—because they guide unity, relationships, and how we relate to the world. Through honest stories of anger, restraint, leadership, conflict, money, service, anonymity, and personal conscience, he shows how the Traditions protect groups and individuals from ego, gossip, power struggles, and misplaced motives. His biggest accomplishment is modeling what real spiritual maturity looks like: acting for the common welfare rather than himself, carrying the message across prisons, planes, states, and even to strangers in need, and demonstrating that AA’s strength lies not in rules but in humility, service, and the quiet grace of doing the next right thing.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu