About this episode
Paul opens today's episode talking about the short term & long term plans for Recovery Elevator: Paul is taking a break from the podcast and he will be focusing on the Recovery Elevator YouTube channel and creating meditations . 1-3 year plans: Recovery Elevator Retreat Center Long term goals: adding more Café RE groups Let's all start putting thinking bigger and putting Big Energy out into the universe for Recovery Elevator. [12:09] Paul welcomes Odette, the new voice of Recovery Elevator. Odette's last drink was 12/17/18. She is from San Diego, originally from Mexico and is married with two kids. They love the outdoors as a family. Odette enjoys learning about tea, puzzling and cooking. She often runs and uses her indoor bike for exercise. [16:08] Paul: What have you been up to since Episode 231? Odette is grateful for her recovery during this time of Covid-19. During her first year sober it's all about relearning habits, restructuring life and setting new routines. Her year two has been about uncovering a lot of deeper seeded emotions and being more honest with herself. [19:15] Paul: Can you cover what brought you to wanting to live an alcohol free life? Drinking felt like a déjà vu of Odette's previous addiction. (She is also in recovery from an eating disorder.) She had already walked this path and could her inner voice telling her that if she kept drinking the way she was, it would end badly. Her rock bottom was an emotional rock bottom. Odette has always felt like she wanted to be normal and because drinking is normalized in our culture she didn't initially want to step away. Choosing to do the thing that is not considered normal would again put her in a spotlight. However, she knew internally this was the path she needed to take. For more on her story go listen to episode 128 & 231. [23:00] They talk about Odette's path with the podcast. Odette likes relating to people. She will share when she hears her own story in others. She enjoys sharing books she's reading and things she is listening to. Sharing a-ha moments. [24:09] Paul: What are some topics you will cover moving forward? Practical tips and recovery tools. Focusing on her recovery toolbelt and listening to what's working for other people. Spiritual concepts and how those can be brought into our lives. Fun facts, history and what she can learn from others. Hearing from others and having the audience suggest topics. [25:23] Paul: Same format? For now, Odette plans to stay within the same format of an introduction and then having an interviewee. She loves talking and sharing and is really excited to take this forward, she is nervous at the same time. This is about a movement of living alcohol free and she wants to honor the path Paul has established. [28:00] Paul: Talk about evoking Rule 22 on this journey. Odette's father was silly when raising his own family. She grew up with flawed parents, yet they showed her there was always a path of fun to be found. The life she's living isn't a dress rehearsal, it's the only you she has and it's too short to not have fun. [30:06] Paul: Spanish or English? English. But there may be an opportunity in the future for episodes in Spanish. If you want to share your story you can email odette@recoveryelevator.com [32:32] Odette turns the tables and interviews Paul. Can you talk about your decision to step down? Paul acknowledges that he needed to take a break. He thought he needed to start over again, instead of asking for help and delegating a lot of what he's been doing. The community that he has created came to him with suggestions on how Recovery Elevator can keep moving forward. With some restructuring there is now a path. [37:20] Odette: Overall how do you feel? Paul says he feels incredible. That past year and a half has been the most spiritual he has ever experienced. And even more, the past 3 months he found his body cleansing itself of anything that didn't need to be there. [39:13] Odette: Tell us about some of the most fun experiences in your travels this past year. Watching a woman connect with an elephant in Thailand. The elephant laid down on its side and the woman laid on top. Watching the elephant breathing and the two of them connecting was powerful. While in Australia someone from an AA meeting asked if he wanted to go feed the seagulls. Paul put aside his serious side and went to feed seagulls for an hour and a half. [41:51] Odette: What's flowing through your creative side right now? Music has been creeping back into Paul's life over the past 5 years. He's been making meditation music. Also 3D meditations where you are walked through your future self, in the present moment. Focusing on the Recovery YouTube channel as well. [46:20] Odette: Will we hear from you during your break? Yes, Paul would love to pop in from time to time. [52:30] Paul: Where do you think we can take this? Odette says we can start small: have a podcast in Spanish for example. As large as: Traveling across the globe for service projects. A recovery center. She sees this growing in all directions. The opportunities are endless. [55:08] Rapid Fire Round What's a lightbulb moment you've had on this journey? Odette: I can't accept myself if I don't start with myself. I can't ask for help, if I'm not helping myself first Paul: We don't fight an addiction that's been trying to guide us. What's your favorite AF drink? Odette: all Tea, anything with ginger, grapefruit Bubly. Paul: Cold tonic with square ice cubes and tiny peach slices. What's on your bucket list in this AF life? Odette: to run a marathon and working in the recovery field. Paul: finding a new home base, follow the body. Favorite recovery resources? Odette: Café RE, Eckart Tolle, Pema Chödrön, Glennon Doyle, friends and Marco Polo. Paul: You, Café RE, the listeners, meditation. What parting piece of guidance can you give to listeners? Odette: What you resist, persists. Paul: Use the mind and locate the body. This episode brought to you by: Gruvi, use this link and enter the promo code: Recovery Elevator for 15% off your order. Upcoming events, retreats and courses: Ditching the Booze - The What, the Why and the How. We will be offering this again, starting 8/4/2020 and 11/3/20. It's free for Café RE members. Not a Café Re member? Sign up here and use the code OPPORTUNITY for waive the set-up fee. You can find more information about our events The book, Alcohol is SH!T, is out. Pick up your paperback copy on Amazon here ! You can get the Audible version here ! Resources mentioned in this episode: Connect with Cafe RE - Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee.. Sobriety Tracker iTunes Sobriety Tracker Android Sober Selfies!- Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to - info@recoveryelevator.com