Sobriety... Now What? with Stuart Cline

Ep 40 Why Your “Why” Matters in Sobriety | Finding Purpose, Motivation, and Lasting Recovery

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/fan_mail/new] What keeps someone sober when cravings hit, motivation fades, or life gets difficult? In this powerful episode of Sobriety… Now What?, Stuart Cline explores one of the most important foundations of lasting recovery: discovering your “why.” Why do some people relapse even after treatment, therapy, books, and support? Why do others find the strength to keep going through the hardest moments of sobriety? The answer often comes down to emotional connection, purpose, and meaning. In this episode, Stuart shares: • Why information alone rarely creates lasting change • The powerful difference between head knowledge and heart-level motivation • A moving parable about passion, persistence, and emotional investment • How addiction itself operates through goal, plan, and emotional energy • Viktor Frankl’s insights on meaning and survival • The “Five Whys” exercise to help you uncover your deeper reason for staying sober • Why you do not need to hit rock bottom to want a better life • How to stop merely escaping life and start building one you truly want to live This episode is for anyone who: • Wants to strengthen their recovery motivation • Feels stuck, disconnected, or emotionally exhausted • Is sober curious or early in recovery • Has relapsed and wants to reconnect with purpose • Wants more than just “not drinking” — and is ready to thrive Stuart also gives listeners an early preview of his upcoming book: Unclouded: 100 Strategies to Clear Your Mind, Break Free from Alcohol, and Build a Happier Life If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who may need encouragement today. Website: StuartCline.com Thanks for listening to Sobriety… Now What? Live freely, evolve fully, and thrive. Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/support] HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer check out the links below.  🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com [http://www.SobrietyNowWhat.com] 🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com [ www.https://Stuartcline.com] 🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com [http://www.nmcounseling.com] 📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com Have a topic you’d like me to cover? Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you. If this episode helped you: Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

EP 39 Do the AA Promises Really Come True? | 72 Years of Sobriety at the Round Table

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/fan_mail/new] EP 39 Do the AA Promises Really Come True? | 72 Years of Sobriety at the Round Table In this powerful round-table conversation, Stuart sits down in the studio with Mike and Colm — two men with over 70 years of combined sobriety — to talk about one of the most well-known parts of Alcoholics Anonymous: the AA promises. Do the promises really come true?  Can people truly find peace, freedom, happiness, and purpose in sobriety? Together, the three share honest stories and reflections about recovery, fear, spirituality, friendship, service, emotional healing, and what life actually looks like after decades of sobriety. This episode is not about perfection. It is about hope. Whether you are new to recovery, struggling to stay sober, curious about AA, or simply looking for encouragement, this conversation offers real-life experience from people who have lived it. Topics include:  • The AA promises explained in real life  • Fear, shame, and emotional healing  • Spirituality vs. religion in recovery  • Self-seeking, service, and friendship  • Learning to live without alcohol  • Why connection and community matter  • Finding peace and purpose in sobriety If you’ve ever wondered whether life truly gets better sober, this episode is for you. Thanks for listening to Sobriety Now What. Live freely, evolve fully, and thrive. Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/support] HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer check out the links below.  🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com [http://www.SobrietyNowWhat.com] 🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com [ www.https://Stuartcline.com] 🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com [http://www.nmcounseling.com] 📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com Have a topic you’d like me to cover? Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you. If this episode helped you: Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

Ep. 38: A Kindness Practice to Calm Your Mind & Reduce Stress (Bonus Episode)

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/fan_mail/new] In this short bonus episode of Sobriety… Now What?, Stuart Cline guides you through a simple, calming kindness practice you can use anytime to help calm your mind, reduce stress, and reset your mood. This guided practice is inspired by the long-standing tradition of loving-kindness (also known as metta), adapted into a practical, real-life tool you can use while driving, walking, or taking a moment to pause during your day. You’ll be guided through a series of gentle phrases to help you: *  calm your thoughts  *  reduce stress and emotional reactivity  *  practice kindness toward yourself and others  *  create a small but meaningful shift in your state of mind  This episode builds on Episode 37 and gives you something simple you can actually do—not just think about. Use this practice in the morning, at night, or anytime you feel overwhelmed. Even a small reset can make a big difference. Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/support] HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer check out the links below.  🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com [http://www.SobrietyNowWhat.com] 🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com [ www.https://Stuartcline.com] 🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com [http://www.nmcounseling.com] 📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com Have a topic you’d like me to cover? Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you. If this episode helped you: Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

Ep 37 The Helper's High Without the Hangover — Francesca Donlan on Kindness, Recovery & the K20 Summit

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/fan_mail/new] You’re sober… but still feeling stressed? The to-do list doesn’t stop. Life feels heavy. And some days, just getting through feels like enough. In this episode, I sit down with returning guest Francesca Donlan — my most downloaded guest — to explore a simple, powerful tool that can shift your mood, calm your mind, and improve your day without substances. Francesca spent the entire year of 2025 doing one intentional act each day to improve connection and well-being — and what she discovered, backed by research, might surprise you. We talk about a simple way to reduce stress and feel better fast, how small daily actions can improve mood and mental health, the “helper’s high” and why it works, how to reset your mindset when life feels overwhelming, practical ways to feel more connected in sobriety, and why self-compassion is a key part of lasting recovery. This episode isn’t about being perfect. It’s about having a tool you can use on real days, in real life. If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just off lately, this conversation can help you reset and move forward. About My Guest  Francesca Donlan is a university educator and researcher focused on human connection and well-being. She has taught the science behind positive social behavior and is the organizer of the K20 Global Kindness Summit, bringing together leaders from around the world to explore how small actions can create meaningful change. Key Takeaway  You don’t need to change everything to feel better. Sometimes one small action can shift your entire day. Connect + Learn More  Learn more about the K20 Global Kindness Summit:  https://k20kindness.com If This Helped You  Follow the podcast and share this episode with someone who could use a reset today. Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/support] HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer check out the links below.  🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com [http://www.SobrietyNowWhat.com] 🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com [ www.https://Stuartcline.com] 🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com [http://www.nmcounseling.com] 📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com Have a topic you’d like me to cover? Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you. If this episode helped you: Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.

Ep 36: He Trained His Brain to Reject Alcohol—Then Had to Rebuild His Life

DId this podcast help you. Please let me and others know to support the show. Thank you. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/fan_mail/new] Ep 36: He Trained His Brain to Reject Alcohol—Then Had to Rebuild His Life In this episode of Sobriety Now What?, Stuart sits down with Ian Fee to explore what recovery really looks like beyond just quitting drinking. After decades of alcohol use, Ian shares the moment he could no longer lie to himself—and how that became the turning point in his life. He opens up about his unique experience with aversion therapy, a rarely discussed approach that helped change his relationship with alcohol. But this conversation goes deeper than how he stopped. It’s about what happens next. You’ll hear what early recovery really feels like, how to face the emotions that come up, and what it takes to rebuild your life with honesty, accountability, and support. This episode will help you: *  Understand the difference between stopping drinking and real recovery  *  Feel less alone in the emotional challenges of early sobriety  *  Learn how accountability and support can change everything  *  Begin thinking about how to build a better life in sobriety  If you’re in early recovery—or starting to question your relationship with alcohol—this episode offers a new perspective and real hope. To learn more about: *  Ian Fee: Ianfee.com [https://ianfee.com/]   Stuart Cline:  * Coaching: EvolvingFully.com [https://stuartcline.podia.com/], stuartcline.podia.com [https://stuartcline.podia.com/] * Counseling: nmcounseling.com [https://www.nmcounseling.com/] * Podcast: www.sobrietynowwhat.com Invitation to consider at least one helpful piece of information to help them thrive in their sobriety and to share with podcast with others and to follow and email questions.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390237/support] HI! If you would like to find out more things I offer check out the links below.  🌐 Website: www.SobrietyNowWhat.com [http://www.SobrietyNowWhat.com] 🌱 Stuart Cline: www.Stuartcline.com [ www.https://Stuartcline.com] 🧠 Counseling Services: www.nmcounseling.com [http://www.nmcounseling.com] 📧 Email: SobrietyNowWhat111@gmail.com Have a topic you’d like me to cover? Send me an email—I’d love to hear what would be most helpful for you. If this episode helped you: Follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapeutic relationship. If you are in need of support, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider.