July 24 Self-Will - Transitions Daily Alcohol Recovery ReadingsJuly 24 Self-Will - Transitions Daily Alcohol Recovery Readings
Transitions Daily Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Readings Podcast
A series of AA readings, voiced by Jerry R., focuses on self-will, honesty, helping others, and staying close to a Higher Power as protection against drinking. The material offers spiritual and practical images to help people reflect on their approach to sobriety today.
7:58•24 Jul 2026
Self-Will, Surrender, and Staying Sober: July 24 AA Readings
Episode Overview
- Running life on self-will leads to conflict and frustration, even with good motives.
- Staying sober depends on thinking of others and looking for ways to help without expecting anything back.
- Relying on one apparent virtue, like business honesty, can hide other serious character flaws.
- Connection with a Higher Power through daily meditation and prayer is presented as key to lasting change.
- Sobriety is pictured as a dike holding back an ocean of alcohol, which must be maintained by practising AA principles.
“It's not making a mistake that will kill me. It's defending it that does the damage.”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This short daily reading from Alcoholics Anonymous material, read by Jerry R. from Cardiff, Wales, offers a straight-talking look at self-will, honesty, and staying close to a Higher Power in recovery. Jerry shares the classic AA idea that “any life run on self-will can hardly be a success,” using the image of an actor trying to run the whole show and ending up in constant collision with others.
You’ll hear the sharp reminder, “It’s not making a mistake that will kill me. It’s defending it that does the damage,” which sums up how stubbornness can keep people stuck in alcohol and resentment. The episode moves through a mix of AA sources, including the Big Book, Daily Reflections, As Bill Sees It, and the 24 Hours a Day reading.
There’s a strong theme of shifting from self-centred thinking to helping others, with one passage stressing that “our very lives as ex-problem drinkers depend upon our constant thought of others and how we might help their needs.” For anyone wrestling with the idea of a Higher Power, the reading notes that “deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God,” while still acknowledging how life, ego, and distraction can bury that sense.
Simple slogans like “First things first,” “Live and let live,” and “Easy does it” keep the tone grounded and practical. A memorable image compares AA to a dike holding back an ocean of alcohol, warning that one drink is like making a hole in the wall. The message is clear: keep your spiritual and recovery practices in good repair, stay close to something bigger than yourself, and you give yourself a real chance at peace and sobriety.
If you’re wondering whether self-will is tripping you up, this gentle, no-frills reading might be exactly what you need to reflect on today.
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