Episode 66: Serving Others and Ourselves

In this episode, Jackie and Denise dive into Step 12, discussing what it means to awaken to our higher selves and carry the message to others. Denise reflects on her early days in recovery, organizing sober outings, and the profound impact of doing intensive step work around her sponsor Claire’s diverse dining room table. She also shares a serendipitous, "woo-woo" moment from a recent sound bath in Santa Monica where she accidentally pulled her own note.

Jackie connects the principles of Step 12 to social work ethics, exploring the importance of self-determination, not gatekeeping resources, and overcoming a scarcity mindset. Together, they discuss the Los Angeles fires as an example of how the rush to help can sometimes be overwhelming, highlighting the need for accessible, intentional service and curated directories. The episode wraps up with a conversation on the difference between self-care and self-soothing, a heartwarming story about a neighborhood pool date for grandma's birthday, and an exciting tease about welcoming guests to the show in the future.

Key Times:

00:01:01 Diving into Step 12 and applying our experience, strength, and hope with others

00:03:58 Denise's experience doing intensive, eight-month group step work with her sponsor, Claire

00:08:35 A serendipitous sound bath experience at Mud Wtr in Santa Monica

00:11:46 How Step 12 aligns with social work ethics, anti-gatekeeping, and overcoming scarcity mindsets

00:15:53 The LA fires and the challenge of organizing overwhelming resources to prevent decision fatigue

00:20:45 Why the rush to help must be matched with intentionality to be truly of service

00:24:53 Breaking down the critical difference between self-care and self-soothing (and when ice cream is the answer)

00:28:13 Teasing a new format: bringing friends and guests onto the podcast

Topics Covered:

• Step 12: Awakening to our higher selves and sharing experience, strength, and hope
• The power of group step work and having diverse perspectives in recovery
• Social work ethics, self-determination, and openly sharing community resources
• The importance of curating resources to prevent fatigue for those experiencing trauma
• Distinguishing between self-care and self-soothing behaviors to end the day

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