You Are Further Along Than You Think & Life UpdateYou Are Further Along Than You Think & Life Update
Stop Drinking and Start Living
Mary Wagstaff shares a heartfelt life update and explains why many people in sobriety and wellness are further along than they think. She talks about devotion, spirituality, stages of change and shifting her work toward devotional wellness while keeping sobriety at the core.
27:33•20 Apr 2026
You’re Further Along Than You Think: Mary Wagstaff on Devotion, Sobriety and Starting Again
Episode Overview
- You may be further along in sobriety and wellness than you think, because parts of your life are already working.
- Inaction, rest and listening can be powerful actions, especially in a culture that pushes constant self‑improvement.
- Sustainable change grows from devotion and a higher power, however you define that, rather than sheer willpower.
- Change happens in stages over time, not as a single start date or dramatic breakthrough.
- Wellness is about the direction you’re facing, not the total absence of illness or struggle.
“You’re further along than you think because there are things that are working in your life.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of *Stop Drinking and Start Living* catches Mary Wagstaff hitting record with lilacs on the table, a lot on her heart, and a big message: "You are further along than you think." Speaking directly to sober‑curious folks, those already alcohol-free, and anyone wrestling with change, Mary talks about how modern self‑help and social media can make life feel more complicated than it needs to be.
She reminds you that "inaction is also action" and that sometimes stepping back, listening, and simplifying is where real progress hides. Mary shares a personal life update: buying a farm, stepping away from the podcast, observing Lent for the first time as an adult, and deepening her relationship with Christianity.
She openly admits she was "wrong about AA" and religion, and explains how her understanding of higher power, God, and the Holy Spirit has shifted her view of sobriety from willpower to devotion. You’ll hear about her move into health and wellness coaching, her new focus on "devotional wellness," and how change is a spectrum rather than a start‑again‑every-Monday event.
She talks about the trans-theoretical model of change, why people may listen for years before taking action, and how having a higher power—whatever that looks like—is, in her words, "absolutely 100%" required in sustainable sobriety. Mary also touches on her own digestive health struggles, codependency, and relationship challenges, using them as real-life examples of surrender, humility, and self‑compassion.
Through it all, she keeps circling back to one steady point: there are already places in your life where your heart is leading the way, and that means you’re not as behind as you think. If you’ve been feeling stuck, what might change if you trusted that some of what you’re doing is already working?
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