Step 10 - 20 Min Meditation 4 of 9 | Lessening Demands!

Step 10 - 20 Min Meditation 4 of 9 | Lessening Demands!

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This calm, 20‑minute session from Sober Meditations with Buddy C gently walks you through Step 10 work by focusing on one simple idea: lessening unreasonable demands on others, on a higher power, and on yourself. Recorded by a recovering alcoholic, this meditation blends guided breathing with practical Step 10 reflections.

You’ll be invited to settle into a comfortable position, follow the natural rhythm of your breath, and use light tools like counting each inhalation and exhalation to steady a wandering mind. As Buddy reminds you, “There’s nothing to accomplish in meditation… no box to check off or no competition to win.” The heart of the session centres on how expectations can quietly sabotage serenity in recovery.

Drawing from the 12 and 12, Buddy talks about replacing demands with “courtesy, kindness, justice, and love” and using the golden rule as a daily check: “Am I doing to others as I would have them do to me today?” He shares how learning that happiness “had to come from within” changed the way he related to people he once tried to control. There’s also a refreshing dose of humour.

Buddy describes catching himself in petty frustrations, especially with those closest to him, and saying, “I cannot believe I am getting angry about whatever,” making light of his own unreasonable expectations. That bit of self‑mockery becomes a surprisingly effective tool for easing tension.

The meditation ends with a simple, service‑based compass: when unsure what to do next, “look around for someone to help, someone to love.” It’s a gentle reminder that in recovery, peace often comes from shifting attention away from demands and towards quiet acts of kindness. If you’re working Step 10, feeling overly tense, or taking yourself a bit too seriously, this practice might be a helpful reset—whose expectations could you soften today?