06/16: Tennessee (WMC)-Being open-minded to spirituality and a power greater than myself is a hard thing to do when I run on fear and whatever chemical the day has to offer. When my disease is at the wheel, it feels like I’m just fighting to make it through the day. I had to surrender to the reality that I don’t know shit, and I’m running my life into the ground. Hearing AA members talk about how I could form my own concept of a Higher Power was enough for me to arrive at open-mindedness. It really didn’t take much work on my part—just prayer in the beginning. It’s still an ongoing process. I will never fully understand how this spirituality or HP works, and that’s okay. Being open-minded and a forever student, I’ll know what I need to know when I need to know it. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/15: Maryland (LB)-I never struggled with the idea that something greater than me existed; I just didn’t think it had time for me. In my mind, a power greater than me had more important things to do than chase around someone like me, especially considering all the messes I kept making. But the step work changed that. It helped me look back and see that maybe I hadn’t been abandoned after all. Maybe something was looking out for me, even when I was actively working against myself. I didn’t need a perfect concept of God; I just needed enough willingness to believe that something outside of me could help. And that little bit of faith has grown into something real. Today, I don’t just believe in a Higher Power; I lean on it. And that’s made all the difference. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/14: Maryland (LB)-There’s no escape hatch in sobriety—not from grief, not from loss, not from life doing what life does. But there is a path through. I’ve had to walk through the death of loved ones, through hospital stays, financial uncertainty, and personal heartbreak, all without the option to hit the eject button of a drink or a drug. What I’ve learned is that I don’t have to face any of this shit alone. The Fellowship surrounded me, walked with me, and reminded me how to live through it all without collapsing. I’ve watched others survive things I don’t think I could handle, and they didn’t run either—they leaned in. That’s what this program gives me: not immunity from pain, but a design for living that doesn’t require me to run when life gets rough. And for that, I’m grateful today. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/13: Michigan (CU)-The best amends I can make for my family, my child, and others is to stay sober. To live an inclusive life, I’ve made direct amends to some family members and others, but to me that wasn’t enough for me to forgive myself and mend the trauma I caused. I realize today that sometimes things need to be said, but talk is cheap. I heard in a meeting a man talk about how many sleepless nights he gave his mother. So his amends is to let her go to sleep with a good night’s rest, not worrying. That requires me to live a spiritual way of life. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/12: Kentucky (AV)-As my drinking days went on, my idea of partnership turned into, I provided this, I did that, I should be able to drink when I want. I had a bad day, you were not home, I took the girls to practice and brought them home—now it’s my time. I had lost what a marriage was. I do this and you do that. I was never present, but I didn’t see a problem as long as I was providing. I learned the hard way that it doesn’t work that way. It took two and a half years after I got sober to gain back the trust that was lost. Today, I know again what a partnership looks like. It’s not all about one person or the other. It’s being present, being available, loving, comforting, and TRYING to understand. Am I the best? Absolutely not, but I’m still making progress. Being sober and learning this new way of life has been the best thing for me and my partnerships. I’m grateful for every day. It’s amazing what God can do #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/11: Maryland (LB)-Well, I don’t live with a family—just a cat who thinks he runs the place. My “family obligations” mostly involve treats, belly rubs on his schedule, and pretending not to notice when he judges me. But that line from the book still hits: “The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.” Whether it’s with family, friends, coworkers, or the lady at the grocery store who’s always in a bad mood, this program isn’t something I just talk about; it’s something I have to live. Shit, the cat doesn’t care how many meetings I attend or steps I’ve worked—he just wants me to show up consistently and with love. It’s funny how that sounds a lot like the people I made amends to. So today, even if I don’t have a big family around, I can practice patience, presence, and spiritual living wherever I am, including with the furry roommate who keeps me humble. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/10: Maryland (LB)-Impatience is one of those old default settings that still tries to run in the background, especially when things feel out of my control. But today, I’ve learned not to treat every delay or detour like a personal offense. When I feel that tightness in my chest—whether I’m stuck behind someone slow or waiting on someone to get it together—I try to picture my Higher Power as the traffic light. I might want green, but maybe, at that moment, I need red. Slowing down doesn’t mean I’m stuck; it just means I’m being given time. These little pauses might be saving me from something I can’t see or helping me grow in ways I won’t notice until later. When I let go of my demand for instant results, I get to live in the peace that patience offers. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/09: Maryland (LB)-Living in the now didn’t come naturally to me. I used to live in the past with regret or in the future with fear. The present always felt like something to escape. But recovery taught me that now is where my life actually happens. It’s like trying to drive a car while staring in the rearview mirror or squinting at the horizon; I’m gonna either crash or miss what’s right in front of me. I don’t have to figure out tomorrow or fix yesterday; I just have to be present for what’s in front of me today. That’s where I find my peace, my purpose, and my connection. And when I try to fast-forward life, I have to remind myself that God shows up in the moment, not in my imagination of how things should be. When I stay here, right here, I’m okay. Better than okay—most of the time, I’m actually free. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/08: Kentucky (AV)-My sponsor always talks about the daily reprieve. I can stop all the BS going on in my head at any time—as long as I stay spiritually fit and willing to change. I have to open my heart more and my mind less to let God remove the defects that hold me back. My mind will always hold me back. We always want the softer, easier way. It took me a while to see that discomfort allows me to grow closer to my Higher Power and farther from the person, I was. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/07: Maryland (LB)-Long-term hope didn’t come to me right away. In early sobriety, I just wanted to stop hurting—that was the only goal. But as time went on and I started working the steps and noticing small changes in myself, something new showed up: hope that life could actually get better. Not perfect, but better. I realized a lot of my struggles came from trying to force things to go my way, expecting people or situations to fill holes in me they were never meant to fill. Recovery has taught me to want less, appreciate more, and trust that the work I do today will pay off in ways I may not see until later. For me, that’s long-term hope—built one day, one action, one step, and one surrender at a time. I'm grateful that today, I'm not hopeless like I once was. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/06: Maryland (LB)-Yeah, when I’m trying, I’m taking action—and for me, that counts. I used to think I had to conquer every defect to be “spiritually fit,” but that’s not what this is asking of me. Today, I don’t have to be flawless; I just have to be honest about where I fall short and stay willing to grow. Some of my defects still show up—just wearing different clothes. But today, I notice them quicker. I try to respond, not react. And when I mess up, I don’t spiral into shame. I take accountability, course correct and try again. That’s spiritual progress for me. All I can do is try, and that’s enough for today. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/05: Maryland (LB)-Step Six always humbles me because it reminds me that willingness doesn’t mean I have to be perfect; it just means I have to stay open. I’ve learned that my defects don’t vanish overnight just because I want them gone. Sometimes, I still act out of fear, ego, or selfishness—even when I know better. But being entirely ready means, I don’t make excuses for those things anymore. I don’t protect them or justify them. I expose them. I stay willing to grow and let go, even when the process is slow. It’s not about aiming for perfection; it’s more about aiming in the right direction. And when I do that, I start to experience a version of myself that’s more free, more useful, and more at peace. That’s what I believe this Step is really about. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/04: Kentucky (AV)-I had to be willing to change my defects if I planned on staying sober. I’m the one who got myself into the mess, but I had tons of help to get me out of it. The mess was me. I had to get over myself—my selfishness, my attitude. I stayed in such a fog that I couldn't see the blessings I had, because alcohol had numbed all my feelings. If you feel like crap all the time with hangovers, feel like you have to hide from everything, and only feel normal when you're doing what’s causing your problems, you can’t see the sunlight. Step One was the start of changing me. Step Six is where I started learning how to stay changed. When I ask God to remove my defects of character, He gives me every opportunity for it to happen. I just have to be willing to do my part. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/03: Maryland (LB)-There’s a part of me that still wants to earn my way through recovery, as if I can white-knuckle my defects into submission. Step Six challenges that. It asks for willingness, not control. And that’s where I can still get jammed up. Willingness isn’t about force; it’s about surrender—not a dramatic, perfect surrender either, just the quiet, daily decision to show up and be honest about the things in me that aren’t working or serving me anymore. I’ve found that when I stop trying to manage every outcome and simply ask for willingness, I start to notice subtle shifts. Not fireworks—just slow, steady freedom. Today, I don’t need to have it all figured out. I just need to be willing to grow. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/02: Maryland (LB)-I didn’t know it at the time, but the moment I became willing to take the Steps, I started climbing out of the hole I had been stuck in for years. I didn’t have the full picture, and I definitely didn’t see a mountaintop—I just saw the next hand stretched out to help pull me forward. One foot in front of the other, guided by those who had gone before me. I’ve learned that the Steps aren’t a checklist; they’re a way of life. They teach me how to live, how to show up, and how to keep going—even when I don’t feel like it. This path may be personal, but it’s never walked alone. And today, when I look back at how far I’ve come, I realize I’m not just climbing—I’m rising. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

06/01: Maryland (LB)-My outlook on life didn’t just magically shift the day I got sober; it took some time, some action, and a whole lot of willingness. Early on, I saw everything through the lens of survival. I still had that street mentality: trust no one, protect yourself, and expect nothing. But slowly, as I kept (and keep) showing up and doing the work, something started to shift. I wasn’t just reacting to life anymore—I was participating in it. I started caring about people, letting people care about me, and looking at life as something I get to experience rather than something I have to fight through. Today, I’m not chasing comfort; I’m chasing growth. That’s the gift of this program: one day at a time, it changes the way I see the world and my place in it. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

05/31: Kentucky (AV)-The small beginnings turn into a lifestyle that doesn't have an ending, as long as there are still people willing to help others. When I think about my drinking career, it was all selfishness. I never thought of it that way because I was so wrapped up in myself. The steps freed me from myself. Today, I know how to live. I have a freedom and peace that I’ve never had—and it all came from people willing to help. Today, I think I’ll keep helping where I can. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

05/30: Tennessee (WMC)-Makes sense to me! The more alcoholics that AA helps, the more soldiers we have to fight the war. I think it’s the most important common denominator we have. I can hear a complete stranger share about the hope this program gives them, and I immediately feel love and connection for that stranger. So when I’m keeping the main thing the main thing (I love that, Maryland (LB), I’m free from self and usually have an abundance of serenity. The more I share my experience of how I found that serenity, the more I get. So I think it’s just as important on the group level as it is on the individual level. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober

Saturday. Sobriety intact. Peace intact. Self respect intact. That's a win.

05/30: Maryland (LB)-I’m grateful AA kept the main thing the main thing. Because when the bottom fell out for me, I didn’t need opinions, politics, or polished presentations—shit, I needed help. And what I found were people who spoke my language, who had been where I was, and who weren’t trying to fix me; they were just sharing how they got better. That’s the beauty of AA staying rooted in its primary purpose. It’s not flashy, but it works. And every time I show up, listen, or share honestly, I get to be part of that. That’s how the message keeps going: one drunk helping another. Simple, powerful, and still saving lives 90 years later—mine included. #SoberMovement2026 #RecoveryPosse #alcoholawareness #sober