The Living Clean Podcast

This week on the Living Clean Podcast, we continue our journey through the Twelve Steps with Step Seven: “We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”
Our returning panel is back — Archer, Pete, Douglas, and Francis — and this week we're joined by special guests JW and Danette for a thoughtful and honest discussion about humility, willingness, and the ongoing process of spiritual growth.
Step Seven asks us to move beyond simply identifying our shortcomings and become willing to let them go. In this episode, we explore what humility really looks like in everyday life, why some defects seem so difficult to release, and how pride, fear, self-reliance, and ego can keep us stuck in old patterns. We also discuss the difference between knowing what needs to change and becoming willing to trust the process of change.
Recovery is not about achieving perfection. It is about becoming teachable, remaining open, and continuing to grow. Step Seven reminds us that lasting transformation doesn't come from self-improvement alone—it comes from humility, honesty, and a willingness to seek help beyond ourselves.
Through personal experience, practical examples, and heartfelt sharing, this episode offers insight into one of the most powerful and often overlooked steps in recovery.
Do yourself a favor and listen.

The Living Clean Podcast, we are pleased to share this special recording of the Paradise Strong Book Study meeting commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Fifth World Literature Conference (WLC5). Originally held on June 29, 2021, this event brought together members who attended the Fifth World Literature Conference, along with other trusted servants and members who participated in World Literature Conferences throughout the years.
This unique gathering offers firsthand accounts, historical reflections, and personal memories from those who helped shape Narcotics Anonymous literature. The discussion explores the spirit of service, collaboration, and dedication that contributed to the development of the Fellowship's message of recovery.
The meeting concludes with an open question-and-answer session, giving members of the Fellowship an opportunity to engage directly with the panel and learn more about this important chapter in NA history.
This recording was captured during a live Zoom meeting and is presented in its entirety to help preserve and share our Fellowship's history. We hope you enjoy this fascinating look back at the Fifth World Literature Conference and the members who helped carry the message forward.

In Part One, we break down the conference itself — the lost chapters of the Basic Text, the all-night group conscience meetings, the workshops, the editing battles, the spiritual moments, and the unbelievable amount of work done by recovering addicts trying to build a book that could carry the message worldwide. We explore not only what happened at WLC V in Warren, Ohio in 1981, but also the spirit of the process — the unity, passion, exhaustion, humor, and faith that held it all together.
In Part Two, we’re joined by members who were actually there. They share personal memories and firsthand insight into what it was like to live through the process of building the Basic Text and participating in one of the most historic literature conferences in NA history.
This episode is both a historical deep dive and a reminder that the literature we often take for granted today was built by addicts who believed the message was worth sacrificing for.
We also encourage everyone to check out the incredible work being done at:
Preserving the Message
and subscribe to the:
Preserving the Message YouTube Channel

In this episode of Francis's Archive, Francis sits down with Kareem K. to explore the history and preservation of the Orange County Area Archives. Kareem shares his journey into archival service, what sparked his passion for preserving Narcotics Anonymous history, and the importance of safeguarding our fellowship's collective memory.
Together, they discuss the value of archives in NA, the stories and documents that help connect us to our roots, and how preserving our past helps carry the message to future generations. Whether you're a history enthusiast, an archivist, or simply curious about the evolution of NA, this conversation offers insight into the dedication and service behind preserving our fellowship's legacy.
Join Francis and Kareem for a fascinating discussion about NA history, archival work, and the importance of remembering where we came from as we continue to move forward in recovery.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/196rEBBOrOExH2c-o0sHZ2qPDcFHYyEHp/view?usp=sharing

Earlier this year, we released a special Mother's Day episode, and we knew we couldn't let Father's Day pass without doing the same.
In this special episode of the Living Clean Podcast, Francis and Mason sit down for a heartfelt conversation about fatherhood, recovery, and the men who helped shape our lives. We share stories about our own dads—the lessons they taught us, the things we carry with us today, and how our relationships with them have evolved through recovery.
We also talk about being fathers ourselves. Recovery has given us opportunities many of us never thought possible: the chance to be present, dependable, loving, and engaged in the lives of our children. We discuss the challenges, responsibilities, joys, and occasional fears that come with trying to be the fathers our kids deserve.
Along the way, we explore how Narcotics Anonymous helped us heal family relationships, break generational cycles, and learn what it means to show up consistently for the people we love. Whether your experience with your father was positive, complicated, painful, or somewhere in between, we hope this conversation offers identification, hope, and encouragement.
Join us for a candid discussion about fathers, sons, daughters, gratitude, forgiveness, legacy, and the incredible gift of being able to participate fully in our families' lives—clean and present, one day at a time. Happy Father's Day from all of us at the Living Clean Podcast.