Podcasts about re20

Today we have Santino. He is 37 years old from Taunton, MA and took his last drink on May 24th, 2022.   This episode brought to you by Better Help – 10% off of your first month Exact Nature use code RE20 to save 20% off your order   Recovery Elevator has merch! We have hoodies, patches, shirts, tank tops and bracelets. Help us keep this project going and shred the shame!   Last call for registration to our sober travel trip to Peru. Registration closes tomorrow June 3rd.   A study on the state of restaurants revealed that 40% of restaurants in 2025 plan to dedicate more space on their menus for alcohol-free drink offerings. And Door Dash reported an 82% jump in non-alcoholic beer orders in 2025 alone. Things are changing and they are changing fast!   [03:29] Thoughts from Paul:   On episode 527, Paul talked about how Gallitin County, Montana is the drunkest place in America. Ironically, this is where much of this podcast is recorded, and this is where Paul got sober. We are reminded that quitting drinking can happen wherever, whenever, regardless of how drunk we think our cities/counties/states are.   Recently Paul read in a newsletter about a local event that said, “come join us for a night of alcohol-free country line dancing, swing dancing and two step”. Paul reached out to the organization putting it on and they thanked him for his support and said that they believe that country, swing and line dancing shouldn't be exclusive to bars.   We at Recovery Elevator couldn't agree more. Rule 22 for the win!   [08:18] Paul introduces Santino:   This is Santino's fourth appearance on the podcast. He first appeared on episode 397, and then returned for episodes 449 and 491.   Santino is 37 years old, has been married for 10 years and they have two children aged six and almost one. He is originally from the Midwest but currently lives in Massachusetts. Santino is currently working on writing a memoir regarding his childhood.   Drinking got out of control for Santino in his late twenties when he realized he was becoming a daily drinker. Trying to moderate didn't work as the line in the sand got further and further away for him and he was drinking in isolation. Santino says before he could reconcile with the fact that he didn't know how to stop, he had to first define what an alcoholic was.   Santino had dabbled in AA in the past while in active addiction as well as during a court order after a DUI. He never identified with it because he wasn't ready to quit. After reconciling that he had a problem, he started going to AA regularly and participated in the meetings. Santino really resonated with the idea of a higher power.   The first six months into his recovery Santino says he struggled with shame. Coming to terms with his past is something that he knows he will be living with indefinitely.   Santino works in the addiction field and understands that relapses can be part of many people's recovery. And while he feels that relapse isn't a bad thing but is greatly stigmatized.   Santino says the most profound healing that took place when he stopped drinking was his perception of himself. He stopped putting so much stock into how other people viewed him.   To put his years of sobriety in terms of themes, Santino shares that the first year was “darkness” the second year was “climbing” and the third year so far has been “practice”.   Since Santino's last interview he has welcomed his second son, continued to work on his relationships, still has the same job with the homeless and people with addictions, and working on being the best dad he can be to his two sons.   Santino's parting piece of guidance: you have to treat sobriety like you would treat anything else delicate in your life. It requires carefulness, it requires mindfulness, but it also requires full vulnerability.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You have got to take the stairs back up. You can do this.   RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes       

Today we have Jenny. She is 53 yeas old from Belgrade, MT and took her last drink on August 25th, 2015.   This episode brought to you by Better Help – 10% off of your first month   Exact Nature use code RE20 to save 20% off your order     The message that alcohol is good for you is outdated. Paul shares an article from GQ that was released shortly after the World Health Organization declared that no amount of alcohol is safe for you.   WELCOME to all our new listeners to the RE podcast!   [03:56] Thoughts from Paul:   In the interviews on this podcast, you've heard the word nature probably hundreds of times as a powerful tool to help overcome an addiction.   Today Paul shares with us a specific free tool that can enhance your experience in nature: the Merlin bird app.   There is science behind how birding can help you heal. Listening to birds reduces cortisol, slows your heart rate and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which calms us.   The opposite of addiction is connection, and Paul shares that he feels a connection to some of his local birds. He encourages us to give birds a chance as they have the capacity to take our connection to nature to the next level.   [08:03] Paul introduces Jenny:   Jenny was originally a guest on episode 86.   Jenny lives in Belgrade, MT and says teaching fitness classes is her passion. She enjoys music, her chickens, playing golf and pickleball, and loves concerts and comedy as well.   Jenny had her first drink when she was just nine years old. Her parents drank socially and any time there was a party at their house, she and her brother or friends would sneak alcohol. In high school, she and her friends didn't participate in activities, so they just drank and dabbled with marijuana and hallucinogens.   Jenny moved from Helena to Bozeman to attend college and it was then when the drinking and drug use ramped up. While working in a restaurant, Jenny says drinking after work was common, and she was later introduced to harder drugs which she used for several years.   Jenny quit the harder drugs but drinking remained. It ebbed and flowed after she got married and had kids. Her drinking escalated when her husband became a firefighter and would work very long shifts. This time was stressful for Jenny with multiple young children and battling postpartum anxiety. Over time Jenny would start drinking earlier in the day but felt she was very high functioning therefore didn't see her drinking as a problem.   Jenny began to realize that her drinking was becoming an issue, but no one said anything to her, so she decided to quit on her own without telling anyone. She didn't attend AA and just used exercise and podcasts to help her quit. It took a bit for others to notice, but she was confident in her decision in spite of them insisting that she didn't have a problem.   In 2016, Jenny learned she had stage 2 breast cancer. She says that it was aggressively treated and once in remission, she didn't know what to do with herself. She started running half marathons and decided to use her degree in exercise and wellness and started teaching exercise classes which she loves.   Recently, Jenny and her husband hit a rough patch, and they have been attending counseling. Their counselor told Jenny they thought she might be a dry drunk and suggested she start the AA program. Jenny says she needed to hear that and has recently began going to AA and has gotten a sponsor who she is about to tackle step work with. Jenny also has learned that she suffers from several different disorders that have given her a lot of “a-ha” moments about who she is.   Jenny shares her journey with the world now. She believes being our authentic selves is most important. Jenny has learned that she needs to protect her mental health and her sobriety above all.   Jenny's parting piece of guidance: listen to that inner voice.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up. I love you guys.   RE on Instagram RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes       

RE20 - 1494 - Cosmología: ¿Es nuestro universo un holograma reflejo de otra dimensión? Universo de Misterios tiene reservado el derecho de admisión y publicación de comentarios. Generalmente, los comentarios anónimos no serán publicados. Si haces comentarios con afirmaciones dudosas, arguméntelas aportando enlaces a fuentes fiables (este muro NO es una red social). Contacto con Universo de Misterios: universodemisteriospodcast@gmail.com La imagen de la miniatura que ilustra este episodio ha sido creada con la ayuda de una Inteligencia Artificial. Puedes hacerte Fan de Universo de Misterios y apoyarlo económicamente obteniendo acceso a todos los episodios cerrados, sin publicidad, desde 1,99 €, pero, si prefieres una tarifa plana en iVoox, consulta estos enlaces: https://www.ivoox.vip/premium?affiliate-code=397358271cac193abb25500d6dffa669 https://www.ivoox.vip/premium?affiliate-code=151a00607cbb1cb51c715a0e5ba841d2 https://www.ivoox.vip/plus?affiliate-code=af18e7aba430f5e6cd6342407a3b2cb9 Aunque a algunas personas, a veces, puede proporcionar una falsa sensación de alivio, la ignorancia nunca es deseable. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

RE20 - 1495 - Paleoantropología: La Estirpe Humana. Universo de Misterios tiene reservado el derecho de admisión y publicación de comentarios. Generalmente, los comentarios anónimos no serán publicados. Si haces comentarios con afirmaciones dudosas, arguméntelas aportando enlaces a fuentes fiables (este muro NO es una red social). Contacto con Universo de Misterios: universodemisteriospodcast@gmail.com La imagen de la miniatura que ilustra este episodio ha sido creada con la ayuda de una Inteligencia Artificial. Puedes hacerte Fan de Universo de Misterios y apoyarlo económicamente obteniendo acceso a todos los episodios cerrados, sin publicidad, desde 1,99 €, pero, si prefieres una tarifa plana en iVoox, consulta estos enlaces: https://www.ivoox.vip/premium?affiliate-code=397358271cac193abb25500d6dffa669 https://www.ivoox.vip/premium?affiliate-code=151a00607cbb1cb51c715a0e5ba841d2 https://www.ivoox.vip/plus?affiliate-code=af18e7aba430f5e6cd6342407a3b2cb9 Aunque a algunas personas, a veces, puede proporcionar una falsa sensación de alivio, la ignorancia nunca es deseable. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. In here: 1- Carrying weight more safely - When picking up weight in front of your body, embrace the core (tighten the abdomen); - it gives you more stability, so you are more capable to do the task. 2- Microphone types a) by connection i) USB: connects directly to the computer, in the universal serial bus port. Plug and use! ii) XLR: needs a USB audio interface , with XLR input, to connect to the computer. There are more options of microphones and, if you can spend on an interface, quality is generally better. XLR connectors: female (left) and male. ( Image by Michael Piotrowski / Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 3.0 .) b) by diaphragm i) condenser: captures the voice in more detail, with deeper bass, more detailed treble… Most of the USB microphones uses this technology. As a disadvantage, they catch even minimal sound details of the environment, vibrating with little sound waves around, even distant. That's why you might get as recording result the clear details of noise from the street, or reverberation (echo) of an untreated room if you use it without the best environment. (If it's ok for you even in these situations, it's a merit of other factors, not a merit of the condenser diaphragm) . Usage : A favorite of singers in studio, among several other applications. As you can see on videos of professionals singing, one don't talk on top of it (which might produce a low and undesired muffled sound) but on the side — and on the correct side, because most models of microphones have a cardioid pollar pattern. A side-adress microphone (captures the sound from one specific side), condenser-type. (Image by Arthur Fox / https://mynewmicrophone.com/diaphragm.) ii) dynamic: responds to the audio source (voice, instrument) very close to the diaphragm, do not capture sound more than some centimeters (or some inches) away. It's the best for amateur use, or in a room without acoustic treatment. Usage : Musicians performing live use dynamic microphones so the instruments (and crowd) around don't get their sound amplified by this artist's microphone. Radios prefer dynamic mics, because it goes to a more impactful voice, rejects eventual sounds from noisy mixers or keyboards nearby that the radio host might be operating. A top-adress microphone (captures the sound from the top), dynamic-type. (Image by Arthur Fox / https://mynewmicrophone.com/diaphragm.) The RE20 from Electro-Voice (not the photo above) is a favorite of radio stations, in part for being dynamic, in part for reducing the proximity effect (that is, the sound “exploding” when the source gets too near to the capsule) because of its technology, named Variable-D. A word about captation pattern (no, the name is polar pattern): it says about the directional response. For example, some are omnidirectional (captures sound equally from all the sides); most of them are cardioid, capturing the sound coming from the front (the speaker, the instrument directed to it), but rejects sound from the rear. 3- Microsoft Word (or Libreoffice Writer) “templates” - So, you do use templates for text archives, to facilitate the doing of commonly used documents. To know what to change, you highlight in yellow, right? Or do you put the text in red? - Well, my recommendation is to use, instead, * or {} : asterisk, curly brackets or any other symbol that you can type easily and not use as text in any document. . So you can easily find what is the part you have to change or write, and only delete the * when you do that part. At the end, you can check if there is any * remaining, if not, the document is ready. - So, isnt' it the same with colors, to indicate what to change in the document? . No. For formatting you need to use your vision (and may lose something) and have to remove the formatting manually. It's possible to use the Find tool, but not as easily as finding a character. To illustrate: print of an official document template for the bidding process for information and communication technology services. (Author: Brazil, Advocacia-Geral da União. Modelos da Lei 14.133/21 para bens e serviços de TIC. Link: https://www.gov.br/agu/pt-br/composicao/cgu/cgu/modelos/licitacoesecontratos/14133/bens-e-servicos-de-tic). Changes to be made were marked in red and italics, but brackets [] and “XXXX” were used also. - Ah: . there are forms, real templates you can use, but, hey, if you're part of the 90% that saves “templates” in the common format (.docx, .odt) and does not use the very special tools for the template kind of document, knowing and using some tips like this is ok and is satisfying. - Not on templates, but in editing, I have worked on the revision of books using this, to know where to come back later to check, or where I have stopped on some day, with good result. Extra: give a look on the comment options, they are easy to use and practical, see if you adapt with it for your necessities. 4- A recooording tip - Always record at least 3 seconds, totally quiet, before starting the show (that is, before talking). This “silence” is the room tone, which you may use: . as adequate silence in the editing proccess (in place of a cut part), or . you may take it for noise reduction profile IF needed, or . which you can only delete in the end if you don't find what to do with it. - Recording knowledge number 2 and final: save an uncompressed version of the raw of your recording, and keep it intact. Work on copies, keep the original saved as .wav (or, if prefered, .flac). 5- Permissions for apps Be careful with free apps. Don't install any and everything. See their permissions. - Ads? Why more things being offered to you, trying to give insatisfaction? If there is an option without ads, you may prefer. . Also, the ad system of some apps uses more battery (downloading different ads, sending more information of you to personalize ads, using the notification system, meaning running in the background). - In-app purchases: with it, you'll get angry with an app, because it's not free to do what you thought it would do when you installed. And it may use recurring payments, pay for each feature, and worst, you don't know beforehand. If it's to pay, prefer the ones you buy (once) in the download and has no in-app purchases. - With apps in that you input your data (like e2ee, or “e2ee” communicating, or browsers): see permissions, what data they keep and share, or at least choose open source and well-renowed developers. - Please don't download any app that promises performance enhancement. The system (Android or iOS) is already optimized for what it is, third party apps can do little or, most commonly, nothing, and is more space and features loading your system. . Want speed? Delete the apps that are not absolutely necessary (I'm talking to you, solitaire game with access to internet and that notifies you to play from time to time), or disable notifications of every app and put them to deep sleep (so they don't run in background, only when you open them). - So much said, let's take it in one sentence: install only what needed, and see permissions and ads before choosing. 6- Mobile phone battery - You use your phone all day and still have more than 20% of battery? Or recharges 2 times a day? (or 3!) - If it's the last option, and your phone is less than 3 years old and you never use uncertified chargers, you can try to have a worry-free all-day phone usage doing what said before: disabling apps that run in the background (uninstall, or put to deep sleep). It's a one by one process, but once for all. . If it's this way because of intense use, nothing to do; enjoy your product! ✶ Final word We did not enter on details: no explanations or reasons abounding, no. We didn't even go to number 7 , which would be perfection ; because I have not a seventh good idea. Only the bits of what I think I know & that I value as precious. A hug! bye! Credits: sound used (author – sound) luvvoice.com , English (Nigeria), Abeo (Male) voice – tts “20 minutes show”. luvvoice.com , English (UK), Ryan (Male) voice – tts on the paragraph about polar pattern of microphones. Crab_Audio / Pixabay – My Style [Transitions] freesound_community / Pixabay – Dictaphone . Robinhood76 / Freesound.org – 01893 do it again spell (CC-BY-NC 4.0). attic13 / Pixabay – calm background piano [beautiful, thank you; I hope the simple use here honors your work, friend]. SieuAmThanh / Freesound.org – RớtĐônHổ [angry expression] (CC0 1.0). patchen / Freesound.org – Beautiful 85 (CC BY 4.0). Provide feedback on this episode.

RE20 - 1397 - Planetas Circumbinarios. Universo de Misterios tiene reservado el derecho de admisión y publicación de comentarios. Generalmente, los comentarios anónimos no serán publicados. Contacto con Universo de Misterios: universodemisteriospodcast@gmail.com La imagen de la miniatura que ilustra este episodio ha sido creada con la ayuda de una Inteligencia Artificial. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Make Your Mic Matter: My Top Podcast Microphone Picks Your microphone is the most critical piece of podcasting equipment, yet too many podcasters are using the wrong one—or using it the wrong way. In this episode, I'll help you choose the best microphone for your podcast, no matter your budget. We're talking about: Why your microphone can make or break your podcast. The truth about the Blue Yeti and Joe Rogan's Shure SM7B. - If it's too late and you already bought the Yeti - WATCH THIS video on how to use the YETI properly - https://youtu.be/0W7B7kxQdmc My top 3 microphone recommendations for beginners, intermediate podcasters, and pros. Plus, I'll share tips on how to optimize your sound with simple tweaks to your recording environment and technique. Whether you're just starting out or looking to upgrade, this episode will help you sound like a pro. Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode: My Recommended Microphones Free Coaching Call Invest in your podcast's success and discover how the right microphone can elevate your sound, your authority, and your impact. Let's make your mic matter! Ready to upgrade your podcast mic setup? Check out my recommendations and get started sounding better today.

441-1-audmk2nop - RE20 - 1292 - Cómo es el interior de Urano y Neptuno - Objetos que acompañan a la Tierra por algún tiempo - Expe.Triple Rendija Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

RE20 - 1275 - ¿Es nuestro universo un espejismo holográfico reflejo de otra dimensión? - La cosmología moderna describe con un alto grado de precisión la historia del universo. Sin embargo, algunas preguntas fundamentales continúan sin respuesta. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

RE20 - 1216 - SETI: ¿Podríamos encontrar extraterrestres terraformando otros mundos? ¡Vota por Universo de Misterios en los Premios Ivoox: https://go.ivoox.com/wv/premios24?c=1753 Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Episode 497 – I Can't – You Can – Take It   Today we have Shelby. She is 38 years old and from Windsor Ontario. She took her last drink on December 23rd, 2023.   Sponsors for this episode:   Visit Better Help today to get 10% off your first month   Visit Exact Nature use code RE20 to save 20% off of your order   [04:10] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul seeks to soften the entry point to AA and simplify the first three steps.  For many the steps are intimidating. They are nebulous, part dogmatic and for some there are simply too many God or higher power references. But the do make it clear many times that this God (higher power) is of your understanding. You can even use a red stapler as your higher power – they will fully support you.   The first three steps of AA: 1)    We admitted we are powerless over alcohol 2)    We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity 3)    We decided to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.   Which can be broken down to: 1)    I can't 2)    You can 3)    Take it   Paul says he feels the most powerful part of AA isn't the God stuff, it's the group. The group is always stronger than the individual.   I can't, the group can. Here you go. I'll see you all again tomorrow.   [10:18] Paul introduces Shelby:   Shelby is 38 years old, lives in Windsor Ontario and works for a car manufacturer on the assembly line. For fun Shelby enjoys all sports, camping and hiking.   In high school Shelby was very athletic. When she was 15, she decided to focus on hockey and made it onto a junior team. She learned about hockey culture and part of that is drinking and partying. Due to traveling and playing hockey Shelby didn't have time to drink much during high school. While attending a development camp for hockey, Shelby had an injury that put her on the side lines. Throughout her time at Ohio State, doctors would tell her she was fine as she continued to suffer injuries that eventually required surgery. Shelby had dreamed of going to the Olympics and never considered she might not be able to.   She left school early and felt like a failure. Shelby knew her drinking was already an issue, and she needed a change of scenery. Shelby says she didn't have an identity outside of being an athlete. Alcohol and being social became a distraction for her and she avoided playing hockey for a long time.   The older she got; the more Shelby didn't feel like she had accomplished anything. Life after being an athlete was tough for her. Around 30 years old she realized she needed to make some healthy changes. She accepted an offer to play hockey with some friends and ended up getting coaching opportunities afterwards. She decided to do it and since she was getting back in shape, she decided to quit drinking for three months which led to almost two years.   After losing a close uncle, Shelby drank after his funeral. She continued to drink for a few years and tried using moderation techniques. At an alumni game, she was not able to play due to an unhealed injury. She showed up drunk and ended up losing her coaching job. After this she decided to quit drinking again.    Since quitting this time around, Shelby has started attending therapy. This has helped her uncover some of her issues. She does not care for AA and says in the beginning it was hard doing things that she used to do while drinking. Shelby deals with cravings by going for walks, listening to podcasts and using her quit drinking app. She enjoys doing things that she missed out on when she was younger. Shelby also looks forward to trying new things and traveling. Her clarity is so much better, and she loves that she knows she can make plans and keep them.   Shelby's parting piece of guidance: start today and start small and take it slow.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down; we have to take the stairs back up. I love you guys. We can do this.   RE on Instagram RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes   

Episode 496 – One Way Street   Today we have James. He is 40 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia. He took his last drink on November 20th, 2023.   Sponsors for this episode:   Visit Better Help today to get 10% off your first month   Visit Exact Nature use code RE20 to save 20% off of your order   [04:16] Thoughts from Paul:   The Paris Olympic Committee opted to not sell alcohol. They were confident that they could have successfully applied to sell alcohol but still decided not to. In an article from NBC News, it mentioned the following: “While many people enjoy a casual drink, that's not always the case. According to estimates by the French Public Health Society, 49,000 people are killed a year by alcohol consumption, which also causes 120 billion euros in damages.” Them choosing not to sell alcohol proves that things are changing around the globe regarding alcohol consumption.   Expanding on the topic of staying the course from last week's episode, Paul shares that sobriety is a one-way street. He has yet to hear a story where someone with alcohol-free has gone back to drinking and was happy with the decision.   The common theme when it comes to what drove them back to alcohol was that they drifted from the AF community and attended less meetings or stopped altogether. They second part of this is they all said it was not a pleasant experience and many ended up right back where they were.   Do not beat yourself if you do some field research. We often need those reminders to reinforce internally that you made the right decision. Paul says he hasn't met a single person who said they made the wrong choice when they decided to choose an alcohol-free life.   [11:03] Kris introduces James:   James lives in a rural area south of Melbourne, Australia. He is married with two kids, enjoys going to the gym and recently started playing football again.   James says he had a normal upbringing. He put a lot of pressure on himself and felt like he was always being watched. Alcohol entered his life when he was around 14 and drinking helped him turn things off as an escape and he felt freedom.   At 18, James moved out of his parent's home with some older friends and was drinking on extended weekends but still very functional. When he was 20, he ended up moving to London where he felt complete freedom to do whatever he wanted, including living in a pub. James continued the weekend binge drinking with very little consequence.   After moving back to Australia in his late 20's, James started a successful business and met the woman who is now his wife. Over time his feelings of not being “good enough” in many areas of his life were very stressful and found James drinking more to self-medicate and disconnect.   Towards the end of his drinking, James says he and his wife were very disconnected. He was acting out and taking a lot of risks. After confronting him one day, James told her his life was a mess and she told him it was either rehab or leaving. James opted for the easier option of leaving and chose an Airbnb close to a pub where he could drink and gamble. After a few days of this bender, his wife showed up and lovingly took him home. He started doing research but was scared to commit to inpatient care due to running his business.   James eventually found an outpatient treatment that would suit him. He has been alcohol-free ever since. Working on his connections with his family is something James is really proud of. He looks forward to doing the step work with his sponsor in AA and growing stronger spiritually.   James' biggest fear around quitting: feeling his feelings and having to digest them.   James' favorite resources in recovery: Recovery Elevator podcast and a book with spiritual principles for each day that he can meditate on.   James' parting piece of guidance: Stick to it, keep showing up day by day and the magic happens down the track.   We are the only ones that can do this RE, but we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes   

Episode 493 – The War is Over, and I Lost   Today we have Allie. She is 31 and lives in Central, MA. She took her last drink on March 20th, 2024.   There are still a few spots open on our next Alcohol-Free travel trip to Vietnam. This upcoming January 9th-20th, 2025, we're heading to this incredible Southeast Asia paradise for 10 days and 11 nights with 25 travelers who are done nursing hangovers.   Sponsors for this episode:   Visit Better Help today to get 10% off your first month   Exact Nature use promo code RE20 to receive 20% of your order   [03:25] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares that he lost the war with alcohol. It was not for lack of effort… for over ten years, he would get back up and keep fighting, he would implement new strategies to control his drinking, but it didn't matter. He still lost.   He eventually raised the white flag and through the process of deconstruction, Paul says humility entered on its own without invitation. Every day he has to remember just how bad he got his ass kicked.   Through the addiction process, humility is a gift that we receive. Humility is a modest view of one's own self-worth or importance and addiction is the equalizer that puts us all on the same level.   Losing the battle with alcohol is a humbling process which imprints on us a heaping dose of humility, which never leaves.   A big part of today's intro is empowering you to recognize this incredible gift. Once the battle with alcohol is over and humility is gained, we ultimately win.   [10:38] Paul introduces Allie:   Allie is 31 years old, and currently lives in central Massachusetts. She is married and they recently bought a house. For work she is an occupational therapist for students with different learning disabilities. For fun she enjoys the beach, travel, reading and exercise.   Allie started experimenting with alcohol in high school – the typical parties on the weekend. Her parents were big advocates for safety around alcohol and knew that Allie and her brother were at the age of experimentation. Allie knew family members that had issues with alcohol but wasn't worried about them developing for herself.   After college, Allie moved to Boston and started to work. She says she enjoyed the social scene. Initially she didn't drink during the week but on the weekends the excitement of being with friends found her trying to keep the party going when others were fine to stop.   During COVID Allie and her friends would have happy hours over Zoom. Around 2022 was when she first heard the term “sober curious” but said the word “sober” scared her. Allie shares that she had times when she knew she had drank too much and felt some shame and guilt around it. This led her to start listening to podcasts about sobriety and hear stories from others that felt the same way. Allie found listening to other people her age quitting drinking was really motivating and helpful for her to realize she wasn't alone.   Because she wasn't an everyday drinker, she didn't think she had a problem. She would attempt moderation by limiting her drinks and avoiding certain alcohol. Allie quit drinking for stretches of time, but usually because of diet or an upcoming event. It wasn't until one night of overindulgence led to worrying her father when she realized that she needed to quit.   Since quitting, Allie listens to a lot of podcasts, attends therapy and journals regularly to reflect on where she is. Learning about the science has been very helpful to her and she has fostered a great relationship with herself while improving relationships with others. Self-discovery, self-acceptance and self-awareness have helped Allie realize that she is just someone that cannot drink.     Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down; you gotta take the stairs back up. I love you guys.   RE on Instagram RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes   

Episode 492 – Alcohol Isn't the Problem   Today we have Kristi. She is 50 years old and lives in Rome, GA. She took her last drink on December 11th, 2023.   We just opened a few more spots for our upcoming retreat this August 14th through 18th in beautiful Bozeman, MT.    Sponsors for this episode:   Visit Better Help today to get 10% off your first month   Exact Nature use promo code RE20 to receive 20% of your order   [02:19] Thoughts from Paul:   We think this is all about alcohol, but it's not. There are different support groups for many various addictions, and the one thing that they have in common is whatever comes before the word “Anonymous” is not the problem.    Page 64 in the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book states that the liquor was but a symptom. The booze isn't the problem. There are deeper causes and conditions that are manifesting themselves in a drinking problem, gambling problem, shopping problem, etc.   For many of us, alcohol isn't the problem. It is but a symptom of what went down in our infant and toddler years. Childhood trauma (which can be both what happened to us and what didn't happen for us) can leave us with holes that we end up doing anything to fill. Many of those interviewed on this podcast explain that the first drink made them feel whole again.   We drink to change the way we feel and to cover up uncomfortable emotions. Alcohol is being used to cover up deeper issues. This may or may not be what you wanted to hear today, but it's important to keep this podcast real.   TRIGGER WARNING: The upcoming interview references self-harm.   [10:54] Kris introduces Kristi:   Kristi is 50 years old and is a hairstylist in Northwest Georgia. She has a 33 year old daughter with special needs, a partner and three dogs. For fun she enjoys reading, cooking and looks forward to getting back to kayaking.   Kristi says she had a good childhood. Her parents divorced when she was young, and they both remarried when she was around seven. Growing up, Kristi felt like she was on the fringe of being part of the “in” crowd so would do what everyone else was doing to fit in.   Kristi had her first drink when she was around 14 years old. At age 16, she got pregnant and dropped out of school. After she had her daughter, she started experimenting a lot and found herself in and out of destructive relationships.   Around the age of 27, Kristi found herself addicted to opiates. During this time her father, who struggled with mental illness, committed suicide. This sent her on a downward spiral. About a year later she found a place that helped her quit the opiates. She was there for 8 months and when she returned, she drank because she knew that pills were her issue, not alcohol.   Kristi says she was a binge drinker. Alcohol was a way for her to mask the pain of the loss of her father as well as the struggles she had raising a special needs child.   As a hairdresser when COVID happened, she says she went downhill quickly. There was no work and being homebound found her day drinking and over time it started earlier in the day. The day drinking continued after returning to work and she had a few events that led her to seek treatment. It was an up and down experience for her after the first detox, but Kristi never gave up and neither did her family and friends.   After six months of sobriety, Kristi says it feels different this time. She has been leaning into Café RE and reaching out to some other friends to expand her connections. She found this and mediation to be most helpful to her.   Recently Kristi started going to college with the goal of being a counselor. She wants to use what she has been through to help others.   Kristi's favorite resources in recovery: Cafe RE and podcasts.   Kristi's parting piece of guidance: just do it. Life is so much clearer. There are so many things on the edge of your fingertips if you just put down the bottle.   Recovery Elevator Go big, because eventually we all go home. I love you guys.   RE on Instagram RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes   

Episode 488 – Hello Truth   Today we have Christine. She is 58 and lives in Ontario. She took her last drink on December 29th, 2022.   Recovery Elevator is going to Vietnam January 9th-20th, 2025. Registration for our newest alcohol-free travel trip opens July 1st. We have room for 25 passengers on this journey. We have AF workshops, a home stay and a service project planned, plus you'll be traveling with others who have already ditched the booze.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [02:56] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us some articles reminding us of what we already know: alcohol is shit. Society is waking up to the fact that no amount of alcohol is good for you.   In 2023, GQ had an article titled The Year We realize Any Alcohol Is Bad For You.   The World Health Organization, who once supported the stance that one to two drinks per day is beneficial, is now doing an about face.  Their headline was No Level of Alcohol Consumption is Safe For Your Health.   The New York times also had an article further showing that the truth is emerging: Even A Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health.   Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction shares Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Heath.   NBC News shares their take on the fact that drinking moderately is not healthier than abstaining   If you want to join the discussion, go to the Recovery Elevator Instagram page and let us know what your thoughts are on today's intro. Or write to your local politician and let them know that alcohol is shit.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [10:08] Kris introduces Christine:   Christine is 58 years old and has two adult children, two cats, and is divorced. Christine is a massage therapist and enjoys participating in theater and reading in her spare time.   Christine said that she knew there was alcoholism in her family, and her parents didn't drink. She knew it was something that people needed to be careful with.   While at university, she saw her older brother participating in the party scene and believed that drinking was just part of the experience. She started drinking and says that it was like a release valve for her and helped her with her awkwardness.   After marrying her husband, Christine says drinking wasn't part of their life for a long time. The occasional bottle of wine turned into more alcohol towards the end of the marriage.  Upon splitting up and moving to a new community, Christine found a music scene and easy friends there to frequently spend time drinking with.   Christine feels she was leading a double life and not many people knew the extent of her drinking. Her brother noticed and was concerned. Christine started having regret for her drinking and attempted moderation for a while.   Eventually she picked up Allan Carr's book at the bookstore and began taking notes. Toward the end of 2019 she was able to quit for a period of time until the pandemic struck.   Since she was not working and unable to care for her parents as she had been doing, she used the time to drink and felt entitled to the break. After being able to go out again, she started feeling the shame and despair set in. She began to realize she wasn't going out for the music and friends, but for the drinks. After getting sick for two weeks and being unable to drink, something told Christine to take this opportunity to keep going.   Christine found podcasts, YouTube testimonials, and began reading quit lit again feeling called to sobriety. She joined and became active in Café RE. Keeping a list in her phone of her whys and why nots which helped her a lot.   Christine's parting piece of guidance: we shouldn't be asking ourselves if it's bad enough to quit, we should be asking if it's good enough to keep.   Chrstine's plan in sobriety going forward: seeking in-person connections.     Café RE – promo code OPPORTUNITY waives set up fee. RE merch Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes      Recovery Elevator Go big, because eventually we'll all go home. I love you guys.

Episode 485 – The Social Cost of Alcohol   Today we have Jennifer. She is 41 from Hamilton, OT Canada and took her last drink on January 18th, 2024.   Recovery Elevator is going to Vietnam January 9th-20th, 2025. Registration for our newest alcohol-free travel trip opens July 1st.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [02:09] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares some information from an article he saw on the Instagram page recoveryroadmap.me. It discusses how in Canada, despite bringing in $13 billion in tax revenue, the net social costs in 2020 was $19 billion. And it is even worse in the US.   The bright side of all of this is that we are becoming aware of this major deficit, and change is taking place. The demand for alcohol is lowering as people are becoming more aware that alcohol is not good for you. Two years ago, The Huberman Lab did a podcast called What Alcohol Does to Your Body and he debunked the myth that alcohol is good for you.   Paul also shares that thanks to an initiative called Sounds Right, musicians who use natural sounds can list “Nature” as a featured artist and royalties from the tracks will go toward environmental causes.       Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [08:33] Paul introduces Jennifer:   Jennifer is married and they have a daughter and a standard poodle. She works for the family business and for fun she plays paintball, tennis and volleyball – anything active with friends.   Jennifer says that as the “good girl” growing up, she always wanted to be bad and says that drinking fit in with that. During the week she was excelling in school, but on the weekends, she went to raves with friends and started smoking weed. She enjoyed the duality of her life and the same pattern continued at university.   While in her first year of college, her father bought back his company with a ten-year plan of Jennifer becoming the CEO. The stress and responsibility of this and her parents divorce a few years later all found her drinking escalating. Some of her friends told Jennifer's mom about her drinking and staged a small intervention to which Jennifer was not receptive. She assured everyone she was ok, but then just began to isolate when she drank.   After the plan found her becoming the CEO, her drinking went from nights and weekends to drinking all day just to cope. She recognized that this was a problem but was scared to mention it to anyone. This is when she first joined Café RE, started listening to podcasts and trying to learn more about the disease. Jennifer tried a lot of moderation methods but was never successful until she got pregnant with her daughter at 35. She was able to quit drinking while pregnant and a few months after having the baby.   After returning to work, Jennifer says her drinking started right where she left off. She says she was beginning to have disturbing thoughts and finally concluded that she needed help. Not being able to come up with a good way to quit without anyone knowing, she decided to confide in her cousin who she knew would understand.   In January of 2024 at a dinner with her cousin, mom and husband, Jennifer was able to burn the ships, and everyone was very supportive. Upon going to treatment shortly after, Jennifer says she took her recovery very seriously and wanted to make it worth her time.   Journaling and practicing mindfulness are big parts of Jennifer's recovery, she takes time to be present with her daughter and her life, attends meetings and counseling regularly and says stacking habits are important to her growth. Nurturing the sober version of herself has been great for her. Jennifer can see a future now   Jennifer's best sober moment: Walking my daughter to school and being present.   Jennnifer's parting piece of guidance: Don't be afraid to ask for help.     Café RE – promo code OPPORTUNITY waives set up fee. RE merch Instagram   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes      Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.

In this episode I detail my production workflow for my new show, Fractal Bitcoin. I publish daily episodes both as video and audio-only. Fractal Bitcoin covers Bitcoin news and other Bitcoin topics.  Overview my current audio equipment setup:  RE20 microphone — https://products.electrovoice.com/na/en/re20/ sE Electronics DM1 Dynamite Active Inline Preamp — https://seelectronics.com/products/dm1/ Neve Portico II Channel Strip — https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/rupert-neve-designs-portico-ii-channel Sound Devices MixPre-6 Gen.1 — https://www.sounddevices.com/product/mixpre-6/ Overview my production workflow:  Gather posts and news stories from Nostr, X and a few other industry websites. (Takes me around 2 hours)  Order all the posts and stories for the shownotes.  Create a title for the episode.  Create a 16x9 thumbnail for the episode using ChatGPT which uses DALL-E 3 to generate images. — https://chatgpt.com/ Restart my computer.  Arrange all the browser tabs.  Open OBS Studio and do a short test recording. (My audio levels, video camera and lighting stay the same everyday)  I record my episode as if it's LIVE to a .mov file at 1920x1080, 60 frames per second, video bitrate at 16,000 kbps, and audio bitrate at 2304 kbps. (My average video is about 15 min. long, which ends up being around a 2Gb .mov file)  First I produce the video: Process the audio in iZotope RX:  Make it a mono file, usually Silence any lipsmacks and noises (can't delete anything because the audio has to line up with the video) Level it to -16.5 LUFS mono or -13.5 LUFS stereo (for video) Save it as a 32-bit .wav file Bring the raw video and processed audio into Screenflow. Usually I don't need to make any edits but sometimes I do. — https://www.telestream.net/screenflow/overview.htm Render the video as a .mp4 file at 1920x1080, 60 frames per second, video bitrate at 16,000 kbps, and audio bitrate at 256 kbps and audio sample rate at 48kHz. (The resulting file size ends up being the same as the raw video recording — about 2Gb for a 15 min. long file)  Upload and publish the video to YouTube, Rumble, Bitchute, TikTok, and Flare.pub (a Nostr platform to which I upload a smaller 960x540 version) I promote my YouTube video on Nostr, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and a few other platforms.  I also post the Youtube link to my Locals community that I'm growing.  I also use Opus Clip to create 5 shorts from each of my daily videos. I post all 5 to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok and LinkedIn. — https://www.opus.pro/ Then I produce the audio-only podcast: I edit the audio a bit:  Remove any isolated umms and flubs Reduce the length of any dead air, if there is any, in order to speed up the pacing slightly.  Level it to -18.5 LUFS mono or -15.5 LUFS stereo (for audio-only podcast)  Save it as a 32-bit .wav file as well as an .mp3 file (96 kbps mono or 192 kbps stereo).  Tag the .mp3 using ID3 Editor. — http://www.pa-software.com/id3editor/ Upload .mp3 to Captivate along with shownotes and publish. — https://www.captivate.fm/ For my website I use Podpage which automatically brings in each podcast episode from Captivate as a blog post. I'm able to quickly optimize the post, add the YouTube video, and add images, etc. — https://www.podpage.com/ FRACTAL BITCOIN LINKS:  YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@fractalbitcoin Rumble — https://rumble.com/c/c-5471042 Twitter — https://twitter.com/fractalBitcoin Nostr — https://nostr.com/npub1jz42cy8qxw6dres86sn0cr42hww24pnjqssa4k9wxqvzm5l0mvqsq2f5ku Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/fractalbitcoin/ A GREAT BITCOIN RESOURCE:  BOOK — The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous — https://saifedean.com/tbs OTHER NOTES: The start date for the next PES semester is JUNE 4, 2024! (fyi, the course is delivered once per quarter) Check out the PES YouTube channel. My smaller course for editors/producers who want higher-paying clients: Getting New Clients at Higher Rates.  Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris

Episode 480 – AF Legends   Today we have Emily. She is 31 and lives in Raleigh, NC. She has been sober since March 17th, 2019.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [02:26] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us a list of his favorite AF (Alcohol Free) legends.   Included in the list is a man named Barry he met on the Gold Coast of Australia who taught him it's the little things in life that create the most beautiful textures in life.   Another AF legend is Bill Wilson who together with Dr. Bob would become founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.   Paul also includes the 480 rock stars wo have shared their story on this podcast. Our interviewees have realized that for them to be successful, they have to help others. Thank you to all of the interviewees on the podcast.   Included in the list is Paul's dog Ben. He taught him unconditional love.   And above all else, Paul feels the number one AF legend is the universe. It has provided everything he has needed for wholeness, happiness, and wellbeing. Even when being handed a roundhouse kick to the kidney, the universe only does so with the goal of promoting growth or to illuminate a better path.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [10:46] Kris introduces Emily:   Emily is 31 years old, and lives in Raleigh, NC. She has a Husky named Yogi and she works in water treatment. For fun she enjoys attending music festivals and concerts.   Emily says she is an adopted only child and grew up with wonderful parents that were always supportive. It was a religious household and while Emily feels she learned some great values through that, as she got older, she wanted to rebel a bit. Drinking with the older crowd was how she chose to do that and feels that she always drank to get drunk and didn't see the point of drinking otherwise.   After high school Emily would have rather gone to the military instead of going to college, which was what was expected of her. She decided to go to school and join the reserves instead. Shortly after turning 18, she got a DUI which ruined the military path for her. School became a big party for Emily, and she ended up failing out of school. Emily was watching her peers graduate, start families and begin careers and she wasn't sure what she was doing. She feels that this led to her drinking more to cope with the lost feelings she had. She would end up having two more DUI's before she was 23.   While dealing with the consequences of these DUI's, Emily went to rehab in Texas for 30 days. It was the first time she realized that she might have a problem but still wasn't certain. After leaving inpatient treatment she started an outpatient program and was living in a sober house. She ended up transitioning to California and was excited to have a new start. Gradually drinking started back up for Emily and she ended up moving back to North Carolina because of how expensive it was where she was living.   After serving her probation from the DUIs, Emily found herself drinking again, but says it wasn't as much as before. She was beginning to start working on her health with nutrition and exercise. Emily says that alcohol wasn't fitting into her goals, so it slowly tapered off. She had one last hangover after St Patrick's Day and decided she no longer wanted to feel that way anymore.   While working on sobriety, Emily learned that a friend from rehab had passed, and she used it as fuel to keep going. She was looking for podcasts and found Recovery Elevator. Listening to people's stories really helped her and she started participating in communities learning that she was not alone.     Emily's favorite resource in recovery: people   Emily's parting piece of guidance: Be proud of the days that you don't give up and celebrate even the small wins.       Café RE – promo code OPPORTUNITY waives set up fee. RE merch Instagram   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes      Recovery Elevator We're the only ones that can do this RE, but we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! RE20 y RE27 noagu - knt2a/k27 - ¿Cuán posible es que el océano de Europa albergue vida? ¿Qué grosor podría tener la costra helada que lo cubre? Ligeramente más pequeño que la Luna, Europa está compuesto principalmente por silicatos, tiene una corteza de hielo de agua ​ y un probable núcleo de hierro y níquel. Cuenta con una tenue atmósfera compuesta de oxígeno, entre otros gases. Su superficie está estriada por grietas y rayas, mientras que los cráteres son relativamente raros. Tiene la superficie más lisa de cualquier objeto conocido del sistema solar. Esta aparente juventud y suavidad ha dado lugar a la hipótesis de que existe un océano debajo de la superficie, el cual podría servir de morada para la vida.​ Esta hipótesis propone que el calor de las fuerzas de marea causa que el océano se mantenga líquido y conduzca la actividad geológica igual que lo harían las placas tectónicas.​ El 8 de septiembre de 2014 la NASA informó de que había encontrado pruebas que apoyaban indicios tempranos de placas tectónicas en la gruesa cubierta helada de Europa, la primera señal de tal actividad geológica en otro mundo distinto de la Tierra.​ El 12 de mayo de 2015, varios científicos anunciaron que la sal marina del océano subsuperficial podía estar cubriendo algunas características geológicas de Europa, lo que sugiere que el océano está interactuando con el fondo del mar. Esto puede ser importante para determinar si el satélite podría ser apto para la vida. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Episode 465 – Drink Responsibly?     Today we have Kevin. He is 44 years old and lives in Cleveland, OH. He took his last drink on April 28th, 2018.   I want to give a shout out to our DRY January REstore cohort. We're 1/2 way there, you all are doing a fantastic job, I'll see you all tonight.   On January 27th we start our six-week alcohol-free ukelele course. This course is brought to you by Kala Brand.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [03:09] Thoughts from Paul:   One of the main goals at Recovery Elevator is to soften the stigma surrounding alcohol addiction and recovery. Another goal is to give listeners permission to shred the shame and recover our authentic selves along the way.   The phrase “Drink Responsibly” is such a cop out and doesn't do anything but place blame on the drinker. Alcohol is the most addictive drug on the planet, and you won't see other drugs proclaiming that you use the substance responsibly. We can do the “Drink Responsibly” thing way better and at the same time bring more people together in community from both sides of the aisle to heal.   A favorite NA beverage company of Paul's, GO Brewing and Recovery Elevator have partnered up to release 180 six packs of their award-winning Sunbeam Pilsner. GO Brewing was started by a fellow member in the recovery space, Joe Chura. This is two companies who have a similar goal, uniting, in attempts to shred the shame around alcohol addiction.   Pick up your limited edition RE Sunbeam Pils, use the code elevator at checkout for 15% off and free shipping on orders over $40.   Andrew Huberman – What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [10:20] Paul introduces Kevin:   Kevin is 44 years old and lives in Cleveland area, he is the head of coaching for the Reframe app and a former accountant. Kevin is married and for fun he enjoys attending his daughter's sporting events, reading and just relaxing when he isn't working.   Kevin says his drinking began in college where he was in a fraternity and played sports. His drinking transferred into his career where there was a lot of stress, happy hours, and deadline parties where binge drinking was a way to socialize.   Kevin and his wife got married when he was 23 and had their daughter when he was 27. His drinking increased as a way to cope with the high stress of his career. After some blood work found him diagnosed with fatty liver, he tried moderation and different attempts at taking breaks from alcohol.   Without much success at controlling his drinking on his own, Kevin eventually decided to look into therapy with his wife's support. He developed a journaling practice and would talk with his therapist while working on quitting and made it 60 days.    Several work and life events found Kevin trying to moderate the drinking again. He made the decision to commit to 61 days and then continued to extend the timeline. Kevin was reading a lot and listening to podcasts. His therapist helped him a lot as well. He started an Instagram page for himself, but after some time decided to go public and share more. He got a lot of positive feedback which fueled him to try and start recovery coaching. He became involved with Reframe app soon after.   Kevin's best sober moment: his first sober concert with his daughter.   Kevin's parting piece of guidance: practice. Find a platform that resonates with you and keep practicing.   Instagram  Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator Go big, because eventually we all go home. I love you guys.

Episode 462 – To Have is to Give     Today we have Tana. She is 44 years old and lives in Washington State. She took her last drink on July 30th, 2020.   Registration for our DRY January course RESTORE is now open! It's time to get your alcohol-free connect on and say adios to the booze. Our first session is Monday, January 1st at 5 pm PST or 8 pm EST.  The most common issue I hear is that people don't have a network of others who don't drink. Well, Our Restore is going to solve that and you're going to learn all about alcohol, alcohol addiction, and how to beat it.   Paul shares an article where scientists say the mystery of how red wine headaches occur may be solved. Paul's opinion is that it's a waste of time, but here's the link for curiosity's sake.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [03:40] Thoughts from Paul:   In 1935, A.A. Founder Bill W, found that when he shared his experience, strength and hope to another individual who was struggling with alcohol, then Bill magically had the strength to remain sober. It shows the universal law of “to give is to have”.   Today I give you the message of Merry Christmas. To plant the seed, that to give is to have. To have is to give. Most of us have learned a way, or path that didn't work. Or maybe it kind of worked but was or is incredibly painful. For me, this path required numbing agents, alcohol being the most potent one. Now I know there are a couple thousand of you who listen to this podcast first thing on Monday morning when the episodes are released. Fantastic. How blessed I am to get you ear first thing in the morning. Ask not what Santa, or your family can give to you, but ask what you can give to them.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [00:00] Kris introduces Tana:   Tana is from Washington state, and she works in healthcare and recently has found a new passion for teaching yoga. She has three children, two who have recently graduated college and a 10-year-old daughter. She recently separated from her husband. She enjoys backpacking, hiking, running and dance.   Tana and her siblings were raised by her father who recently passed away. Their mother was an alcoholic, and Tana knew from an early age that she was suffering. Her exposure to alcohol was limited to family members drinking socially.   When Tana was a teenager some home changes found her moving in with her mother. At this point she was exposed to her mother's addictions firsthand and over time it made her depressed and wanting to rebel, so she began smoking cigarettes, but not really drinking. She moved out at 17 to start her own life.   After starting her own life, Tana had two children and got married. Over time she realized the relationship wasn't good, so she left and just focused on her kids. Her only addiction issues were the cigarettes which she went to great lengths to hide out of shame.   A few years later, Tana remarried and when she was pregnant with her third child, she quit smoking, and her husband encouraged her to quit for good. Tana found running to be a good replacement for smoking, but after her daughter got older, she would no longer have time to run. Her drinking became her tool to cope.   Tana started to feel shame about her drinking and questioning it. She started listening to podcasts and discovering books that she thought may help her break the cycle and become the best mom she could be. When AA didn't feel like a good fit, Tana found community in Café RE. She finally felt safe to be herself, make friends, attend meetups, and enjoys giving back to others.   Tana's plan in recovery moving forward: keep learning and growing.   Tana's parting piece of guidance: it's different for all of us. It takes what it takes and for each of us that looks a little different. Just don't give up – never quit quitting.   Instagram   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator You're the only one that can do this RE, but you don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.

Episode 460 – The Friends We Keep     Today we have Kerry. She's 40 years old from Williston, ND and took her last drink on January 7th, 2016.   Shoutout to our Café RE chat hosts!  Thank you for your dedication to the community, and for providing a space for us to share our experiences. You're the best!   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [01:29] Highlights from Kris:   It's important that we surround ourselves with people who are going to enrich our lives. People who will meet us where we are, but also challenge us and encourage us to grow.   Kris shares some examples of great friends he has in his life and shares an article that outlines Five Types of Friends – friends we need and need to be.   Take a look at the people you have in your life. Do you think you have someone that fits in each of these categories? When was the last time you let them know what they mean to you? Use this as a reminder to tell someone you love them, and that you're grateful for them.   If you find yourself today, feeling like YOU'RE alone, I promise you that you're not. You're people are out there.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:15] Kris introduces Kerry:   Kerry and her partner live in Williston, ND and are raising four kids. She recently decided she was going to become a firefighter which stemmed from being an EMT and a nurse. She enjoys spending time with the kids and they are currently rebuilding a boat.   Kerry was exposed to alcohol throughout her childhood but didn't really have any great interest in it. She feels that she was a people pleaser and didn't want to get in trouble until senior year when she decided she could let loose and have some fun before going to college. She found alcohol gave her relief from the stressors in her life.   Going into college she and her friends were party seekers. She had excelled so much academically that she felt she could relax and have fun and not worry about responsibilities. Her idea of an addict was her dad who wasn't obvious about it. She didn't have the consequences he did so she didn't feel she had any problems.  When she was 19 her parents put her into rehab because of drug use. While she was there the counselors recognized that her bigger issue was drinking. Kerry didn't listen and continued to drink after leaving treatment.   Kerry's parents got a divorce and she had moved back home. She used any excuse to drink to not deal with things. She was having consequences like DUIs and broken relationships. At the time Kerry was working with her mom at a family business where happy hours and daily drinking after work were part of the daily landscape.   Looking for a change, Kerry a boyfriend moved to Alaska and started a family. The drinking slowed down, but after that relationship ended and they shared custody of the kids, Kerry found herself going back to drinking.   After moving back to North Dakota, she continued to use drinking to self-medicate. People didn't realize it because she was so good at taking care of other people and being a problem solver. Over time the drinking was getting heavier and heavier, and Kerry tried to create parameters to control it.   She tried quitting for a while but when she tested the waters again, she had consequences including another DUI where she realized she needed to get help to quit completely. She joined Lion Rock Recovery, which was all online, so she didn't need to leave her family for treatment. It helped her focus on the reason she drank and deal with her mental health and gave her tools to use after the program ended.   Kerry's plan in recovery moving forward: keep learning, keep doing crazy things like firefighting and getting more involved with recovery service.   Kerry's parting piece of guidance: there isn't a roadmap, and if one thing doesn't work, you can try another.   Instagram   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator We are the only ones that can do this RE, but we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.    

Today's “F-isode” is a look at the fabulous chip-tribute Album, “Time and Place”, written by Adam Frazier and Elijah Moore - on a program we're calling “A Time and Place for Time and Place” - recorded on-location at the Iowa State University campus radio studio!   Tracklist   01) Blimp Earcatcher - 00:00:00 Music - 00:00:21 Introduction - 00:02:00 Discussion - 00:06:50 02) Clear Sky Music - 00:09:43 Discussion - 00:11:54 03) Sand Castle Music - 00:16:06 Discussion - 00:18:40 04) Odyssey Music - 00:24:49 Discussion - 00:26:40 05) Wrath Music - 00:30:03 Discussion - 00:32:09 06) Magma Music - 00:38:52 Discussion - 00:40:59 07) Valor Music - 00:44:38 Discussion - 00:48:24 08) Pixels Music - 00:58:52 Discussion - 01:00:40 09) Puddle Music - 01:06:49 Discussion - 01:09:39 10) Waiting… Music - 01:12:34 Discussion - 01:14:10 11) Clouds Music - 01:22:40 Discussion - 01:25:01 12) Icicle Music - 01:31:24 Discussion - 01:34:19 13) Orbit Music - 01:40:14 Discussion - 01:42:46 14) Party Hat Music - 01:47:03 Discussion - 01:48:50 15) Below Music - 01:53:52 Discussion - 01:56:03 16) Searching… Music - 02:01:23 Discussion - 02:04:12 17) Credits Music - 02:07:45 Discussion - 02:12:33 Our other projects - 02:21:55 Outro [track[ Discussion - 02:23:23 Sign-off - 02:28:17 18) Outro (Co-written by Noah Moore) Music - 02:28:43 Outtakes - 02:29:28   Total Episode Runtime: 02:52:11 This episode is dedicated to the memory of Noah Moore.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRODUCER'S NOTES: 1) the background music during the talking portions were “baked into the recording” and for whatever reason, the left channel was completely missing. I mixed it down to mono for the episode so that it would at least come out of both speakers (and would be louder in the mix), but half the track info is still missing. I typically do not produce episodes this way, but this is what I had to work with in the studio context, and was unable to do anything else about it in post. 2) Usually, each voice is recorded separately so that I can adjust levels and apply compression etc to each element individually. In the case of this recording, all three voices, as well as the background music were all on just one track, so I could not adjust individual components individually. And in addition to the problems mentioned above with the background music, St. John's mic was hotter than Adam's and Elijah's since I was sitting closer to the mic than they were. I was able to mostly correct for this in post by applying more compression / limiter / amplify passes than are usually required. I think the final results on this point are actually pretty reasonably good, and this actually had the latent benefit of only further raising the volume on the BGM as well - which had been too quiet originally. 3) This part SUPER excites me! The ISU radio studio used Electro-Voice RE20 mics, where St. John typically records using a Shure SM7B. These two mics are within $50 in price of each other, and are collectively the #1 and #2 most commonly used mics in professional radio and professional podcasting contexts. I had always wondered and worried whether or not I made the right choice going SM7B instead of RE20, and how my voice would sound on the RE20 instead. This experience gave me the opportunity to find out, and I think the RE20 sounds fantastic! The jury's still out for me on which one I actually sound BETTER on, though, because I think the SM7B sounds pretty amazing as well. So any gearheads listening to this episode and reading these notes, please listen to either C2E13, C2E14, or C2E15 to serve as a comparative to this RE20-propelled episode and let me know which sound you prefer. It seems so far to be VERY dependent upon which set of headphones / speakers on which I'm listening to them. So I could -REALLY- use some second and third opinions etc. The SM7B recordings are brighter and more “natural” sounding (since I have the SM7B's “presence boost” feature enabled - a feature which the RE20 lacks), where the RE20 recording is warmer, rounder, deeper, and has more of that great “rrraadiiiooo” sound that I've actually been chasing after this entire time. The drawbacks are that the SM7B can sound a little thin and reedy, while the RE20 can sound a little muddy and boomy. I had talked about it depending on the speaker source. On some, the SM7B sounds thin and reedy while the RE20 sounds amazing, and on others, the RE20 sounds boomy and muddy while the SM7B sounds great! So, give em both a listen, and lemme know. I'm -VERY- tempted to buy an RE20 now after this experience, but if the consensus prefers me on the $400 SM7B which I already own, then perhaps that saves me the $450! You know, perhaps I'll just buy the RE20 anyway and try recording on both at the same time in the hopes of getting a best of both when I blend them in post. 4) Unlike with typical NNR episodes, track extensions do not loop smoothly, but “hard end and hard begin” to preserve how they appear on the album. It's a clunkier-sounding experience this way, but it was done to preserve the album content. 5) In the case of most of these tracks, I was able to sync the imposed high-quality audio files from the non-speaking portions to the BGM handoff points in the speaking portions. However, there were a handful that were near-misses. I hid these as best as I could, and doubt it'll create any listening difficulties, but I did want to acknowledge them. :-) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Links to Adam's and Elijah's works: Adam Frazier's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNNkqyHP4wS4FRcwkqN8SXA Time and Place Album (playlist): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mhsNxGzAuuV15_8cc_gU9WlzZgHJrZGoc&si=by5lcVDrknk2FV0d Spotlight ISU (Elijah's Podcast): YouTube (with Video): https://www.youtube.com/@spotlightisu8022 Spotify (Audio-Only): https://open.spotify.com/show/4eEa7zaNA1YHhmUNxzo4fw?si=ec4bef01e95445cd Spotlight Episode 77 - featuring St. John of Nerd Noise Radio* Spotify (Audio-only):    https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EDF0u5Q9LRF5pCMNqrYjN?si=0cn3oX_2RtGKuOJirGtg7A   YouTube (Audio AND Video):    https://youtu.be/9Xbcvqn4fDM?si=4aD4lKBJcG1vH-mU   * = the Spotlight episode and the Nerd Noise Radio Episode were recorded on the same day, in the same place. And in fact, the amount of real-time that passed between the moment we hit stop on his recording and start on mine was only 10 minutes. Also, St. John note: the experience of being a guest and then a host back to back in such a short span was such a profound mental shift that I actually felt it a little physically! Literally!   The Moore Brothers YouTube Channel (Elijah and Noah):    https://www.youtube.com/@themoorebrothers5409   Remembering Noah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F4_Z_cbpJw   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- St. John's upcoming “Oddie HD” can be found all these places (even if as of this writing, the only one that's active at all is Threads!) YouTube (have literally done nothing with this as of this writing):    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN5y_HMgokZFQxspXjoOI8A   Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/oddie.hd?mibextid=ZbWKwL   X (the artist formerly known as Twitter):    https://x.com/OddieHD?t=9_YPjcxnoqdeQUjpTEB8Kw&s=09   Instagram:   https://instagram.com/oddiehd?igshid=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg==   Threads:    https://www.threads.net/@oddiehd   Mastodon:    https://mastodon.social/@oddiehd

Episode 459 – Let's Smile     Today we have Spencer. He's 44 years old from Minneapolis, MN and took his last drink on September 23rd, 2023.   Registration for RESTORE is no open!  If you want to take a break for a month, or say adios for good, this course is for you. You're going to learn all about alcohol addiction, what it is, what it isn't, how to beat cravings, you'll learn about many different recovery pathways, and the best part is you won't be doing this alone.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:04] Highlights from Paul:   Start your day with a smile. It doesn't matter if the smile is fake or real. The body doesn't know the difference and the nervous system always responds positively with a smile.   Smiling increases mood-enhancing hormones. Smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin, while decreasing stress-enhancing hormones, including cortisol, and adrenaline. It also reduces overall blood pressure.   Another reason to smile is that research shows that smiles are contagious. Most people will find a way to reciprocate in a friendly manner. Smiling is a way to be of service because it makes other people's days better.   Spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has said “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."    Start your day with a 30 -second smile. And not for just one day or two, but rock that smile every morning for the rest of this year and hopefully beyond. And don't forget to keep that smile going throughout the day.   Paul shares some dad jokes to help get us started.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [08:04] Paul introduces Spencer:   Spencer grew up in Minneapolis area. He is married with two kids. He enjoys playing blues and rock on his guitar and spending time on the river with his family. Spencer has been an electrician for 23 years.   Spencer says that alcohol was a big part of his family's life while he was growing up. Both of his parents drank, and every event was centered around alcohol. Spencer didn't try alcohol until he was around 15. He had a friend who's parent worked nights, so their house became a party house and drinking happened frequently.   Spencer got married young and they both drank heavily. They had a daughter together and eventually they ended up getting a divorce. At the time Spencer blamed a lot of the issues on his ex. Once she moved out Spencer had some friends move in and says the drinking became daily and he was losing jobs. He eventually started having financial issues and lost his house.   It was shortly after he started dating a woman that didn't drink like him that he realized that drinking might be a problem for him. He didn't really make any changes until the birth of his son when he began to try moderating and added rules around his drinking.   Things were going well for Spencer and then he got a call from his son's mother that she was a heroin addict. He ended up having to get custody of him and knew he had to stop drinking for his son. He was able to quit for a while but gradually let drinking slip back in.   Spencer was able to quit for a few years and started recognizing how big of an issue alcohol had been for him. He knew he wanted to quit but wasn't sure how he was going to be able to do it.   New activities have replaced drinking for Spencer. He is working on his relationships with his kids and has been talking to them about alcohol and the issues within the family. Spencer is open about his sobriety with others. He listens to a lot of podcasts about addiction and enjoys online AA meetings and has plans to do the steps. Spencer knows how important connection will be going forward.   Spencer's parting piece of guidance: If you think you have a problem, find someone that's sober to talk about it, listen to podcasts, get connected.   Instagram   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator Remember Rule 22, keep those smiles going. Lighten up. I love you guys.    

Episode 458 – A Big Win     Today we have Mike. He is 44 from Huntsville, AL and took his last drink on April 10th, 2023.   Registration for RESTORE opens this Friday!  If you want to take a break for a month, or say adios for good, this course is for you. You're going to learn all about alcohol addiction, what it is, what it isn't, how to beat cravings, you'll learn about many different recovery pathways, and the best part is you won't be doing this alone.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:42] Highlights from Paul:   Paul shares how releasing his first album is a huge win for him and that the listeners are a big part of making it happen.   Something commonly heard when people quit drinking is “what is going to fill the void?”. We have to rediscover likes and interests. Part of the journey is trying out new hobbies. Sometimes it takes a while to find out what we like to do though, so be patient with  your healing.   If you want to hear the outro song and the full album under the name of Pablo Church, you can check it out on Spotify, or search your preferred music streaming service. What dreams, goals, aspirations, did you have that alcohol stifled like a wet soggy blanket. What did alcohol bump down on your list of personal goals? What do you want in life now that alcohol is no longer in the front seat? Take a moment to ponder these questions, maybe hit pause in this episode, put pen to paper and get clear on what you want. Paul and the RE community are here to help you make it happen.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [07:18] Kris introduces Mike:   Mike lives in Huntsville, AL and works in construction. He is married and they have five kids. He enjoys attending his kids' sporting events and being outside and active.   Mike grew up in a conservative home. His father had a history of rebellion and his mother lost both parents to alcoholism when she was young, so they chose to keep alcohol out of the home.   Mike first tried alcohol on New Year's Eve when he was in 8th grade while at a friend's house. He started to associate alcohol with having a good time but didn't drink much during high school even though his friends did. Mike was a people pleaser both at home and with his friends. He feels this tendency drove him to start drinking and smoking pot to fit in with everyone.   Mike went to one semester of college and decided it wasn't for him. After some consequences from his drinking, he ended up moving back home and working construction. He was still drinking and smoking but trying to make better choices.   When Mike met his wife, they decided to make some changes. They quit drinking and smoking and started becoming more active in the church community. When the job market started changing in Michigan, they moved to Alabama where Mike was offered a new job.   After a while, Mike decided to quit his job and start his own construction business. That was going well but Mike found that managing the business instead of doing the labor was very different and more stressful. As time when on his drinking gradually increased and since everyone else was drinking, he could justify it. Over time he was drinking before, during and after work. His wife discovered the stash in his office and that's when Mike said he would quit. For a few months, he found himself hiding his drinking and trying to drink less, which didn't work.   Mike eventually sought outpatient treatment and tried that for a while before his counselor told him he had to do more. Mike was resistant to trying AA but once he did he was able to start making some changes and getting help to stay sober.   Mike's plan in sobriety moving forward: to make the most of the time he has left.   Mike's parting piece of guidance: today is just a day and time takes time.   Instagram - We regularly feature content here. Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator You're the only one that can do this, but you don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.    

Episode 456 – How Do You Overcome Resentments?     Today we have Nathan. He's 42 years old and from Andover, MN and took his last drink on April 19th, 2023.   On January 1st, 2024, we are starting our intensive sobriety course geared towards the newcomer.  Check out the link to learn more about RESTORE.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:01] Highlights from Paul:   Today's question is from Darren A. who asks, “Can you discuss resentment and letting go of resentment?"   Life is a school where the people, places, and things are there to help us grow and become deeper human beings. The people we encounter in life are there to help us grow.    The theory is that none of this is happening to you. Remember, that is how a victim speaks. Flip that to believe that everything that has ever happened to you in your life is happening for you, for your own personal growth and development, to make you a more resilient human being.   Resentments are the teachers. Yes, they suck, they emotionally and physically hurt, but they are the opportunities for healthy and normal growth.   Another strategy is to stop labeling things as good or bad. When a person, place or thing pisses you off, try to recognize the mind immediately slapping a label on it, try to remain open.  We don't know what's going on behind the scenes. That person who may have recently dogged you may have actually shielded you from a tragedy down the road.    “You can be right, or you can have peace." Paul shares this mantra with us frequently on the podcast. He tries to repeat this mantra when he encounters a difficult life challenge.   We want to hear from the listener. How do you overcome resentments? Let us know in our Monday Instagram post on the Recovery Elevator Instagram page.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [08:56] Kris introduces Nathan:   Nathan is 42 and lives in Andover, MN. He works in financial operations but was recently laid off.  He is in the process of going through a divorce and has two cats. He enjoys woodworking and building things with hand tools, he also enjoys golf, reading and occasionally writing.   Nathan calls himself a late bloomer and hated beer. It was normal to have it around when he was growing up, but his dad drank NA beer. He was a casual drinker through his twenties and thirties.   In late 2019 Nathan's wife was in a car accident related to some health issues. It was a very stressful time for them as his wife was unable to drive and undergoing a lot of testing and Nathan was dealing with a very stressful work project as well.   Some health issues drove Nathan to use alcohol to ease his symptoms. His career was stressful, and he and his wife were having communication issues. Nathan didn't drink every day, but some days were binge sessions. He discovered the amount he could have without too many consequences the next day.   After a weekend of binge drinking, Nathan had an experience that felt like he was having a heart attack, and he went to the ER where he realized alcohol was causing the problems. Soon after he was able to admit to his wife that he needed to stop. He went back to the ER and told them that he needed help. After detox, Nathan enrolled in an IOP and connected with a great counselor.   It took a few months for Nathan to start feeling physically better and is currently confronting some difficult life situations. He plays the tape forward and continues to work on his recovery despite the strong emotions he is dealing with.   Nathan's favorite resources in recovery: his IOP counselor, the RE podcast and Café RE.   Nathan's parting piece of guidance: make a plan (to avoid relapse), make it really detailed and change it as you need to.   Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator You're the only one that can do this, but you don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.    

Episode 455 – How Do You Feel About Ayahuasca and Other Plant Medicines?     Today we have Chris. He is 40 years old and lives in Austin, TX. He took his last drink on February 16th, 2007.   Check out our events page for our lineup of upcoming retreats and courses. Beginning January 1st, RESTORE, our intense Dry January course is back! In February we have another 5-week Ukelele Course. Then in March, we have two events in Costa Rica, and  we'll see you in Bozeman, Montana in August for our 6th annual retreat in Big Sky Country.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:16] Highlights from Paul:   Today is episode 9 out of 10 in the Q&A series.   Today's question comes from Krista B, in our Café RE group. She says:   “How Paul is feeling about ayahuasca and other plant medicines. Are you still as passionate about its benefits today as a few years ago? Has the treatment worked in a sustained way, in your opinion?”   Paul shared his initial experience with ayahuasca in episode 170. He believes that plant medicines have a place in the world of addiction and mental health. Do not buy it on the internet and try it solo; set and setting is everything. There is so much preparation that needs to go into an ayahuasca ceremony and under the right circumstances, it will answer many questions. A big one being why you drink. Paul shares how ayahuasca still impacts his everyday life.   While Paul found plant medicine helpful on his journey, he recognizes it's not for everyone, nor does he think everyone should try plant medicine. If you are interested, please do your own research before trying it.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [11:59] Paul introduces Chris:   Chris lives in Austin Texas; he is married with two children aged 8 and 9. He is an entrepreneur and enjoys being creative through many avenues.   Chris always felt like an outsider that didn't belong while he was growing up. His parents divorced when he was young, and he blamed himself and ended up distancing himself from people.  He craved connections and ended up starting drinking with a group of friends. Chris felt like alcohol was the solution to his feelings of not belonging. His drinking increased and over time he lost all those connections that he used alcohol to find and was drinking alone. At age 23 he went to treatment where they helped him recognize that he had some mental health issues, the main ones being social anxiety and depression.   Some alumni from the group accepted Chris, helped him go to meetings and then they would all socialize afterwards. He finally felt he was making connections that he had craved all his life.   Seeing people that were staying sober and succeeding was a big boost to Chris' confidence, and he felt like it was possible for him to do the same. His life in sobriety was becoming so great that he never had a desire to go back to drinking.   Chris started going to school to become a counselor and immediately started working in the recovery field. He knew it was important to maintain and strengthen his recovery to do the job successfully.   Chris started Sans Bar in 2018 as a pop-up bar when there were very few options in the alcohol-free arena. The pop-ups grew, and more and more people were interested in what Chris was doing, mostly through word of mouth. He feels it came along at the right time as the sober curious movement was beginning. Chris says doing this gave him the same feelings that his first sip of booze did – he was forming connections. He feels Sans Bar is for everyone, not just people in recovery.   Chris's favorite resources in recovery: The Luckiest Club, 12 step programs, podcasts.   Chris's parting piece of guidance: you can't fail. The point of sobriety is not abstinence, it's growth.   Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator Go big, because eventually we all go home. I love you guys.    

RE20 proces como TLM no EQ - ¿Podría construirse un ascensor en la superficie de la Luna que sirviera para hacer llegar de forma segura y económica personal y materiales enviados desde la Tierra y viceversa? Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Episode 454 – How Can I Do More In My Recovery Community?   Today we have Kristan. She is 60 years old and lives in Delaware. She took her last drink on June 3rd, 2019.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [01:34] Highlights from Kris:   Today we are continuing the Q & A series and it's a two for one. First question, Dale wants to know “How can I do more in my recovery community?”   Some traditional responses to this question might AA, or any other group with the word recovery in it. These are great, but Kris shares that we can expand our view to other groups. Church groups, book club, a running club, or a workout group.   Sharing can be a great way to get involved within a recovery community. Hearing others share and be vulnerable encourages us to share and be vulnerable too. By being open, you are being of service in your recovery. You never know who you may be helping with your share.   Think of the things that you bring to the table, and what you'd like to see your community offer. It could be as simple as organizing an outing to have a meal with other local members or hosting a chat in your online community.   Listen to your heart. If you feel that tug to do something, be obedient to that. We have no idea how it could impact our lives, or the lives of other people.   Athletic Greens: https://www.athleticgreens.com/recovery   [09:25]: Kris introduces Kristan:   Kristan is married and has adult kids, she enjoys traveling, participating in triathlons, and hanging out with her sober friends doing fun activities.   Kristan grew up in Louisiana and started drinking when she was 12 and partied throughout high school. She graduated from college and moved to Australia for a few years. She moved to DC when she came back and worked as a reporter while enjoying the nightlife. Kristan says that in her profession, drinking was very common, and she surrounded herself with people that drank a lot.   Later when she bought a house in Delaware, her and her husband split time between home and DC which left Kristan with a lot of time alone. She started putting rules around her drinking early on which found her frustrated. Her husband doesn't drink which made her feel like she was being monitored. Kristan never drank during the day but found herself drinking daily at 5pm. Her problem wasn't obvious to her because she was successful and hadn't lost anything (yet).   Kristan's drinking came to a head after a long night of drinking with friends where she doesn't remember the last few hours. She woke up to a text from her daughter stating that she was concerned about her drinking. Kristan decided it was time to quit. A phone call to family member in recovery helped her take the first steps. A few days later she told husband she quit drinking. She started regularly attending AA and got a sponsor, began reading books about recovery and enjoyed listening to podcasts.   Kristan was eager to celebrate all of life's events sober. She says she has a great group of friends that are still fun in sobriety. After quitting, Kristan realizes how much mind space drinking took up. She says the first year was difficult, but she got stronger as she went. Kristan loves being sober. Her relationships with her daughter and husband are the best they have ever been.   Kristan's future plan in sobriety: working on her emotional sobriety.   Kristan's parting piece of guidance: give it a year, surround yourself with sober people.   [54:15] Kris answers Bobbie the Awesome's question regarding NA beverages and shares some personal experiences.   Choosing whether to drink them or not is a very personal decision. It's up to you to decide what's right for you, and it's a good idea to err on the side of caution if you are nervous about it.   Instagram - We regularly feature content here. Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator We're the only ones that can do this, but we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.  

Episode 453 - How Would You Describe a “Spiritual Experience” in Recovery?     Today we have Andy. He is 46 from Washington, DC and took his last drink on August 12th, 2023.   If you are struggling to quit drinking alone, check out the private community Café RE. Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the setup fee!   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:17] Highlights from Paul:   Today's question is from Liz in the Café RE OG group: “How Would You Describe a “Spiritual Experience” in Recovery? Was it a Bill W. “White Light” or a long series of little twinkles? Somewhere in between? Something else altogether?”   We all know there is no right or wrong way to quit drinking, but Paul believes the spirituality component is important, because it connects or reconnects you to the universe or a god of your understanding.   For many, a large twinkle of spirituality took place took place near the date of their last drink. Some call this a window of clarity. I've heard it been described as “I just knew it was going to be different this time.” Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung called them synchronicities or the breadcrumbs of life.   Everyone's version of spiritual awakening will be different. We just need to be open to the twinkles that can happen all around us.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [11:53]: Paul introduces Andy:   Andy took his last drink less than a week before the time of this recording. Andy has moved around a bit while being in the military but currently lives in DC. He is an officer in the Air Force and has been serving for 26 years. He is married and has four kids. He enjoys ultra marathons, gardening, and traveling with his family.   Andy grew up around a lot of drinking in the small town he lived in. There was always beer in the house, and he feels it was ingrained in his life. He had his first drink in 8th grade. It was on a grueling camping trip when one of the adults handed him a bottle of booze and told him it would take the edge off. He really enjoyed the feelings he got from it.   Andy did well in school both academically and athletically, but the drinking continued. After graduating college, he enlisted in the military. He would stay sober during brief deployments but would start drinking again as soon as he came home. He struggled with missing his military family more than his wife and kids at home.   Andy had an opportunity to work at the Embassy in Croatia, so they moved. After a few years Andy and his wife split up and his drinking was out of control. He ended up moving back to the US as a single dad. He was not being as productive at work due to his drinking and often used his being a single dad as an excuse.   Andy was able to get sober few times after asking for help. First from a very close friend after a major bout of anxiety and then at another time post relapse from a doctor when he originally went to see them for a sore throat. He says that during these experiences, he felt relief. He started going to AA and stopped fighting that he was unable to casually drink. His wife would attend meetings with him for support. Andy got a very patient sponsor who helped him through the steps. Life started improving a lot for him over this time.   After a relapse last Christmas, Andy fell right back into the cycle and was even hiding alcohol again. He considers the five years he had as part of his recovery and plans to get back into AA when he feels ready. He misses how he felt and wants it back.  Andy plans to get back to good habits to help him stay sober, reading books, listening to podcasts, and sharing with his wife.   Andy's favorite resources in recovery: RE podcast, reading, finding someone you can trust to talk to daily.   Andy's parting piece of guidance: hold onto this moment and don't look too far ahead or too far in the past.   Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator We're the only ones that can do this, but we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.      

Episode 452 - How Do You Stop Comparing Yourself to Others in Recovery?   Today we have Emilee. She is 33 from Double Springs, AL and has been alcohol free since February 26th, 2023.   We are in the process of building some incredible events for the upcoming year, to new locations, and types of retreats we have never done before.   Our flagship annual retreat in Bozeman, Montana in August, then we are working on an AF travel trip in October 2024 with possible destinations being India, Vietnam, or the Camino de Santiago in Spain. But even before those events, we are working on Two retreats in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Keep an eye out for more info: Recovery Elevator events.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:55] Highlights from Paul:   Today's question is from Dale: How do I stop comparing myself to others in Recovery?   This is a BIG PICTURE question. An issue that probably didn't arise when you quit drinking. I'm guessing this is something you have been doing for quite some time.   Part of this is healthy. You'll want to model your sobriety after someone who seems to have done the work, or who has what you want. You'll want to compare parts of your journey with theirs… But the key is not to have it consume you.   Paul shares his thoughts on this topic and reminds us that comparison is all part of the human condition and to know that when one person blooms, we all receive the benefit.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:30]: Kris introduces Emilee:   Emilee is 33 from Double Springs, AL. She is married and they have one daughter together. For work, she is a high school algebra teacher and for fun she enjoys doing outdoor activities including hunting and fishing and she also enjoys playing the piano, working out and cooking.   While growing up, Emilee didn't have much exposure to alcohol. She says she was always shy growing up and it wasn't until she was 19 that a boyfriend introduced her to  a group of friends that drank a lot. In that environment, she discovered a different version of herself that was much more outgoing. This went on for a few months, but her drinking decreased for about a year before she went to college.   Emilee managed to keep with her studies but when she drank it was always to excess. She was home for the summer when her father suddenly passed away. She had to go back to school very soon after it happened and while she didn't drink to cope with it, she had a lot of anxiety and was just going through the motions.     After graduating from college, Emilee got married and then got her first teaching job all in a short period of time. While the first year of her new career was very stressful, Emilee started a routine of getting alcohol on the way home from work and drinking throughout the evening. Her husband was also drinking and after a while they both started putting parameters on it. They eventually tried to quit, but that didn't last, and Emilee started finding herself hiding her drinking and preferring drinking alone.   While pregnant, Emilee was able to stop drinking. She remained sober for a few months after having her daughter, but gradually started going back to her old habits. Emilee says she never really dealt with her father's death so her emotions would come up a lot when she would get drunk.   Emilee started feeling the pull to quit drinking. She got a bunch of books and was able to stop for a few days at a time. Listening to the RE podcast would often keep her from stopping at the store for alcohol. Learning the science of what alcohol does to our bodies also helped her quit. Since quitting drinking Emilee feels that her relationships have improved.   Emilee's favorite resources in recovery: RE podcast and Café RE.   Emilee's parting piece of guidance: don't quit quitting.   Instagram - We regularly feature content here – often with goats! Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator We're the only ones that can do this, but we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.      

Episode 451 – What to Say to Someone Who is About to Drink   Today we have Grant. He is 54 from Sacramento, CA and took his last drink on August 10th, 2020.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:16] Highlights from Paul:   We are five weeks into our Q & A series. This week's question comes from Sarah C. “What can you say to someone, so they don't drink?” Or how to help someone not drink.   Paul gives us some tried and true methods that work and strategies that the Recovery Elevator team believe in. Here are a few suggestions that Paul shares with us:   Tough love does not work, so a tone or stance of unconditional love needs to be present when confronting a friend who is about to drink.   Quick note about boundaries. Talking with people that are drunk can be triggering, and little can be done. Ask them to call you in the morning or when they are sober.   Being there with your presence, whether it is in person, via the phone or FaceTime, or Zoom, is the best thing you can do to help them. Holding space provides a safe container for the person to feel the feels, sit front and center with a craving and not feel judged or criticized.   You can also ask them about their “why”. Having them be clear on their “why” again is never a bad idea. You can also remind them that alcohol has been ruined. Drinking while knowing that alcohol no longer has a place in your life isn't fun.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:48]: Paul introduces Grant:   Grant is 54 and lives in Sacramento, CA. He is married and they have two young adult kids. He enjoys hiking and the area he lives in has a lot of nice places he explores. Grant works in research and public policy work in California and now focuses on addiction and recovery.   Grant says his first experience with alcohol was when he was 12. A friend had procured a bottle of brandy and they both ended up drinking to the point of going to the hospital. He drank through junior high and high school with a group of friends on weekends. The drinking continued in college, and he started trying other substances as well. Grant says there weren't many consequences.   When Grant was in his 30's after they had children, he found that alcohol helped him take the stress off. He quickly switched from beer to vodka that was easier to hide. He was succeeding at work which stressed him out more than he realized. He says it took some time but eventually he was drinking in the morning just to feel normal.   In 2019 someone from HR confronted Grant about smelling of alcohol and he told them that he was an alcoholic. He couldn't admit it to his wife initially but started looking for outpatient treatment. He was able to quit for a time but relapsed after a painful experience with work which found him resigning and taking a new job with a pay cut. At this point Grant had joined Café RE and left home for a little while to live in a sober living house. He learned a lot while he was there and realized that he was going to have to do things differently.   After sober living, Grant started a home breathalyzer program to help him stay motivated. A meetup with fellow Café RE members gave Grant another turning point and realized that he was on the right path.   In recovery, Grant started volunteering with a non-profit in the addiction and recovery field. He also started listening to another recovery podcast where he shared information about addiction and recovery. He left to work for the non-profit called Shatterproof which helps people find treatment and recovery with their Treatment Atlas. Grant also has his own website about addiction and recovery – Sober Linings Playbook.   [53:19] Paul closes the episode with a poem from Peter, a Café RE member.   Instagram - We regularly feature content here – often with goats! Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.      

Episode 450 – What are Alcohol Withdrawals Like in the First Week?   Today we have Sarah. She is 46 and lives in Buckhannon, WV. Sarah has been alcohol free since December 15, 2022.   Our latest Ditching The Booze course begins tonight at 7:30pm EDT/4:30pm PDT and it is not too late to register. The 5-week course is called Writing a New Narrative and is designed to help you explore your sobriety story through journaling and writing prompts and it is free for Café RE members.   Cafe RE - Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:23] Highlights from Paul:   We are four weeks into our ten-episode Q & A series and today's question is “what are alcohol withdrawals like in the first week?” This question as asked by Robyn in Café RE Blue.   The answer to this is going to depend on how much you drink on a daily or nightly basis and it's not a one size fits all answer.   I highly recommend detoxing under medical supervised care if you consume more than 6-8 drinks daily and have been doing so for several months or years. Quitting cold turkey can be life threatening. 72 hours is the magic number. Once you hit this number, the worst of the physical components are behind you.   Paul shares some tips for navigating the first week and shares some of the changes our bodies go through. The whole withdrawal process from one week to several months has a term called PAWS or post-acute withdrawal symptoms. Check out the YouTube video Paul did about this.   Thank you, Robyn, for the question, if you want a question answered on the podcast, send your questions to info@recoveryelevator.com.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [13:41]: Kris introduces Sarah:   Sarah currently lives in West Virginia, works in higher learning, and has two daughters and three stepchildren. For fun Sarah enjoys arts and crafts, DIY things, and enjoys plants.   In high school, Sarah did not drink but grew up around a lot of drinking by her extended family. She never saw anything negative about it. In her early twenties she joined the Air Force where drinking is prevalent. At one point she had a few friends approach her about her drinking to which Sarah took offense. Over the course of the next several years she continued to drink the same way. Despite small consequences, she didn't feel like she had a problem.   Around 10 years ago she and her husband were in counseling. She stated in a session that she needed some help and went to rehab after which she was able to stay sober briefly. Sarah says she got a lot out of her time in rehab. For a short period of time Sarah was able to drink moderately, but it increased after a series of negative life events. She started noticing the negative side effects of heavy drinking physically and emotionally.   When Sarah got sober this time, she knew she needed to join a community, and someone recommended Café RE to her. She has made great friends since being there and feels like this time in sobriety has been easy and she earned for it to be.   Sarah's plan for recovery moving forward: to keep doing the work, attend more chats and start thinking about how to serve others.   Sarah's parting piece of guidance: talk about it and reach out with others that have similar experiences.   [59:20] Kris' closing:   One last reminder that Thursday October 5th is the Recovery Reinvented conference. In person and online attendance is 100% free. Fall is here and Kris is ready for it. He reminds us all to get out there and play. Do all the fall things. Slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the moment you are in.   Instagram - We regularly feature content here – often with goats! Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    You're the only ones that can do this RE, but you don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.      

In this episode, I chat with Kevin Russell, an author, clairvoyant, energy healer, and transformational inner guide. After experiencing his own massive life altering enlightenment in 2019, Kevin now assists people in reaching their own state of radical reconnection and elevated consciousness as an energy transformation facilitator. Golden nuggets: ✨Internal perspective shifts ✨Everything is energy ✨Disconnection from self/source ✨“Not every modality is going to work for everyone” ✨Inner child healing ✨“Our natural state is one of wholeness, complete worth, complete love, complete care, complete connection to ourselves” ✨We are not our emotions, reactions or thoughts ✨All of the answers are already within us ✨Healing the mother wound Connect with Kevin: Book a session: https://rapidtransformationsessions.com/ Website: https://www.radicalenlightenment.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radicalenlightenment/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radical_enlightenment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@radicalenlightement Freebies: Morning/evening routine freebie: https://www.radicalenlightenment.com/download/beyond-self-awareness/ Discover the #1 Limiting Belief Holding You Back in Life: https://www.radicalenlightenment.com/assessment/ Guided Nature-based Personal Transformation: https://www.radicalenlightenment.com/nature-based-personal-transformation-meditation/ Use the code RE20 to take 20%off any 1:1 session or Tune-up with me or Kelli:https://rapidtransformationsessions.com/1-on-1-transformation-session/ Mentions: My Guy on The 9th Floor Are you currently on your TTC or fertility journey?

Episode 434 – Don't Lose Yourself in It   Today we have Gary, he is 44, from Toledo, OH and took his last drink on January 30, 2023   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [01:42] Thoughts from Paul:   Today we are going to cover one of Paul's favorite tools and practice.  But before we cover it, he asks us who is our go to person that we look to when life starts to veer into the ditch? Who has already provided guidance or a teaching on what to do in the situation you find yourself in?   For Paul, it is Eckhart Tolle. His books The Power of Now and A New Earth were recommended to him at just the right time.   The tool and concept Paul wants to cover is a line he discovered in A New Earth that says, “don't lose yourself in it”. This refers to the thinking mind, or the ego.    Another book The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer shares the concept that you are not the thoughts in your mind, but you are the one who experiences them.   The point is don't lose yourself in the incessant stream of thoughts coming from the thinking mind. Make a point each day to STOP what you are doing and take a deep breath. This practice doesn't have to take long, but there may not be enough consciousness at first to split from the thoughts in the head. The point is to create as many daily gaps in your thinking as possible.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [09:25] Kris introduces Gary:   Gary took his last drink on January 31st, 2023. He is 44 and lives in Toledo, OH. Professionally Gary is a medical assistant for primarily homebound patients. He enjoys reading, has recently started fishing and likes to try new things in sobriety.   Gary's first experience with alcohol was in his early teen years. He and his cousin crashed a wedding with an open bar where they served him beer. He thought it was disgusting but kept drinking and blacked out the first time. Gary didn't drink in high school. He graduated and met his future wife who was going to the army. He joined as well and was in Germany when he started drinking regularly. Drinking helped with his insecurities, and he was always searching for validation. After his wife cheated on him, life was tough for Gary. He started drinking heavily to deal with the pain surrounding the changes in his life. Gary didn't have a lot of consequences from his drinking. When he got out of the army and came home, he found another relationship and they had a daughter together. He was able to cut back on his drinking and started putting parameters around what and when he would drink. He found moderation exhausting.   Gary's dad started having health issues, developed a rare form of cancer and passed within a year of diagnosis. His drinking ramped back up as he dealt with the grief. Gary's drinking ended up contributing to the loss of a job. He tried his best to continue to be a good father but struggled with being emotionally present for his daughter.   After losing his job Gary found himself going into inpatient treatment, which is where his journey began. He had some stints of extended sobriety. He started going to AA meetings but had a hard time being social at first. He discovered podcasts which were helpful for him; he found listening to them was giving him strength. He was able to experience periods of sobriety but felt that his addiction was still sabotaging him at that time.   Gary had several instances of his drinking sending him into the hospital. He feels like this was his rock bottom. He realized he needed to be honest with himself and was able to stay sober for over two years. He started getting involved with the RE community which was very helpful for him. Changes in routine found Gary learning to love himself.   Gary's favorite tools - recovery books, podcasts, Café RE, therapy, and Antibuse.   Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee Recovery Elevator YouTube   Recovery Elevator You're the only ones that can do this, but you don't have to do it alone I love you guys

Episode 433 – The Comfort Crisis   Today we have Daniel, he is 43 from Orange County, he took his last drink on December 31st, 2014.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [01:42] Thoughts from Paul:   The discomforts of quitting drinking will make you a stronger person down the road. And not far down the road.   Although humans are hardwired to seek comfort, it's not necessarily good for us. Many anthropologists have speculated that we were happier thousands of years ago. Our needs were simpler and easier to satisfy. We were naturally mindful, living in the moment. In addition, our ancestors usually found themselves in tight communities of around 150 people, where everyone shared the burden of survival. There was a deeper sense of belonging.   The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter   The rates of mental health, addiction, inflammations, cancers, are sky rocketing, and the author of the book says the reason for this is because we are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature controlled, over-fed, under challenged, safety netted lives.   Key takeaway? Get uncomfortable. It's good for you. And spending significant time in nature will make you happier.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [09:01] Paul introduces Daniel:   Daniel had his last drink on New Year's Eve of 2014. He lives in Southern California; he's married with three children. He owns a few businesses and works in education. For fun Daniel likes to play tennis, work in his yard and enjoys Wim Hof breathwork. Daniel enjoys getting out of his comfort zone and trying new things frequently.   At age 16 Daniel had his first drink and instantly felt the pull. He didn't start using it habitually until he was in college, and it helped with his social anxiety and gave him confidence. He says the red flags came early and often but he didn't have a classic rock bottom moment. He feels he was very high functioning – did well in school and had a job. His drinking didn't change after he left college. He began questioning his drinking about four years prior to quitting because he had learned he and his wife were about to have a child. For a long time, Daniel was unwilling to give up drinking and he would have times of attempting moderation and then abandoning that to hiding bottles of alcohol throughout his house before going back to moderation again. He thought having a child would help him make changes, but it did not.   Good things were happening with Daniels home life and career, but the drinking was still there. He was having issues with anxiety and depression that he attempted to treat but the alcohol negated his efforts.   Daniel's quit date wasn't planned as he was still in denial about how serious his drinking had become. The day after his last drink he had some hallucinations that scared him.   He finally met with a doctor and decided to lay it all out and asked for help. He initially thought it would be only for 30 days, but he ended up going for another month and so on.   Daniel still had a lot of shame surrounding his initial recovery and was isolated for about six months. He says that he found a lot of peace getting away from all the anxiety and started feeling more comfortable about his choice to get sober. He recently started using Tik-Tok and started a podcast which he has found very cathartic for his recovery.   Daniel's favorite resources in recovery: Calm app, Wim Hof app, Tik-Tok   Daniel's parting piece of guidance: Be less concerned about HOW people recover and more concerned THAT people recover.   Daniel's podcast - Sobriety Uncensored   [42:25] Closing thoughts:   In our Café RE chats we start with an Icebreaker Question.  I asked the group “when you're stressed or triggered what helps you?”  The most common answer was “get outside”.   Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator I love you guys. It all starts from the inside out. We can do this.

Episode 432 – Is Alcohol Good For You?   Today we have Julie, she is 49, from Grand Junction, CO and took her last drink on February 6th, 2022.   Café RE members, we have added a fitness class to the schedule. Sundays at 12:30 EST, thank you Paul L.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:05] Thoughts from Paul:   For most of the 20th century and well into the 2000's, there was a pushed narrative that said a daily drink or two is good for you.  Although there was a time that fermented drinks were safer than consuming the local water due to disease, it's safe to say we are well past those days from the dark ages.  Despite that, the concept that alcohol is good for you is still in popular circulation, but a new narrative is coming out.   An article from Health Day released this year is titled Drinking Alcohol Brings No Health Benefits, Study Finds   Huberman Lab podcast:  What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health   You're giving up alcohol, which turns out is NOT good for you anyways, for a life that contains the possibilities of nearly everything. Sobriety can be hard, and sometimes we need a sweeping statement to put it into perspective. You're giving up one thing for everything. You can do this. I know you can.   Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee   [10:34] Kris introduces Julie:   Julie lives in Grand Junction, CO. She is a nurse practitioner soon to be working at an addiction center. She has two grown daughters and her parents and brother live nearby. She is single and for fun she enjoys yoga, and she plays the ukulele and the flute.   Julie feels she was born into addiction. Her parents were both alcoholics and a lot of her family members have struggled with addiction as well. Her mother left when she was very young, and her family moved a lot due to her father's instability.   Julie first tried alcohol when she was 12 at a barbecue at her mom's house. She and some friends stole some alcohol and went into the basement and drank. Alcohol helped her feel like she was connected to a group, and she lived up to the party girl persona as a way to feel accepted.   In her mid-teens, Julie's parents decided to send her away to a Baptist school. This was Julie's first experience of feeling like she was part of a family, and she was able to stay out of trouble there.   Soon after Julie returned home, she started drinking again. She married her high school sweetheart, and they had her first daughter together. When the marriage ended, she thought she needed to be in a relationship to have the perfect life and got married again where she had her second daughter. She was going to college and attending church to uphold the image of the perfect life.   After her children moved out and she and her husband became empty nesters, Julie's drinking ramped up. She had a lot of freedom with her job which found her drinking more and more. She was worried what her husband thought so she was hiding her alcohol throughout the house. Julie began questioning her drinking and read This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. She was able to quit drinking for about 60 days. Even though she started drinking again, Julie feels that something changes.   Julie separated from her husband and found herself drinking and isolating. She quickly realized she needed help. She started going to AA and was able to stay sober for over three years, but gradually stopped doing the work. She started thinking she could be a normal drinker and that she didn't have a problem. It didn't take long for Julie to end up back to isolating and binge drinking. Her final binge at a hotel when a flight was cancelled found her realizing she had to stop again.   Julie found the RE podcast and shortly after went back to AA. Podcasts, online meetings, travelling, and yoga are some of Julie's favorite tools. Connection within a sober community is very important to her.   Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator The only way out is through. I love you guys.

Episode 431 – Transformation   Today we have Katy, she is 40, from Olympia, WA and took her last drink on February 12th, 2023.   Join Recovery Elevator this Sunday for a fun conference style meet up at the Marriott in Alpharetta.  This event is all about getting your connect on and it will be a fun time.  Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend and you can even stick around afterwards for some silent disco.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:26] Thoughts from Paul:   One of the best parts of doing the Recovery Elevator podcast is seeing the transformations people make.  Many of the travelers on this year's Costa Rica trip also traveled last year. With every single repeat traveler, Paul could see the growth almost immediately. There are many different reasons for the transformations, but it is always visible in the smile.   Paul wants to make a correction from a previous episode where he said that Goat Yoga was a horrible idea. Incorporating animals in our healing can be a great thing. One reason for this is the nervous systems of animals are much more intact, and with entrainment theory in biology, our nervous systems can heal while being around animals. Also, goats are hilarious. They are all about having fun and if you come near enough to them, they will make you part of the fun.   In the interview with Katy, Paul references a previous episode covering Natlrexone. That is episode 164 if you wish to go back and listen.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [08:06] Paul introduces Katy:   Katy is 40 years old and took her last drink on February 12, 2023. She is from Olympia WA, married and they have two kids and a dog.  Katy works in elementary education and for fun she likes to hike, read and listen to podcasts.   Katy first started drinking at a young age, but it wasn't until she was in her late teens that she started having consequences like hangovers and blackouts. She went on to a college that had a reputation for being a party school and she fell right into the scene.   Katy feels her twenties were stolen by an abusive relationship where the focus was on a party lifestyle. She had started drinking and driving, getting herself into debt, and struggled to hold down a job. The consequences of her drinking really started to escalate including a DUI that she got during a blackout.   In her thirties, she continued to work in bars and blackout frequently.  When she tried quitting on her own, she had some physical withdrawals and she decided to go to rehab. After around four months she decided to leave and started drinking immediately believing that she would be able to control it.  Before long she was back where she was with her drinking and had a mental health scare that found her seeking help once again.   Her family was very supportive, and Katy was able to make positive changes in her life including having children and getting her master's in education. She was able to stay sober through her pregnancies but would start drinking shortly after.   Katy was prescribed naltrexone which helped her stop drinking and start working on herself. On her doctor's advice she started attending sobriety groups in addition to the medication. She prefers SMART recovery over AA but believes connection is important.   Exercise is important to Katy's sobriety in addition to podcasts and reading. She looks for the good things in day-to-day life as well as in nature which help her feel gratitude. She uses some exercises to help with her anxiety that help her to surround herself in “now”. She enjoys music where she can connect to the lyrics.   Bucket list for Katy is to love her life and feel emotions.   [47:27] In closing, Paul shares another installment of “You Can Be Right, Or You Can Have Peace”.     Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.

Episode 429 – The Connection Between Alcohol and Anxiety   Today we have Dale, he is 55, from Roanoke, VA and he has been alcohol free since March 23, 2019   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:34] Paul's thoughts:   Paul knows now that there is a connection between his drinking and his anxiety but while actively drinking, he could not. We are told that alcohol relaxes us – which it does by shutting down important parts of our brain.   According to Dr. Sheila Shilati,"Alcohol ultimately replaces those important chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which mitigate anxiety, therefore, in episodes where you are not drinking, then your brain is searching for those all-important 'feel-good' connections, which become diminished because the supply has been mitigated,"   We hear a lot about “self-medicating” in recovery. Which isn't a bad thing, but when we rely too much on this strategy, it stops working. This becomes an even bigger problem because we don't realize it so we just drink more and now our coping strategy is becoming the reason we can't cope.   Paul shares in episode 417, this is the best place you can be because the tipping point isn't far off in the distance.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:48] Paul introduces Dale:   Dale is 55, lives in southwest Virginia, has been married for 25 years with no children. He works for a shipping company and also owns and manages rental property. Dale enjoys music of all varieties, loves reading and learning and also enjoys gardening.   Dale's first experiences with alcohol came from his parents using it to medicate him as a child. He worked in the hospitality industry in his late teens and early twenties and drinking was a glorified part of the lifestyle. His tolerance grew and he became a daily drinker throughout that time.   The recent years found Dale questioning his drinking and realizing he wasn't living life within his values. He had sneakily drunk some of his wife's special whiskey which prompted an angry text to Dale. He used this message as motivation and although he was not able to quit right away Dale feels this was the start of his recovery.   Dale has found self-awareness to be a catalyst to helping him stop drinking. He has utilized Recovery Elevator and the Café RE community as a large part of his journey. It was a scary first step for him, but he found getting out of his comfort zone to be very helpful. He has made many friends that have helped him move forward and be strong in his sobriety. Focusing on the good has been an important tool for Dale, specifically in the early days. As he closed in on a year, he felt the veil had been lifted and he was seeing the world differently.   Year two for Dale was unpacking everything that led him to drink so much in the first place. He feels that was the mucky part of the journey and it is a process to unpack it.   Year three Dale feels that learning to let go of control was a big thing. Learning that life is going to happen, and he didn't have to cling so tightly to everything. He finds that the service work he does in the community has helped him deal with life as it happens while approaching the four-year milestone.   Dale feels that success comes by building the wall one brick at a time, stepping outside of the comfort zone and being willing to learn. He also feels that service work helps strengthen us and keep us connected to our foundation.    [53:36] Closing thoughts:   Paul's tips for dealing with anxiety without alcohol:   Perception – anxiety pangs are messengers. Your body is sending you signals that something is off balance. Tell your body this will pass and will soften with each passing day or month.   Get the body moving to cue the release of endorphins whose purpose is to mask physical and emotional pain.   Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys

Episode 427 – But a Symptom   Today we have Ian, he is 24, from Baltimore, MD and he has been alcohol free since December 26, 2022.   What are you doing for Memorial Day?  You should join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta! We have an event for Café RE members on Saturday and then Sunday night we have a conference style event that everyone is invited to attend. Information about the Sunday night event can be found here. Café RE members can get more information through the members website if they are interested in the weekend event.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:15] Thoughts from Paul:   If alcohol isn't the primary problem, and it's a symptom of something else, what does that mean, and what course of action do we take? None of us are able to correct the unrest in our lives when alcohol is present. That's why moderate drinking for the problematic drinker doesn't work either.   For Paul, after he ditched the booze, he recognized that his nervous system needed healing and found that nature was a great help with addressing that. Everyone is different and their sources of unrest that need addressing will be different but first, the alcohol needs to go and then the healing can begin. We get one life, and your addiction is about to springboard you towards your authentic self – if you are willing. You may be asking yourself “am I willing?”…If you are listening to this podcast, the answer is yes.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:47] Paul introduces Ian:   Ian took his last drink on Christmas Day of 2022. He lives in Baltimore and is a recent college grad. In his free time, he fosters senior dogs and plays music. He finds taking care of animals at the end of their lives to be very rewarding and helpful in his recovery.   Ian wasn't exposed to alcohol until he was in college. He was in his junior year when he started drinking and smoking pot. He had roommates that were drinking like he was at parties and on the weekends, but Ian was starting to be sneaky and would purchase his own alcohol separate from the alcohol that was present in the house and didn't want anyone to know how much he was actually drinking. The blackouts started becoming more and more frequent.   When he was 20, he started planning his entire days around drinking and smoking. Work and school became minor activities and drinking was priority. Throughout all of this Ian was still successful so he didn't see his drinking as a problem.   Early 2020 Ian experienced withdrawal for the first time and it scared him. He initially didn't realize what it was and was scared he was going to die. For the first time, he acknowledged his drinking had become an issue.   After several trips to the ER, he ended up speaking with a peer counselor who helped him get involved with an Intensive Outpatient Program. Ian was able to get sober for two months but was ashamed of what he was doing and ended up leaving. He relapsed and had a bad Christmas with his family. He has learned that it is more embarrassing to have a drinking problem than it is to work on getting sober.   Ian says being transparent with people was the game changer for him. Letting everyone know that he is sober helps him stay accountable.   Being a young person in sobriety can feel a little lonely Ian says. Our culture normalizes drinking in our twenties and it's hard to connect with others in recovery because most people are older. In spite of the feelings of missing out or “why me” thinking, Ian knows that this is the right choice for him.   Ian is looking forward to achieving newfound career goals, being a better dog dad and someday having a family. He is excited to fully find his confidence and be the best version of himself he can possibly be.   Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down; we have to take the stairs back up I love you guys And don't forget that we definitely can do this

Episode 423 – Some Phoneless Fool   Today we have Laura. She is 45, from Boston, MA, and took her last drink on September 27, 2014.   Join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend for a fun conference style event at the Marriott in Alpharetta on Sunday.  This event is all about getting your connect on and it will be a fun time.  Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend. Registration is open please click the link for more information.   We also have registration for the annual Bozeman Retreat opening on April 3rd. The retreat is scheduled for August 9th – 13th.    Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:07] Highlights from Paul:   Paul feels that addictions are adaptations to unhealthy environments. Rates of addiction, disease, inflammations, and cancers are all on the rise. In recovery we are tasked with creating a world for ourselves and others where we feel connected, worthy, and part of the community. Recovery is not about new world exploration but restoring the circuitry we were born with. Addiction could be what forces us to come together, put our differences aside and start loving each other.   Paul thinks that it is our job in recovery to create a life for ourselves and others that doesn't require alcohol for wholeness. He's up for the task, how about you?   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [6:36] Paul introduces Laura:   Laura is 45 years old, lives in Boston, has one daughter and is recently engaged. She is a writer and the founder of The Luckiest Club, an international sobriety support community. For fun she loves to read, play beach volleyball and travelling.   She first started drinking when she was 15 but didn't drink a lot. She played sports in high school which kept her from partying and her dad got sober when she was a teenager so she had a healthy fear of alcohol. Her drinking really started when she went to college. She had a fake ID and was all in. After graduating she found herself surrounded by drinking in the workforce. Throughout her 20's she surrounded herself with people who drank like her. There was a sense that she drank differently than others but she decided it was just something she needed to watch but not quit. She never had any serious consequences at this time in her life.   Laura feels that her drinking really increased after she became a mom. She had more anxiety, her body processed it differently, she was drinking more and it was working less. While she was pregnant, she realized how much she had relied on alcohol because she couldn't have it. She started worrying more about her drinking at this point because she was chasing relief from the anxiety and only finding it helping for 20 minutes or less.   The year before her last drink Laura found herself suffering some consequences. She got a DUI which she brushed off as just getting a ticket when asked about it. After an event that caused her to almost lose custody of her daughter, she spent the next year actively trying to quit drinking. Her family was acutely aware of her drinking issue and were holding her accountable. She was very angry and wasn't at the point that she accepted that the alcohol needed to go.   She tried to go to AA but didn't enjoy it at first. She continued to drink but also kept going to meetings. She was starting to have more sober time than drinking time and was reaping the benefits. It wasn't until she stopped making the promise to not drink and instead focused on one day at a time.   Laura started closing all her escape hatches after getting a little bit of sobriety time. She feels the most important thing about sobriety is that you cannot do it alone.   And these days, there are more and more resources out there where we don't have to do it alone.   Laura McKowen The Luckiest Club   We are the Luckiest Push Off From Here     Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator Rule 22 – Lighten Up I love you guys          

Episode 421 – Keep It Simple   Today we have Stephanie. She is 44 from Georgetown, MA and took her last drink on September 6, 2020.   Recovery Elevator podcast just surpassed 10 million downloads!  Thank you to our guests, all the team members, Café RE members, and especially our listeners!   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [2:49] Highlights from Paul:   In an age where almost everything plugs in, we as human beings do not. Often when we are feeling upset or triggered, one (or more than one) aspect of H.A.L.T is at play. Try and ask yourself if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired.   Paul gives us a lot of suggestions of simple ways to address these feelings and asks the listener – how do you keep it simple?  Let us know on Monday's post on Instagram in the comment area!   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:42] Paul introduces Stephanie:   Stephanie took her last drink on September 6th, 2020. She is 44 years old, lives in Georgetown, Massachusetts. She is married and has two boys, ages 7 and 9, and two dogs. She enjoys walking and running and loves all things sci-fi.   She first started drinking when she was 15 with an 18 year old boyfriend. She was socially anxious, and drinking helped with that. There were very few consequences and she says it was at least once a weekend she drank, but never drank at home and wasn't exposed to alcohol at home. She did well in school and followed the rules at home.   She drank in college and went out with her friends typically Thursday through Saturday but did well in school during the week. She was able to dodge some consequences, but the behavior continued. The drinking gradually began happening more frequently especially after she started dating someone and they spent a lot of time going out and drinking together.   She ended up getting married and they moved to Arizona. Their relationship was surrounded by alcohol, and it started to become obvious that they couldn't take nights off and that was an issue. They split up and she moved back home to Boston. While she was excited for the next chapter of her life, she ended up starting to drink alone which was a red flag to her. She met her husband and they had a lot of fun together, even though they drank. Nothing serious happened, but she still felt that she was drinking too much. She was able to quit while she was pregnant and realized during the second pregnancy that she was wanting it to hurry up so she could start drinking again. Shortly after that she moved from bottles of wine to boxes.   Around the beginning of the pandemic, she told her husband that she was going to quit, but she wasn't able to. She started hiding mini bottles and realized she started drinking earlier and earlier in the day. She was starting to have physical pains and was saddened by what she saw in the mirror.  She was feeling more and more disconnected and realized that she wanted to change this so she could connect and be more present with her children.   Due to the pain, she was having, Stephanie decided to make an appointment with her doctor and got some alarming results. She decided to come clean with her husband and let him know what's been going on and that she was ready to quit drinking. He was very supportive which she wasn't expecting.   Stephanie realized that she had to do things differently. Moderation had never worked in the past, so she knew that wasn't an option this time. Three big things she did were she told the truth about her addiction, found a community whose language she really resonated with, and ensured she consistently had an hour to herself where she would listen to podcasts and walk. She is looking forward to doing some international travel sober, which she hasn't done before, and she is excited to continue being a more present parent and partner.     Connect with Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube   Recovery Elevator You can do this I love you guys        

Episode 419 – Boredom and Sobriety   Today we have Joel. He is 42 from Lawton, OK, and took his last drink on November 28th, 2022.   Join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta, GA over Memorial Day weekend. Registration opens March 1st, and the Sunday evening event is for everyone, and you can find more information about it HERE!   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [2:18] Highlights from Paul:   Boredom is a completely normal and natural emotion, one of the many all humans have. In today's world, we are were unconsciously wired to feel inadequate if we are not stimulated 24/7. But boredom is healthy and what is needed for a creative spark. Big alcohol has done a great job of convincing us that we cannot have fun without alcohol, and part of the sobriety process is finding joy or fun again – without the shit. We can learn to leverage technology and maybe start researching something that we are interested in. And everything becomes a possibility when you quit drinking. It takes our body time to find a heathier homeostasis but with time and practice, boredom becomes the invitation for us to be open to whatever wants to come our way in an alcohol-free life.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [12:01] Paul introduces Joel:   Joel has 51 days of sobriety at the time of this recording. He is manager of a large automotive retailer. He is married and they have a 14 year old daughter. He enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and at the lake.   Raised by a single mom and had addicts in his family. He didn't really know his dad until he was 13-14 years old and doesn't really have contact with him anymore. Parents had a toxic relationship.   Joel feels that this time in sobriety is different. He has tried many times and it seems like it gets harder every time. This time he feels that some of the signs he was given were different than before. He started realizing that he was allowing alcohol to take more and more control of his life. He was drinking on the way home from work, his wife hated his drinking so he was hiding it, and finally he realized it was becoming a huge problem.  The last few weeks found him having some red flags that made him realize he really needed to stop.   Joel says the first few days were exciting and full of optimism and then about day 3-5 found him full of anxiety. He knew it was part of his healing, and found he needed to stay busy to keep sober.  After two weeks he started feeling better, seeing some physical improvements and getting positive feedback from his wife. He feels very motivated to keep the momentum going and finally feels free.   He says he has always been a fan of routines, but now has a much healthier one without alcohol. Exercise has been a huge help to him as well as being reflective in a quiet space. As soon as he feels any anxiety he goes for walks regardless of where he is.   Thinking of the future Joel says he wants to be a role model for his daughter and live a happy life with his family. His mental health is important to him, and he has no interest in ever drinking again. Joel is in some sobriety groups and enjoys listening to podcasts. He and his wife also talk a lot about his journey, she is very understanding and supportive now.     Connect with Cafe RE  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator Go big, because eventually we all go home. I love you guys      

On episode 338of the BSP I discuss  YouTube shorts revenue sharing going live and what kind of CPM you can expect, I share my weight loss journey, discuss editing some more, admitting that I screw up a lot, address people telling me I use windscreens wrong, then discuss if mics being labeled "podcast" mics offends me, and finally answer if a listener should use a shotgun mic or lavalier microphone.   Subscribe to the full audio podcast at http://www.bandrewsays.com   Gear Used This Episode (Affiliate Links): Presonus M7: https://geni.us/prem7 Yellowtek M!ka: https://www.yellowtec.com/mika.html Universal Audio LA610 MKII: http://bit.ly/2MBhwLA Universal Audio x8: https://imp.i114863.net/zMg2r Sennheiser HD650: https://geni.us/sennhd650   As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.    Ask Questions: https://www.askbandrew.com Merch: https://www.podcastage.com/store Discord: http://www.podcastage.com/discord   00:00 - Intro 01:00 - YouTube Shorts Ad Revenue Sucks! 08:15 - My Weight Loss Journey 20:15 - Presonus M7 21:45 - WYHTS: Who Has Time For Editing? 26:40 - WYHTS: It's Okay To Screw Up. 29:45 - WYHTS: Get Over Yourself! 32:30 - WYHTS: FIll Your Living Space For Your Hobby! 33:45 - WYHTS: Your Using Your Popfilter Wrong! 35:40 - Ask Bandrew 36:30 - Voice Submission 1 37:30 - Do I Care that People Label the RE20 and AT2020 Podcast Microphones? 40:20 - Voice Submission 2 40:54 - Should You Use a Shotgun Mic or Lav Mic? 45:50 - Outro

Episode 414 – You Won't Regret Not Drinking   Today we have Emily, she is 44, from Phoenix, AZ and took her last drink on March 10th, 2019   There are about four spots open for our next sober travel trip to Costa Rica from April 12th-21st for more information click the link Costa Rica 2023.  The deadline to register is February 24th.   Registration is open for our 6 week Ukulele Course brought to you by Kala Brand ukulele – use the promo code 23ELEVATOR for 15% off. The course starts Saturday, February 11th.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:34] Paul's thoughts:   Paul doesn't make many promises on this podcast but feels he can 100% positively tell us that we will never regret not drinking.  You won't regret the extra $20 you save; the planet won't regret the gallons of water not used after “breaking the seal” or the trash drinking creates. Your family will never regret you not drinking. Your pets, your plants, your job, your community. Your hobbies, and your goals as well as any one of the 70 trillion cells in your body will not regret you not drinking.   It takes bravery and courage to take this path but listeners, you will not regret ditching the booze. You can do this.   Better Help: www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [08:30] Kris introduces Emily:   Emily has been sober for almost 4 years. She lives in Phoenix AZ with her husband, two daughters and two cats. She currently works in music education and loves to play music, paddleboard, and listening to podcasts.   Emily had little exposure to alcohol growing up. Her father was a recovering alcoholic, which wasn't talked about much. She took her first drink at the age of 19 at an Army officer training program event. She was very nervous and insecure in new social settings so accepted the offer to drink and ended up blacking out. She was excited to fit in but had a huge sense of shame because she didn't remember what happened.   Drinking was a problem for Emily right from the start. It was never just one she always binge drank. Throughout college and her career, she was able to mostly uphold her dual life – had it all together but on the inside was struggling with fears of not fitting in and fears of abandonment.   Emily's husband was also in the military and was deployed frequently. She used alcohol to self soothe when she felt isolated. They were moving around a lot which gave Emily a chance to start over every time. She didn't have to worry about who she alienated or upset with her drinking and just moved to the next town.    Emily reconnected with her father when one of their moves took them to the area where he lived. She enjoyed the opportunity they had to get to know one another and spend time together. When her father died unexpectedly, her drinking ramped up again.    Over the last few years of her drinking, she ended up resigning from her job and took a work from home position. She found herself drinking more and it was affecting all of her relationships. Emily decided to change her relationship with alcohol after a painful experience that happened with her kids. Within a few days of the event, she walked into her first AA meeting and that was her quit date.   Emily started with AA and an IOP program. She attended a lot of meetings and found a sponsor that helped her learn how to stop punishing herself and stop worrying about being abandoned. Being willing to do what her sponsor suggested helped her recovery. She was able to start playing music again and has started being a sponsor herself.   [51:20] Kris' outro:   One of the beautiful things about recovery is finding parts of ourselves that we thought we lost.  Emily has reconnected with her love for music and her song “Am I Alright?” as the outro today.     Connect with Cafe RE - Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube - Subscribe here! Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Remember, we took the elevator down, but we've got to take the stairs back up You can do this I love you guys  

Episode 413 – Grit, Grace, and Gratitude     Today we have Matt who is from Atlanta and took his last drink on November 15th, 2022.   Registration is open for our 6 week Ukulele Course brought to you by Kala Brand ukulele – use the promo code 23ELEVATOR for 15% off. The course starts Saturday, February 11th.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:35] Thoughts from Kris:   Turning 40 found him thinking more about longevity and being able to be healthy later in life. He has struggled with his physical health the past few years but gave himself a pass because his mental and spiritual health was more important at the time. Now, five years later and several stops and starts, he realizes he needs to treat his nutrition and physical health goals like another form of recovery. Much like sobriety, he felt he shouldn't do it alone and reached out to a friend in the health and wellness world and asked for help. Together they set some small, attainable goals rather than a strict daily routine bound for failure.   He talks about the virtues of “grit” “grace” and “gratitude” and their relation to our recovery.   Better Help: www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:21] Paul introduces Matt   Matt has 31 days at the time of this recording. He feels great making it past that milestone after many stops in starts over the past four years. Matt was born in Atlanta and moved to Utah in middle school. He was an avid skier and baseball player in school and currently enjoys going to the gym, running, and playing in a local rock band.   Matt was young when he first tried sips of his parents' drinks. Other than a few parties, Matt didn't drink much in high school. It wasn't until joining a fraternity in college that his drinking really got going. He considers his drinking as binge drinking and did not drink daily however, he started developing panic attacks and having issues with his grades at school.   He buckled down and cut back on partying during his senior year and graduated. He got a good job right after college and wasn't having any more panic attacks. He typically only drank on the weekends and didn't feel he had a problem because work was still going well and, on the occasion that he got a hangover, he would take a break for a while.   Some consequences came when he lost his job a few years ago and his drinking really ramped up as a way to cope with it. It took him a while to realize he was drinking to cover up his feelings and started using more and more. When things at home weren't going well Matt agreed he needed to address his drinking and started attending AA. He was stuck in the cycle of addiction with many stops and starts.   It was 31 days ago that Matt took himself to inpatient detox so that he could start the healing process.  He was ready to commit to not drinking and working on getting his life back. Initially he feared judgment from others but felt relief when he got there. After four days, he feels he had a moment of clarity and started to feel better and really dove into his recovery. Matt believes in radical honesty and accountability now and is working with his wife to earn her trust back while helping her understand what addiction is like. He went back to AA, is working the steps with a sponsor and he enjoys helping newcomers. He is feeling like this is a rebirth for him and is happy to live a life without alcohol. He has a clear idea of the person, husband, and father he wants to be.   [46:35] Kris' outro:   Kris encourages us to look at ourselves and ask if a different approach could help us with our goals that we may have been struggling to reach. Our egos want to protect us but if we pick the right people to have on our team, it can be a game changer. Change is hard, but so is letting something keep us from our best life.   Connect with Cafe RE - Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube - Subscribe here! Sobriety Tracker iTunes    You're the only ones who can do this, but you don't have to do it alone I love you guys.      

Episode 409 – The Cost of Inauthenticity   Today we have Jeremiah, he's 35 from Denver, CO and took his last drink on April 27, 2022.   NYE Sober Prom in San Diego on December 31st.  We have Athletic Brewing, Sip Clean, Sound Soda and Crumbl Cookies sponsoring this event, open to Café RE members only.   Registration for REStore is now open!  https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   Highlights from Paul:   Being inauthentic creates a lot of pain which many of us have tried to address it by using alcohol.  We often choose survival over authenticity by putting our basic needs over expressing or being ourselves.  Sometimes we have to be inauthentic to fit in.   Dr. Gabor Mate's book “The Myth of Normal” says “the perceived need to be what the world demands becomes entangled with our sense of who we are and how to seek love. Inauthenticity is thereafter misidentified with survival because the two were synonymous during the formative years.”   It has been studied that being inauthentic can lead to physical disease.  And Dr. Sarno has concluded that back pain is not structural but represents repressed emotions, mostly rage.   How can we be authentic?  It is a practice and a balance. There are two sides to the coin:  saying no to BS and doing more of what you enjoy.  Paul challenges us to ask ourselves where we are not being authentic?  What BS are we putting up with?   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [9:28]  Paul introduces Jeremiah:   Jeremiah took his last drink on April 27, 2022.  He grew up in Wisconsin but currently lives in Denver, CO.  He's 35, single and has two dogs and loves all varieties of outdoor sports.   Jeremiah didn't drink in high school but started drinking when he went to college.  He was able to do well in school and work and went out a few nights a week drinking like a “normal” college student.  After graduating he moved out of state, got married and says his drinking was drastically reduced. Even throughout other life changes including a divorce his drinking wasn't out of control.  After getting a DUI he was ordered to take classes that he didn't feel that he needed and was able to quit drinking for over a year with relative ease.   He initially saw the pandemic as an opportunity to focus on healthy and productive endeavors. He soon started to feel very isolated, and depression and anxiety started to set in.  His doctor put him on an antidepressant and Xanax which he started to abuse and mixing with alcohol.  He attended an IOP for Xanax with no intention of quitting drinking initially.  After a big relapse he realized he was no longer in control of his drinking and decided to go to inpatient rehab.   He wishes he had gone into rehab sooner where he finally felt relief and realized that he needed to make some changes. He made the decision to quit his job and moved back to Denver where he took some time off and started doing things that he used to enjoy.  He feels that his hobbies are just as important to his recovery as the community that he has found in AA and Café RE. He has found that through his hobbies and mindfulness he is better at living in the moment.  He looks forward to the future and plans to do more hiking, travelling and hopefully one day have a family.   [48:25] Paul's summary:   Gen Z and many others are waking up to the fact that alcohol is shit.  Just like Big Tobacco had their moment with catchy icons helping us believe that smoking was cool and good for us until people started dying, Big Alcohol has also spun a similar story – that it is good for our health and social life. But we are waking up and just like domestic tobacco sales went to shit, I imagine the same is already in motion for Big Alcohol.   Resources Connect with Cafe RE - Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube - Subscribe here! Sobriety Tracker iTunes    Recovery Elevator This isn't a “no” to alcohol, but a “yes” to a better life. I love you guys.

Episode 408 – Focus on the Good   Today we have Bret, 42, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and he took his last drink on September 17th, 2022.   Registration for REStore is now open!  https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   Highlights from Paul:   Paul urges us to focus on the good.  There is plenty of bad news out there but ruminating on issues that don't directly affect us can be detrimental.  While suffering is part of the human condition, there is always something to be thankful for.  He says that it is on the super challenging days where our recovery work is so important.    Like Odette said in the newsletter recently - “watch our thoughts – if a thought isn't inline with your new alcohol-free life – let it go”.   Author Jay Shetty in his book Think Like a Monk classifies thoughts as a seed or a weed.  If it's a weed, let it go, if it's a seed, water it and let it grow.   Manifestation is the mind's version of The Golden Rule, which is when you treat others with respect, you will gain respect back.  With your mind it's the same thing.  If you work towards focusing on the good, then eventually your outer reality will match up.    Paul's take on “character defects” is that we should be aware and make intentions to correct them, but to not get stuck ruminating on them.  If we focus on our weaknesses, it is hard to let our positive personality traits thrive.    Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:51]  Kris introduces Bret   Bret is at 66 days sober and feeling cautiously optimistic.    He's 42 years old, he was raised in Utah but lives in Fort Lauderdale now.  He has been with his partner for 17 years, and they have two dogs and a cat.  He likes to cook, garden and is a property appraiser.    Bret's parents divorced when he was very young, and he watched his older siblings stress their mom out with their drinking and swore he would never do it. Growing up gay was a struggle but when he went to college he started going to bars and found his community and felt like he belonged.  He was able to drink and successfully go to school and work.  His drinking was on par with everyone else, so he didn't feel he had a problem.   He moved to Fort Lauderdale in his 20's and found community in the bar scene.  The party never ended which normalized his drinking for him.  He was still able to work and function fine and never had any major consequences as he was away from family and only interacted with people that drank like he did.   His drinking started to slow down in his 30's.  They went out less and drank more at home while being caretakers for his mother-in-law.   Bret was the bartender for he and his partner and gradually started drinking earlier and the pours would get heavier.  He tried to moderate and create rules, but he would always break them and eventually started hiding the bottles.   COVID and a lot of external factors led to Bret trying to cope with alcohol.  It was when his husband confronted him about his hidden bottles that he finally felt relief – he feels he wouldn't have been able to admit he had a problem had it not been for that.  He went to his doctor, and they mentioned an IOP program that Bret got into as soon as he could.    Through his IOP and joining Café RE he feels he is starting to figure out what led him down the path to addiction.  He enjoys attending RE courses and chats and plans to attend the IOP after care to help continue his progress.     Book mentioned by Kris Tribe by Sebastian Junger   [48:33]  Kris' summary:   A common theme in recovery is loneliness. We felt loneliness while we were drinking, and we also tend to feel alone in recovery.  Finding people and community that understands is so important, especially with the holidays coming up     Resources Connect with Cafe RE - Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. Recovery Elevator YouTube - Subscribe here! Sobriety Tracker iTunes    We're the only ones that can do this, RE But we don't have to do it alone. I love you guys.

Are you just learning to code or a self-taught developer? Need help with structured direction in your learning journey? Then you have to check out The Coder Coder!! If neither apply check this resource out anyway, there is something for everyone. In today's episode we examine the world of learning how to code from the perspective of the teacher and dive into what it's like to sit in the driver's seat creating content and running a successful Youtube coding community. We also discuss how to learn, tips on asking for help, best places to start your code journey, and much much more. Our guest today is a beacon of hope for career changers everywhere. She is a self taught coder who began her coding career doing data entry and now creates extremely approachable, fun, entertaining and very educating tutorials for beginner web developers via her blog, online courses and videos. She is a Youtube sensation with a community of over 361K subscribers that she has built from the ground up. She has been in the industry for 8 years, recently quitting her full-time job to focus 100% on her Youtube community and has worked on every part of the development stack. Connect with Jessica: Twitter Instagram Youtube Website/Blog Show notes and helpful resources: Frontendmentor.io - build real world projects Freecodecamp resource and Discord community Odin Project - Learn how to code! Jessica's responsive design course coming soon! MDN - Mozilla Developer Network - great web documentation Jessica's Freecodecamp articles Jessica's video: Learn web development as an absolute beginner Jessica's video: How to stay motivated when learning to code Jessica's video: Are you sabotaging your coding career? (with Mortal Kombat style fight scenes) Jessica's video: Stop wasting time when learning to code video Jessica's gear: RE20 mic, A7S Camera, OBS Screen Casts, Adobe Suite, Vissles keyboard, Fully standing desk Jessica's favorite/highest production coder coder video: The Office Tour Building something cool or solving interesting problems? Want to be on this show? Send me an email at jointhepodcast@unfilteredbuild.com Podcast produced by Unfiltered Build - dream.design.develop.

I overview 8 recent Daily Goody‘s from June 21 - Sep. 20, 2021 (see list below). You can sign up to receive Daily Goody's in your email every day or a weekly roundup. Sign up here. NOTE: In this episode I'm using the new DynaCaster microphone from sE Electronics! I think it ended up sounding great. Also be sure to watch Podcastage's excellent test and review of this microphone: sE Electronics Dynacaster Review / Test (vs. SM7b, RE20, Ethos) Daily Goody posts that I discussed in this episode: Reduce Editing Time With Better Recording Habits Be Delicate When De-essing BB N105 Plugin (EQ and Saturation) Edit Out Awkward Silence or Not? Nicest Looking Website-Embeddable Podcast Players? Kali Audio LP-6 Active Near-field Monitors MJUC Compressor Plugin from Klanghelm Adjusting a Compressors Release Time and What Effect That Has on the Sound Martín Gonzalez, Audio Engineer at Pushkin Industries – PES 221 Other Notes: If you ever have questions please reach out! The start date for the next PES semester is April 19, 2022! If you'd like to share this show with any of your podcaster friends, feel free to send them a message saying, “Btw, here's a show about podcast audio production you may find helpful” with this link: https://podcastengineeringschool.com/subscribe/) Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with anything, ~Chris