The Living Clean Podcast

This week, we’re doing something a little different to keep our Sunday momentum rolling. Since our Service Day episode dropped earlier in the week, Francis and Mason decided to share a live recording from TACNA40 in Texarkana.In this special episode, Mason S. speaks on the topic of Conscious Contact and shares his personal experience with prayer, meditation, surrender, and building a real relationship with a Higher Power in recovery. Through honesty, humor, and practical experience, he explores what it means to stay spiritually connected one day at a time.Whether you’re new in recovery or have been around for years, this message offers encouragement and insight into how conscious contact can move from an idea into a daily practice.Thank you for continuing to grow with us and for being part of The Living Clean Podcast.

Francis, David, Travis, and Amanda return with a new set of Be The Change exercises focused on the 12th Step and practicing recovery principles “in all of our affairs.”In this episode, the group reviews how the spirit of welcoming newcomers began to naturally show up in everyday life — at home, at work, in conversations, and in how we respond to challenges outside of meetings. What started as intentional kindness within the fellowship began to overlap into personal lives, reminding us that the message is carried through how we live.Together, we introduce this next series of exercises designed to help us practice being the change in practical ways — applying spiritual principles consistently, not just inside meetings, but wherever we go.This discussion explores:• living the 12th Step through action• how welcoming others changes us• practicing principles beyond the meeting room• carrying the message through example• building consistency between recovery and daily life• simple ways to Be The Change in relationships, responsibilities, and communityThese exercises are intended to support continued growth, deepen awareness, and strengthen the connection between recovery and everyday living.If you are interested in participating in this next set of exercises, reach out to Francis by text.Recovery is not just something we talk about — it becomes something we live.Be The Change — In All of Our Affairs

In this episode of The Living Clean Podcast, we continue our journey through Chapter 4 of the Living Clean book as we begin exploring the section on “Disabilities.”We’re joined by a group of special guests who bring real, lived experience to this conversation. Each of them faces different types of disabilities, and together they help us break down the first half of this powerful section.This episode dives into what it really looks like to navigate recovery while also managing physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges. Our guests share honestly about the obstacles they’ve faced—but more importantly, they share the strength, courage, and perseverance it takes to stay clean and keep moving forward.This is a conversation about resilience. About not giving up. About finding hope even when life adds extra layers of difficulty.Because recovery doesn’t require perfect circumstances—it requires willingness, connection, and the courage to keep going.

After sitting in the archive for over a year, we’re finally releasing this conversation with Bo S.Bo was there in the early days. He served as the first World Literature Conference Chair and was one of the members who stepped forward when the question was asked, “Who’s going to write the book?”The answer he got was simple: “Any addict.”And Bo said, “Well, I’m an addict.”He would go on to be one of only two members to attend all seven World Literature Conferences, playing a role in the development of what would become the Basic Text.This episode wasn’t easy to release.When we recorded this, Bo’s health was declining. At times he was sharp and clear, and at other times he struggled with details and timelines. Because of that, we held onto this recording for a long time. We wanted to make sure anything we shared respected both the history and Bo. After going back through the archive and carefully editing this conversation, what remains is something honest and human.This may not be our cleanest episode but it’s real.

This week on the Living Clean Podcast, we dive headfirst into Step Four: “We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”Our consistent panel returns — Archer, Pete, and Douglas — and we’re joined by two powerful guests, Tim and Dawn, as we break down all things Step Four. We talk about what it really means to be searching. What fearless actually looks like. How to write honestly without drowning in shame. Why resentment, fear, and sex inventories matter. And how this step becomes a turning point in recovery instead of a punishment.This conversation is real. It’s raw. It’s practical. And it might be the strongest episode in our Step series so far.If you’ve ever been intimidated by Step Four… If you’ve ever avoided it… If you’re in the middle of it right now…Do yourself a favor and listen.This is where freedom begins.

This week’s episode came together in a way that honestly couldn’t have been planned any better.Francis and I had the opportunity to be together in person at the Texarkana Area Convention in Texarkana, Arkansas, and that alone made this week different. While we were there, we were both involved in different parts of the convention. We did a History of the Basic Text workshop together, I shared on conscious contact, and Francis was scheduled to be the Sunday morning spiritual speaker on the topic “Creative Action of the Spirit.”All of the topics for the convention were pulled directly from Living Clean: The Journey Continues, and as we were talking through what we were going to do for this week’s episode, Francis mentioned he was having a hard time figuring out what he wanted to say on his topic.That’s when the idea hit.Instead of just recording a normal episode, we decided to take advantage of being surrounded by addicts in recovery from all over and do a live, in-person Living Clean study on the section “Creative Action of the Spirit.” We broke it up into its 12 paragraphs and had members from the convention share on different sections.What came out of that was something powerful. You’ll hear different perspectives, different experiences, and real-time insight from people who don’t normally sit in the same rooms together.And then we took it one step further.At the end of this episode, we included Francis’s full Sunday morning message. So what you’re getting is the process and the result. You get to hear the preparation through the study and then hear how that message came to life.This one is special.

n this episode of the Living Clean Podcast, we continue our book study of Living Clean: The Journey Continues, focusing on the final six paragraphs of the “Illness” section in Chapter 4.Illness can challenge our recovery in ways we never expected. Physical suffering, fear of the future, and difficult choices can test the spiritual principles we rely on every day. In this conversation, we explore how the tools of recovery help us navigate those moments when life becomes uncertain and painful.We discuss the importance of reaching out—calling a sponsor, leaning on our support group, and turning to the wisdom found in NA literature such as In Times of Illness. These tools help us make decisions we can live with and take the next right action, even in the middle of crisis.The episode also explores the spiritual tension many of us feel when illness strikes. We talk about bargaining with God, expectations in prayer, and the powerful shift that happens when we move from demanding outcomes to practicing surrender. Recovery teaches us that our Higher Power is not a vending machine, and that acceptance of life on life’s terms often opens the door to gratitude—even when gratitude feels hardest to find.We also examine the deeply personal nature of health decisions. Recovery does not give us a single model for how to live, and each of us must find our own balance between caring for ourselves and avoiding the self-destructive patterns of our past. Through honest reflection, inventory, and surrender, we learn how to live according to our values rather than our fears.Ultimately, this section reminds us that recovery is not about perfection. It is about continually returning to the tools of the program, refining our balance between health and illness, action and acceptance, and learning how to live a life that aligns with our beliefs.Freedom in recovery means something powerful: we get to live life according to our own choosing and design.

n this episode of DM’ing the Pamphlets, Mason from the Living Clean Podcast sits down with Douglas from the Anonymous Podcast to take a deep dive into IP #2 – The Group.The group is often described as the heart of recovery. It’s where addicts find connection, accountability, and a place where the message of recovery can be carried addict to addict. But what actually makes a group work? What is the purpose of a group beyond just holding meetings? And what responsibility do members have in protecting the unity and integrity of their home group?Douglas and Mason walk through the pamphlet line by line, discussing the principles behind healthy groups, the importance of participation and service, and how groups function as the foundation of the fellowship. They also explore practical topics like home groups, group conscience, unity, and the role each member plays in keeping the doors open for the next addict who walks in.Along the way, the conversation blends literature, personal experience, and a bit of real talk about what happens when groups thrive—and when they struggle.Whether you’re new to recovery or have been around meetings for years, this episode offers insight into why the group matters and how each of us contributes to keeping the message alive.DM’ing the Pamphlets is a series where we explore recovery literature one pamphlet at a time—breaking it down, discussing its meaning, and connecting it to real recovery.

In this episode of The Living Clean Podcast, Mason and Francis sit down with returning panel members Archer, Pete, and Douglas, along with two special guests, Jay and Mindy, for a powerful and honest conversation about Step 3: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”This discussion goes far beyond the words on the page. The group explores what it really means to make a decision in recovery. They talk about control, ego, fear, and the deep-rooted habit of trying to run the show. Jay and Mindy bring vulnerability and fresh perspective as they share how Step 3 shifted their understanding of trust and changed the way they respond to life’s chaos. The panel wrestles with the tension between surrender and responsibility, discussing how turning it over is not passive resignation but an active daily choice to let go of self-will.Together, the conversation moves from theory to lived experience. What does it look like when we actually stop fighting everything? How do we trust something greater than ourselves without fully understanding it? And how does this step move us from belief into action? As always, the heart of recovery beats when addicts share honestly with one another, and this episode captures that spirit in a real and practical way.

In this episode, Mason and Francis sit down with comedian Mark L., a performer known for bringing humor into recovery spaces and treatment settings across the world.While respecting the spiritual principle of anonymity, this conversation focuses on experience, strength, and hope — not identity. Mark shares about his past, the role humor played in his recovery, and how laughter can help us talk about the things we once hid, denied, or ran from.This is an honest discussion about addiction, recovery, perspective, and the power of being able to laugh without minimizing the seriousness of the journey.If we can laugh about it, we can talk about it. And when we can talk about it, we don’t have to go through it alone.

Wild Recovery is more than just a group — it’s a recovery experience built around movement, nature, and shared adventure. In this episode, we sit down with several members of Wild Recovery to talk about what it’s been like to live clean while hiking trails, pushing limits, and reconnecting with themselves, others, and the world around them. They share how challenge, discomfort, and community have become powerful tools in their recovery, and why this outdoor-based approach has resonated with people who may not have found their place in more traditional spaces. This is an honest conversation about growth, freedom, and discovering new ways to experience recovery. We’re excited to share this unique experience with you.

45th anniversary of the Third World Literature Conference of Narcotics Anonymous — held in Memphis, Tennessee in 1981 — the gathering that brought the NA Basic Text into being.In this special episode, we’re joined by Doug W., Linda M., George R., and Gene L., members who were there and helped carry the responsibility of finishing the book so that addicts they would never meet could find recovery.Rather than reading minutes or timelines, this conversation explores the human side of that work: the pressure, disagreements, unity, spiritual grounding, and trust required to bring the Basic Text to life. This is a story about service, surrender, and what can happen when addicts come together for something bigger than themselves.We are the book — and together we will always have the book.

This week on the Living Clean Podcast, we sit down with Bella A and Craig R to revisit an article they wrote for the NA Way Magazine back in 1999, where they boldly tried to predict the future of Narcotics Anonymous. Together, we reflect on which of those predictions came true, which expectations were exceeded, and where reality took a different turn than anyone imagined.The conversation also explores how NA has evolved in reaching the newcomer, including changes in public relations and communication, and how the message continues to find addicts in new and unexpected ways. We close the episode by looking ahead once again, asking what Narcotics Anonymous might look like in the year 2050.A thoughtful, reflective, and forward-looking episode that bridges NA’s past, present, and future.