What is the Legacy Lens? I’ve been talking a lot lately about C.A.L.M.—my specific framework for navigating life’s transitions without losing your integrity. It’s built on the foundations laid out by Don Miguel Ruiz in his book The Four Agreements. If you’re new here, you might hear me talk about “hitting a 10.” Most people live life at an 8—it’s “fine,” it’s comfortable, but it’s the danger zone. It’s where you stop growing because you’ve settled. My job as a coach is to help you move from that comfortable 8 to a fully realized 10. To get there, we use the C.A.L.M. framework: DON’T PLAYSMALL C – Clean Communication: I speak with integrity and intention. DON’T PLAYSMALL A – About Me? Before I internalize, I ask if it’s truly about

Last month, for the first time, I read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I had heard about it for years. I finally picked it up. The simplicity of those principles struck me. Not because they were complex — but because they were direct. They weren’t about changing my world. They were about taking responsibility for how we show up inside of it. Most people fall short of what they truly want because they spend their energy managing outcomes, controlling perceptions, correcting other people, or chasing validation. The agreements point inward instead. They ask: What responsibility must I take to step forward and create the life I say I want? As I read, I found myself translating the ideas into language I use in coaching. I wasn’t trying to

Because, for this alcoholic, Step Five isn’t about informing God.
That realization didn’t come to me in a meeting or a workbook. It came to me at Catholic Mass, of all places — during one of those call-and-response moments I used to say on autopilot, when I was a child. A few weeks ago, the response was: “You have searched me, and you know me, Lord.”

The Johari Window: From blind spots to breakthroughs in coaching How the Johari Window can reveal blind spots, hidden strengths, and next steps in life coaching The Johari Window showed me… Take a moment to look at the famous image above. You’ll see that the Johari Window lays out four simple descriptions of the character attributes we have. It explains, in simple terms, a model that helps explain how we understand ourselves and our relationships with others. It reveals what’s open – people know about us, what we know and try to keep hidden – what others notice about us that we don’t know or won’t admit to ourselves, and what’s still unknown about us by others or ourselves.  Personally, for me, the window reflects back to a time in

When I first got sober, I wasn’t looking to become anything. I wasn’t chasing healing or insight or a new identity. I was just trying to stay alive long enough to outlive my liver. Doctors told me to stop drinking or start saying goodbye. And they weren’t being dramatic. After 37 years of selling wine—and drinking more than I ever sold—my body was cashing in the tab. But here’s the twist: that moment of reckoning turned out to be the beginning of something bigger than survival. What came next wasn’t just sobriety. It was a complete shift in purpose, direction, and identity. After nearly four decades in the wine business, it’s hard to explain the shift. One day, I was chasing sales numbers and wine placements. Next, I was sitting

Editor’s Note:Every month, I share something from the heart—sometimes light, sometimes heavy, but always rooted in recovery. This month’s reflection is deeply personal. It’s about my journey back to faith and what it’s meant for my sobriety. I know we all walk different spiritual paths, and that’s something I honor. If you’re curious about how we support people who choose a secular approach to sobriety, I invite you to visit our page on sober support without spiritual pressure. Thanks, as always, for reading. I am Bill… After decades of anger, distance, and self-guided spirituality, I’ve started going back to Mass—once a week, every week—for the last three months. It’s sticking. Why does that matter?Because I care, and I believe God does, too. For a long time, I rejected being Catholic.

“An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility oroutside enterprise…” Sounds formal, right? Like something meant for a lawyer or an accountant. But Tradition Six isn’t just a policy — it’s a protection. For me, it’s also a humbling reminder that even with the best intentions, I still have the capacity to wander off course. A Sunny Day, a Post, and a Mistake It was a regular afternoon — puppies lounging in the sun, breeze coming through the sliding door, and me on the couch doing my usual: checking email, writing, posting on social media. I run a business that supports people in recovery. It’s not A.A., but it lives in the same neighborhood. That day, I posted something that blurred the

I need to be crystal clear. What follows is one alcoholic’s view. It is not endorsed by AA, and I don’t even know if I’d find a single person to agree with me, but it is how I see it. No great studies or even research have been done to write this. It is off the cuff based on a meeting I was in the other day. It was a Big Book study starting on page 90, and we ended on the top of page 94. I love AA! I am following in my sponsor’s footsteps, saying that with conviction. I say that all the time in meetings after meetings. I also love AA in public if my disease comes up, I spread the word. I try never to push

If you’ve come to the point of realizing you have an alcohol problem, you’ve taken one of the most courageous steps toward change. Now is the time to take action. The journey to recovery begins with a single step—and you don’t have to take it alone. Visit https://livingstepsolutions.com  for a complementary assessment to help you turn this realization into a life-changing transformation. Your admission is no small feat, and recognizing the issue is a powerful first step in moving forward. But what comes next? Congratulations – Admitting the Problem Is the First Step. – Acknowledging that alcohol has become an issue in your life is crucial. It’s the first step toward solutions, support, and a healthier way of living. Remember, this step takes courage, and it’s something to feel proud of—taking ownership

The journey through recovery is filled with lessons, and one that’s stood out to me lately is the difference between being thankful and being grateful. For a long time, I didn’t give much thought to these words—they seemed interchangeable. But as I’ve worked the steps and walked my path, I’ve come to realize they mean something different, especially in the context of recovery. Let me share what I’ve learned by looking back at my own story. When I first found out I needed a liver transplant, I was upset, overwhelmed, and unsure of how to cope. Drinking wasn’t an option anymore, and for the first time in a long time, I had to face my emotions head-on. In those early moments, I decided to focus on what I could be thankful for. I told myself

Sometimes, it’s tough to assess our own habits objectively, especially with drinking. Social norms, stress, and lifestyle changes can all make it hard to see whether alcohol has become too central in our lives. If you’ve ever wondered about your relationship with alcohol, here are a few questions that might help bring clarity: If you answered “yes” to a number of these questions, it may be worth exploring what drinking means in your life and whether you want to make a change. Reaching out for support, setting goals, and talking to people who’ve been in your shoes can make a difference in finding a healthy balance or taking a new path altogether. There’s no right or wrong way to approach it, but taking that first step to reflect can be