Lesson 1
Honesty
We will learn the practical application of honesty. We will discuss how to be forthright about our history with alcohol, drugs, other substances, and additional stimuli. We will learn to articulate our innermost truth. We will practice exercises to find our authentic voice. We will discuss honesty as a ritual and list different ways to practice honesty in all our relationships.
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Lesson 2
Acceptance
We will learn to know the truth within the innermost self. We will examine the past and things that happen as a result of addiction. We will dissect thoughts that precede addictive behaviors. We will become willing to acknowledge disharmony within our lives; to move forward despite lack of experience with transformation or evidence of recovery; to change our thoughts and actions to ultimately change our lives.
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Lesson 3
Surrender
We will learn to set aside limiting beliefs, conditioned behaviors, and all things which do not serve our highest good. We will determine how to take the next right action after we accept the nature of addiction. We will learn to seek assistance by calling a family member or friend, going to meetings, and speaking with therapists, doctors, or spiritual advisors.
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Lesson 4
Courage
We will figure out where strength or resolve comes from within ourselves if we are to remain on a path to recovery. We will cultivate an inner source of courage and learn to use it to transform our lives. We will discover through examples from history that courage is what propels people and movements forward despite individual or collective fear or prejudice.
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Lesson 5
Vulnerability
We will learn about the vulnerability of admitting defeat and powerlessness with regard to sobriety. We will learn about remaining vulnerable and teachable throughout the process of recovery. We will learn how to share our truth with others, despite fear of embarrassment or shame.
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Lesson 6
Open-mindedness
We will learn to set aside prejudice in order to practice new ways of thinking. We will learn exercises to sharpen our ability to remain teachable. We will cultivate a beginner’s mind. We will learn methods to assimilate new ideas from inspirational sources. We will compare the benefits of remaining open-minded and disadvantages of remaining closed-minded.
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Lesson 7
Consistency
We will learn about the art of repetition. We will discuss how life patterns change when replication is applied through thought and action. We will learn how habits are created through consistency and how this process is the first step toward growth. We will learn how we create rhythm or flow when we are consistent. We will examine how consistency creates a sense of safety and well-being.
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Lesson 8
Transparency
We will learn how to become clear - like a glass vase. We will learn that spinning webs of lies and practicing the art of deceit are behaviors that create “smoke and mirrors.” We will learn how a life in recovery means we must “clear the smoke and dust the mirrors.” We will learn that honesty is the first step toward transparency. We will learn that transparency is our ticket to freedom from the bondage of addiction.
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Lesson 9
Accountability
We will learn about the importance of having like-minded friends or trusted confidants in our lives who become a sounding board for our thoughts and actions as we navigate a life in recovery. We will look at how our best thinking during difficult times may not always be the best thing for us. We will look at the benefits of having spiritual fellowship or community.
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Lesson 10
Perseverance
We will learn how to push through to the finish line of anything we do, even if we are unable to see the finish line. We will discuss drive, determination, and tenacity. We will learn techniques to develop persistence, so we can move forward even when we feel we cannot move further on our path to wellness. We will talk about success and how to bring things to fruition. We will learn spiritual practices to employ when despondency arises.
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Lesson 11
Punctuality
We will learn about respect for ourselves and others as part of lasting recovery. We will learn about integrity. We will talk about the idea “The Way We Do Anything is the Way We Do Everything.” We will talk about the value of time and how to create sacred space. We will talk about gratitude for opportunities to have somewhere to go and/or someone to meet. We will talk about positive and negative character traits and how to choose the former and release the latter.
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Lesson 12
Passion
We will learn about the types of fire that fuel recovery. We will answer these questions: Where do they come from? How do we keep them burning? When we wish to go out and help others, where will strength come from? How will we keep our interest and verve for recovery fresh, exciting, and joyful as sober days turn to weeks, months, then years? We will discuss how to stay on the course of recovery rather than returning to old, familiar choices that can lead to addiction.
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Lesson 13
Presence
We will learn to develop presence as a gift we give to ourselves and others. We will learn to calm ourselves and how this is essential to lasting recovery. We will learn the silence and breadth of solitude. We will discuss practical ways to embrace stillness. We will learn that recovery does not typically happen or manifest within a mind filled with noise and chaos, a mind consumed with past regret or future anxiety, or a mind pointed in many directions. We will learn techniques to come home to the present moment so we can clear, quiet, and fortify the mind.
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Lesson 14
Willingness
We will learn that recovery is something we must be willing to go to any length to achieve. We will revisit the idea “The Way We Do Anything is the Way We Do Everything” in regard to willingness. We will learn that willingness is not merely readiness to act but also courageousness and enthusiasm to follow through with something once a task is undertaken. We will also learn to think in new ways so we never tire in our pursuit of happiness.
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Lesson 15
Humility
We will learn the essential idea that humility is not something we can find, buy, or strive after, rather something that comes to us when the right conditions arise and align. We will learn the difference between humility and humiliation. We will learn how to cultivate humility by thinking of others and taking actions related to self-sacrifice and kindness.
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Lesson 16
Humanity
We will learn how humanity is connected to humility and honesty. We will realize addiction is no respecter of persons. We will learn to recognize emotions and feelings beneath the details of addiction; to see similarities, not differences among people in recovery; to remain open to modes of therapy, treatments, and spiritual practices. We will come to understand that if we feel unique in our dis-ease or addiction, we will unlikely find lasting recovery until we can connect with others through fellowship or unity.
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Lesson 17
Congruency
We will talk about proper alignment of thoughts and actions. We will learn to be the same person in all situations rather than being untrue to ourselves. We will look at how we speak and work in the world and if the things we do are connected to who we truly are and our purpose for being here. We will discuss how to think, speak, and act in ways that strengthen our recovery.
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Lesson 18
Commitment
We will look at ways to be strong in our choices and how to follow through with decisions. We will look at places in our lives where unwillingness to commit to things or people has been hurtful to us and others. We will see that commitment is a key component to lasting recovery, yet achieved one day at a time.
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Lesson 19
Concentration
We will discuss the importance of what we concentrate on and how the things we focus on shape our perspective. We will learn techniques to concentrate on what matters most for successful relationships and recovery. We will discuss the idea "where attention goes, energy flows." We will talk about healthy things worthy of single-pointed focus, or concentration.
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Lesson 20
Meditation
We will go deeper into the realms of meditation to examine who we are here to be. We will examine our past – things we have done, people we have met – and learn how all things lead to the present moment. We will also imagine our future – things we wish to accomplish, people we wish to know – and learn how all present actions lead to the future. We will focus on the present moment as the pathway to peace.
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Lesson 21
Compassion
We will learn to care for personal sufferings and collective pains of others. We will learn to release past shame, guilt, and remorse. We will learn to make compassion a viable entity, rather than a vague concept. We will learn to move through each day seeking opportunities to love and serve others as a means to practice engaged compassion. We will learn meditation techniques to generate feelings of compassion for ourselves, others, enemies, and all beings everywhere.
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Lesson 22
Mindfulness
We will learn how we nourish the mind, body, and spirit. We will learn differences between mindfulness and obsession; compulsion and effortlessness; and misguided attention and misdirected affection. We will learn mindfulness techniques from many traditions, which will enhance the significance of our recovery. We will revisit the idea that “where attention goes, energy flows.”
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Lesson 23
Simplicity
In this lesson, we will talk about how to leave chaos and the static of life behind us. We will look at ways to be more intentional with our words and actions. We will discuss things we can do to enhance the quality or our lives, rather than add to the quantity of things we consume or collect. We will take an inventory to see what is useful in our lives.
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Lesson 24
Gratitude
We will learn to cultivate a heart of gratitude. We will learn how to show gratitude for family, friends, health, breath, mind, body, and spirit. We will discuss gratitude as an experiential practice that allows us to anchor our recovery within a peaceful place of benevolence. We will look at gratitude as a foundational stone to lasting recovery.
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Lesson 25
Contentment
We will discuss how to be content with what we have when we have it. We will find ways to remain present, cultivate joy for the people around us, and appreciate our health. We will look at why we are unable to be content and the ramifications of chasing after outer things to find contentment. We will realize all we need for contentment is a shift in perspective.
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Lesson 26
Wholeness
We will learn what it means to be sober in all areas of life – mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. We will talk about nutrition. We will talk about health of the mind. We will talk about creating a work-life recovery balance. We will introduce practices that create a sense of wholeness individually and within a community of like-minded seekers.
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Lesson 27
Community
We will look at ways community is represented throughout many cultures. We will discuss the need to have like-minded peers or friends. We will look at leaders who cannot lead without community supporting them. We will discuss the importance of having people in our lives who know our truth and whose truth we know, too. We will discuss the safety of sacred or beloved community and how community allows for individual and collective growth and transformation.
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Lesson 28
Service
We will learn how to best serve others as a means to enrich personal recovery. We will discuss how to give to others what it is we find within our own recovery. We will learn how other-centeredness and selflessness fortify recovery. We will talk about the roles of sponsor, mentor, and spiritual advisor. We will discuss myriad ways to be of service without attachment to the results of the actions.
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Lesson 29
Authenticity
We will discuss how recovery allows for our authentic self to emerge. We will talk about how to live life as the person we are here to be. We will talk about what happens when we do not live our purpose. We will discuss what happens when we allow others to speak for us. We will realize that recovery is a gateway to living our authentic purpose in life.
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Lesson 30
Vigilance
We will discuss the importance of having a program of action in recovery. We will integrate our lessons as a design for living. We will talk about what happens when we let up on or forget about our program of action in recovery. Moving forward, this lesson sets the path for what is to come next when we implement these principles into all our affairs.
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