Marybeth A Steps 1-3 Saratoga Springfest 2026Marybeth A Steps 1-3 Saratoga Springfest 2026
Mad Dog Recovery AA Speakers
Marybeth A shares her AA journey through Steps 1–3, from the chaos of active drinking to a spiritually grounded life. Her story highlights powerlessness, a growing relationship with a Higher Power, and the daily decision to serve others in recovery.
54:23•24 May 2026
Marybeth A on Owning Steps 1–3 and Letting Go of the Steering Wheel
Episode Overview
- Admitting "I’m an alcoholic, I need help" marked the real beginning of Marybeth’s recovery and clarified both her identity and her need for support.
- Step One became real when she recognised that every attempt to control or moderate her drinking had failed, and that her life was broken by alcoholism.
- Her journey through Step Two involved moving from anger and blame towards an open-minded search for a personal concept of God, supported by sponsors and AA literature.
- Step Three is framed as a daily decision to stop "playing God", let a Higher Power direct her life, and show up for a design for living based on spiritual principles.
- Service to "God’s children" and staying in Steps 10, 11 and 12 keep her grounded, turning recovery from a burden into a gift she gets to share with others.
“I’m an alcoholic, I need help.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This AA speaker meeting from Saratoga Springfest 2026 centres on Marybeth A as she talks through her experience of Steps 1–3 and what they’ve meant across nearly three decades of recovery. Right from the start, Marybeth’s humour and honesty set the tone.
She jokes about "already directing" the room, then drops the line that changed her life: "I’m an alcoholic, I need help." Those six words frame everything that follows – her admission of powerlessness, the chaos of her drinking from age 13, and the slow shift from sheer abstinence to a life rooted in spiritual principles. Step One shows up in her description of being "under the lash of alcoholism", trying every possible way to control her drinking and failing.
She talks about walking into AA broken and alone, yet leaving that first meeting "with all of you" after a stranger named Alice reached out and said, "Hi, my name is Alice. You must be new." That tiny act of kindness becomes a turning point. From there, Marybeth explains how Step Two grew over time, especially through sponsorship with Lily and studying "We Agnostics".
She describes moving from blaming God to accepting that "only a spiritual experience" could address her alcoholism, gradually shifting from fear to trust. Step Three comes alive as she talks about quitting "playing God", learning to let a Higher Power direct her life, and seeing herself as an actor rather than the director. She likens God to a point guard calling the plays, while she simply shows up and does the work.
Her focus today is simple: stay close to God, help His children, and treat recovery as a gift rather than a burden. Anyone feeling broken, doubtful about God, or stuck on the early steps may find fresh courage in Marybeth’s mix of raw honesty, humour and practical AA wisdom – what might those six words, "I’m an alcoholic, I need help", open up for you?
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