Burns B. AA Male

Burns B. AA Male

Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of recovery as Burns Brady, a 56-year-old AA member and physician, shares a long, honest look at what alcohol and amphetamines did to his life – and what AA has given back. Speaking to a packed conference, he mixes self-deprecating humour with raw honesty, opening by joking, "Story of my life, I've been here 30 seconds and screwed it up," and quickly setting a relaxed, relatable tone.

The episode is packed with vivid stories: his daughter trying to kill him while both were using, then later asking him to walk her down the aisle after finding sobriety; his son choosing treatment after being told he couldn’t live at home without it; and his ageing father, who no longer recognised him, briefly looking him in the eye and saying, "Son, today you're just like the little boy your mama and I raised." These moments highlight how recovery ripples through families.

You'll hear how Burns went from a respected family doctor to mental institutions, straight jackets and nearly putting a loaded shotgun in his mouth, and how a simple shift – "I'll do anything you tell me to do" – made him teachable and opened the door to Alcoholics Anonymous. He returns again and again to one simple message: "We don't have to get it perfect for it to be just right," showing how surrender and love matter more than perfection.

Style-wise, this is a long-form AA speaker talk: funny, emotional, very direct, and grounded firmly in the Big Book and the Twelve Steps. It's ideal if you're in AA, supporting someone who is, or just want to hear how "don't drink, go to meetings and read the big book" can grow into a rich, spiritual way of living.

If you’re tired of trying to be perfect, could "spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection" be exactly what you need to hear today?