# 342 Wind In Recovery# 342 Wind In Recovery
A2D - From Addict to Disciple
David Hain uses sailing imagery and African proverbs to talk about the shifting “winds” that affect recovery and relapse risk. The conversation focuses on flexibility, resilience and learning to adjust rather than trying to fight life’s storms.
11:05•20 Apr 2026
Wind, Storms and Second Chances: Making the Weather Work for Your Recovery
Episode Overview
- Recovery conditions change like the wind, so plans and supports need to be flexible rather than fixed.
- Sometimes you may need a “new boat” in recovery, such as a different programme, group or rehab, when current supports no longer work.
- Soft, favourable periods can tempt people to leave structure too early, which can quickly turn into headwinds and another crash.
- Living like a “dog of the wind” – impulsive, plan-less and rootless – reflects addiction rather than stable recovery.
- You cannot stop life’s storms, but you can adjust your sails, bend with the wind, and use what the storm brings to keep moving forward.
“You can’t stop the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and addiction? Episode 342 of A2D – From Addict to Disciple uses wind and sailing as a vivid way to think about recovery, showing how conditions can shift from calm to chaotic in a heartbeat. David Hain talks about “contrary winds” that blow you off course, asking straight out: what do you do when your recovery feels like that?
He compares changing programmes, rehabs or groups to changing boats when the old one can’t handle the storm anymore. You’ll also hear about “not permitting winds” that keep you close to shore, like those times when you have to stick close to your safe places and routines instead of pushing your luck. Drawing on a story from Acts 27, David walks through soft breezes that seem favourable but quickly turn into headwinds and driving winds.
It’s a sharp reminder of how leaving rehab or structure too early because things feel easier can lead to yet another crash. The episode then shifts to African wisdom about the wind. With input from Felix from Krugersdorp, David introduces Xhosa phrases like “injayomoya”, the “dog of the wind” – someone drifting through life on impulse, with no real plan. He asks listeners to face whether that describes their addiction patterns.
Another phrase, “you’re lighting a fire in the wind”, captures all those efforts that never last because impulse keeps blowing them out. African proverbs bring it home: “You can’t stop the wind, but you can adjust your sails,” “The wind does not break a tree that can bend,” and “When the music changes, so must the dance.” It’s all about flexibility, resilience and learning to work with life’s storms instead of pretending they don’t exist.
If the winds in your own recovery keep shifting, how might you adjust your sails rather than wait for the storm to pass?
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