My Journey in Recovery With the 12 Steps
Steve L.
Coming soon
My Journey in Recovery With the 12 Steps
by Steve L.
The Ride the Waves with 12 Steps book is almost completed. Please check back for the free manuscript with over 40 songtracks to inspire you on your journey!
The Preface
In "Ride the Waves” Steve L. offers an intimate look at his life and journey in recovery, interweaving personal anecdotes with the principles of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Born into a loving, highly functional family, Steve experienced early life moving around as his Dad was transferred to different cities with General Motors.
After graduating from Woodward HS in Cincinnati, Ohio in June 1968, Steve enrolled in The Ohio State University that September. A naive, preppy kid looking to excel in Marketing in the College of Business, this memoir candidly chronicles his introduction to the fraternity and party life, his slow descent from weekend drinking to full blown alcoholism and addiction, his introduction into recovery, his climb back to sobriety, and a life of purpose with joy and happiness.
Each chapter begins with a powerful lyric from some of the most influential musicians of the era, with links to 38 Tracks to provide inspiration to help you work through each of the 12 steps; a unique addition to the 12 Step roadmap to build a relationship with a God of your own understanding to let go to move forward to embrace and share recovery.
Steve's story is one of hope, perseverance, and the pursuit of a better life. Whether you're in recovery or seeking inspiration, "Ride the Waves" provides a heartfelt guide to navigating life's challenges with grace and resilience. It’s also dedicated to the memory of my younger brother, Bob Leitz, who passed away on May 3, 2026, after a long illness.
We hope you’ll enjoy each memory and experience and embrace the message to “Ride the Waves” with the12 Steps on your own personal journey.
From the inside cover
The expression “ride the waves” comes from Bill's Story on p. 15 of Alcoholics Anonymous. “...my old business associates remained skeptical for a year and a half, during which I found little work. I was not too well at the time and was plagued by waves of self-pity and resentment. This sometimes nearly drove me back to drink, but I soon found that when all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic would save the day.”
Drawing inspiration from iconic songs and lyrics, this book not only provides a roadmap for those in recovery but also resonates with anyone seeking hope, resilience, a deeper understanding of themselves, and inspiration to build a deeper relationship with a Power greater than self through the 12 Steps.
Read a sample
Printed exactly as Steve wrote them.
From the Introduction
While visiting my older son Josh and his family July 2024 in Portugal, he and I discussed the story of our family and my story getting sober to pass on to his kids. I was fortunate to receive the gift of sobriety on April 25, 1983. Josh was 4 years old, and my other son Aaron was just 2.
Chapter 1 — “What It Was Like”
In 1957, when I was 7 years old, we moved to Flint, Michigan, where Dad was assigned the title Plant Engineer at Chevrolet Assembly. At that time, he was the youngest person to be given this title in the history of the Company; quite a nod to his ability to manage and to plan out the assembly line process of over 25,000 parts required to make each car.
Chapter 4 — Admitting Powerlessness
For me, the 1st Step didn't happen until April 25, 1983, 15 years after my first Fraternity Party & purple passion experience. My path to total despair, and the circumstances for me leading up to asking for help took that long. Thank God it happened when it did!
Chapter 5 — Recognizing Our Limits
The 1st Step in recovery is the first step for a reason. You have to be at a dead end. Done. Nowhere else to turn. I didn't really know it at the time, but I was done. Today I view my walking into AA on April 25, 1983, as a true Miracle. Today, I see that I was being guided. But not then.
“These words are how it was. Honestly. Unedited.”
Table of Contents
Thirty-four chapters, each one opening with a song. Tap any song to hear it.
Step 0My upbringing and trying to live life on self-reliance.
“Pressure pushing down on me, pressing down on you.”
“Teenage wasteland, it's only teenage wasteland.”
“Hello, is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me.”
Step 1We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
“Help! I need somebody, Help! Not just anybody.”
“You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.”
“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
Step 2Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Step 3Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Step 4Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Step 6Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Step 7Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Step 8Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
“Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam. And admit that the waters around you have grown.”
“It's sad, so sad. Why can't we talk it over? Oh, it seems to me that sorry seems to be the hardest word.”
Step 9Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
“Frozen here on the ladder of my life. Save myself from falling, I took a chance.”
“Good day sunshine, good day sunshine, good day sunshine.”
“You say the hill's too steep to climb, climb it. You say you'd like to see me try climbing.”
Step 10Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
“The long and winding road will never disappear.”
“If I don't get some shelter, I’m gonna fade away.”
“Tramps like us, baby we were born to run.”
Step 11Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
“Oh no, I’ve said too much; I set it up. Consider this. It brought me to my knees.”
“But we’re alone now, and I’m singing this song for you.”
“We can be heroes, just for one day.”
Step 12Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
“You are the one who can make us all laugh.”
“Someday you’ll wish upon a star….where trouble melts like lemon drops”
“In the tree by the brook there’s a songbird who sings.”
“We were born before the wind; so younger than the sun.”
“I got a peaceful, easy feeling, and I know you won't let me down.”
When the book comes out
One note when Ride the Waves is published. Nothing else.
“Ride the Waves!”
— Steve L.
