The Courage to Grow

The Courage to Grow

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between Rev. Dan Beckett and Rev. Michelle Vargas leans right into that question, with a warm, humorous, and very honest look at what it really takes to grow in recovery. The focus here is courage – not the movie-style kind, but the daily courage to face “the wreckage of our past” and what the hosts call the “shadow” side of ourselves.

Michelle talks about arriving in recovery with “very little self-awareness,” using alcohol to escape “personal and psychic and spiritual pain.” Dan shares how his old fantasy superpower was invisibility, and how recovery shifted him from hiding in the shadows to being “much happier to be seen, to be part of the group.” You’ll hear practical spiritual tools framed in a very down-to-earth way.

They unpack the 12-step structure, sponsors, groups and a Higher Power as the support that makes it finally possible to “turn over rocks” and let those “creepy crawly things” of shame, fear and old beliefs run off in the light of awareness and love. The acronym HOW – “honest, open-minded, and willing” – becomes a simple recipe for change.

The episode speaks strongly to anyone in 12-step recovery, those affected by someone else’s addiction, or anyone feeling weighed down by old patterns. The hosts stress that this is lifelong work, “not a race to the finish,” and joke about “suiting up and showing up” as the basic requirement. Their affirmation, “With my higher power on board, I have the courage to change,” sums up the vibe: spiritual, practical, and gently challenging.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can really face your shadow and still be loved, this conversation might give you just enough courage to take the next step.