This is an amazing resource for anyone who is struggling with their step work or wants to get a deeper understanding of the 12 steps. This is 7.5 hours of talks, broken into 12 tracks for more manageable listening. Ray O’Keefe was an attorney and law professor as well as an insightful and sought-after AA speaker. He achieved a degree of fame in AA circles in the final three decades of the 20th century, noted for his heartwarming stories, dry sense of humor and emphasis on spirituality and strong sponsorship. Here’s a sample:
- On a Higher Power: “This is a power that comes into a gutter and takes someone like me, from nothing and puts me to a place where I’m something.”
- On steps 11 & 12: “I really believe that the 11th step is the powerhouse of Alcoholics Anonymous. I think that the prayer and meditation that we all engage in provides the real power that runs our fellowship. And if the 11th step provide the power that runs the program, I think the 12th and final step is really two things: First of all, it is the result of the first 11 steps… the spiritual awakening is the result of working those steps. And the second thing is, very simply, our instructions for the future.”
