Katie P Step 3 Appalachian Roundup 2019Katie P Step 3 Appalachian Roundup 2019
Mad Dog Recovery AA Speakers
Katie Parker shares her experience of Step Three at an AA roundup, focusing on the “second surrender”, self‑will, and long‑term sobriety. The talk blends humour, personal stories, and Big Book guidance aimed at both newcomers and those with many years sober.
1:05:28•24 Sept 2026
Katie Parker on Step Three, Self‑Will, and the “Second Surrender”
Episode Overview
- Step Three is described as a “second surrender” that must be followed quickly by action through the rest of the steps.
- Long‑term sobriety can become dangerous if people rely on fellowship alone and stop doing inventory and Step Ten work.
- Selfishness and self‑centredness, not alcohol itself, are framed as the root of ongoing trouble in sobriety.
- A regular, text‑based study of the Big Book is presented as a way to stay aligned with the original directions of AA.
- Building a deep, personal relationship with a higher power is emphasised as the real aim of the steps, beyond just stopping drinking.
“It’s easier to get a drunk to quit drinking than it is to get one of us to quit playing God.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? Katie Parker’s energetic Step Three talk at the Appalachian Regional Roundup 2019 is aimed squarely at anyone in AA who wants more than just staying dry on fellowship alone. With a sharp sense of humour and a no‑nonsense Texas style, she talks openly about long‑term sobriety, ego, and what she calls the “second surrender”.
Katie shares that she’s been sober since October 1984, yet still leans heavily on the basics: the Big Book, sponsorship, and regular inventory. Her home group in Austin studies the book line by line, and you’ll hear how that structure changed her understanding of the programme after many years in AA. She’s clear that alcohol wasn’t her core problem: “Alcohol is not the problem.
Alcohol is the solution,” she says, explaining how selfishness and self‑centredness kept wrecking her life even while sober. This talk is especially helpful for people with some time under their belt who feel stuck, restless, or secretly bored with meetings. Katie walks through Step Three as more than just a quick prayer, calling it a decision that has to be backed up by rapid, practical action—particularly through Steps Four to Nine and ongoing Step Ten work.
She jokes about her own “toolkit of self‑will”, from airport baggage dramas to rows in doctors’ offices, then shows how sponsorship and inventory let her step out of the “bondage of self” and back into usefulness. Newcomers will hear a warm welcome and a strong push towards doing the work quickly; old‑timers will get a pointed reminder that long‑term sobriety can be “seductive” and dangerous if they start thinking they’ve arrived.
If you’re wondering whether your programme has quietly shifted from God‑reliance back to self‑reliance, this talk might be exactly the nudge you need. Where might your own “second surrender” be waiting?
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