Joe H. (also known as Joe Hawk) is a prominent and influential speaker in Alcoholics Anonymous. His message is known for its depth, intensity, and no-nonsense approach to the spiritual solution outlined in the Big Book.

Key Learnings from Joe H.

Joe H.'s teachings revolve around a profound understanding of the spiritual malady at the core of alcoholism and the absolute necessity of a spiritual awakening through the rigorous application of the 12 Steps.

  1. Alcoholism is a Threefold Disease: He emphasizes that alcoholism is not just a physical allergy or a mental obsession, but a spiritual malady at its root. [1] The spiritual sickness is the core problem that existed before the first drink and must be treated for recovery to occur. [1][2]
  2. The True Nature of Powerlessness: Joe H. is adamant that powerlessness (Step 1) is absolute. It does not mean "powerless with a choice." [3][4] If an alcoholic had a choice, they wouldn't be alcoholic. The idea that one can simply choose not to drink is a delusion that keeps the alcoholic sick. [5]
  3. Surrender is Not an Action: You cannot "decide" to surrender or "smash your own ego." [3][5] Surrender is not something you do; it is something that is done to you by a Power greater than yourself, often through pain and desperation (the "great persuader"). [1]
  4. The Spiritual Malady Exists in Sobriety: He teaches that the spiritual malady—the restlessness, irritability, and discontentment—can become worse after you stop drinking if left untreated. [6][7] This is the unmanageability of sober life that drives an alcoholic back to a drink. [2]
  5. The Big Book is a Set of Instructions, Not a Study Guide: He strongly differentiates between studying the Big Book and doing what is in the Big Book. [4][8] He states that studying the book is a waste of time unless it inspires you to take the actions it describes. The program is a "path of action." [4][8]
  6. The Goal is a Spiritual Awakening: The purpose of working the steps is not simply to stay sober, but to have a spiritual awakening or experience. [9] This is the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism. This awakening provides a defense against the first drink that the alcoholic lacks on their own. [10]
  7. Experience vs. Exposure: There is a vast difference between being exposed to spiritual principles (like in a meeting or a church) and having a direct experience of those principles through the action of the steps. [1]
  8. Spiritual Living is Being Present: Joe H. defines spiritual living as being present in the moment. [3][4] The power of God that keeps him sober is only accessible in the "here and now," not in the past or the future. [4]
  9. The Ego's Primary Function is Separation: He teaches that the main function of the ego is to separate you from other people and from a Higher Power, which is just enough separation to allow a drink to get in. [6] The steps are designed to deflate this ego.
  10. The Necessity of Rigorous Honesty: The process requires asking the right questions and being willing to see the truth about oneself, no matter how painful. He often points out that the most insane thing an alcoholic ever did was take the first drink when they were sober, not the crazy things they did while drunk. [2]
  11. You Can't Keep Yourself Sober: The number one priority for an alcoholic—staying sober—is the one thing they are powerless to do anything about. [3][4] Sobriety is a gift of grace that comes from being in a fit spiritual condition, which is maintained through the disciplines of Steps 10, 11, and 12. [5]
  12. The Purpose of Sponsorship: A sponsor's role is to guide a newcomer through the precise instructions in the Big Book. [11] He stresses the need for sponsors who care more about whether the sponsee lives or dies than about their "sensitive alcoholic feelings." [9]
  13. Recovered vs. Recovering: Joe H. points out that the Big Book uses the word "recovered" far more than "recovering." [5] He describes himself as being in a "recovered state," meaning he has recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body, not that he is cured. [5]
  14. The First and Last Drunks are Spiritual Awakenings: He describes the first time alcohol truly worked as a spiritual awakening that brought a profound sense of ease and comfort. The last drunk is also a spiritual awakening, one of terror and despair that makes a person willing to seek help. [9]
  15. Action is the Key: The entire program is predicated on action. You cannot think your way into right living; you must live your way into right thinking. The steps are a series of actions that, when taken, produce a spiritual result. [8]

Top Quotes from Joe H.

  1. "Powerless means powerless, not powerless with a choice. Those don't go together." [3][4]
  2. "If you listen to a real alcoholic talk about his first drunk and you listen to a real alcoholic talk about his last drunk, they're both spiritual awakenings." [9]
  3. "I do what I do with the steps... this disciplined life I lead not because I'm trying to be spiritual... I do it because I don't have any tools drunk or sober to handle life." [3]
  4. "You need to be around people that care more about whether you live or die than your sensitive alcoholic feelings." [9]
  5. "Studying the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is a waste of time unless it gets you excited about doing what's in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous." [4]
  6. "I didn't surrender... I was surrendered by something much more powerful than myself." [1]
  7. "Spiritual living is being present to the moment with the focus being on being present to the moment instead of where you're at, who you're with, and what you're doing." [3][4]
  8. "Thank God AA doesn't make any sense. Everything that ever made sense to me failed... why? Because it makes sense to this [points to head] and this is what got me here." [1]
  9. "The idea that I have a choice over alcohol today is the insanity of alcoholism that will take me to the first drink." [5]
  10. "My big book says that I'm not only bodily and mentally ill, but that I'm spiritually sick." [1]
  11. "There's a big difference for me between exposure to spiritual principles and experiencing spiritual principles." [1]
  12. "Recovery begins when the problem's no longer outside of you and when there's nobody left to blame." [1]
  13. "Most alcoholics die from alcoholism... you're given a choice: you can either die from alcoholism, or you can die with alcoholism, free." [1]
  14. "I believe the main function of my ego is to separate me from you in any way I can just long enough for me to take a drink." [6]
  15. "At five and a half months [sober], I woke up one day and there was a part of my disease that was worse than the day I got here." [6][7]
  16. "You can't sell a spiritual malady that no human power can relieve. As a matter of fact, in those fields [therapy, treatment centers] it's not even recognized." [6][7]
  17. "The most insane thing you ever did... was with nothing in your system, bone-dry... and you know what he did for me that night? He brought me out from behind the bottle." [2]
  18. "I'm not from the school of doing one through nine once." [8]
  19. "Grace really only lasts as long as ignorance does. And once you see a piece of truth... you really need a little bit more than grace because you need some power to do something with the truth that you've seen." [6]
  20. "I am not one of these alcoholics that my worst day sober is better than my best day drunk. I had some great times drinking. And I've had some dark times sober." [1]
  21. "Alcohol and drugs aren't the problem. It's always been interesting to me that alcohol treated alcoholism for a long time." [3][4]
  22. "You can't smash your ego. I can't bring about surrender. That's what the great persuader did for me." [5]
  23. "I don't look for people I can help anymore... you know who I look for? People that nobody can help, and I point 'em to that which can." [9]
  24. "We hoped all those things [meetings, sponsor, book] would get you in touch with something that already is keeping you sober." [5][9]
  25. "For me to drink is to die might be a hopeful promise of Alcoholics Anonymous. You know what scared me, though? You might go on living a long time feeling the way you're feeling." [9]
  26. "The amends don't have shit all to do with alcohol and drugs anymore." [9]
  27. "Untreated alcoholism is the unmanageability. And I think unmanageability is the spiritual malady." [2]
  28. "If you're a real alcoholic or a real drug addict... you and I stay clean and sober one day at a time by one thing and one thing only, and choice has nothing to do with it: a fit spiritual condition." [5]
  29. "I'm searching for God, I'm going to look for God out there—you're not going to find him. You might start to see him in other people who will get you excited about searching deep down within to find the great reality." [5]
  30. "I have a daily reprieve... it's contingent on the grace of God continuing to be in my life and a conscious contact." [1]
  31. "I have been actively involved in working the 12 steps... for the last 11 years of my life... and I have done one through nine and finished amends nine different times." [8]
  32. "The reason it's very difficult for alcoholics to forgive is we're consumed with ourselves." [3]
  33. "My troubles are of my own making. That's just the way I turned out." [1]
  34. "I'm an alcoholic who doesn't ever want to drink again. I believe in carrying the message." [8]
  35. "I have a much deeper thing though, it's a spiritual malady." [1]

These talks are widely available on YouTube and recovery-focused websites. The "Odomtology 12-Step Recovery Media" channel is a primary host for many of his classic speeches.

Learn more:

  1. Joe H. - AA Speaker - "Twelve Powerful Steps to Alcoholism Recovery" - YouTube
  2. Joe H. - Finding the Power – Steps 2 & 3 - AA Speaker - YouTube
  3. Mark H. and Joe H. - AA Speakers - "Experiencing The Big Book" (2002) - YouTube
  4. AA Speakers Mark H. and Joe H. "Experiencing the Big Book" - Part 1 - YouTube
  5. Mark H. & Joe H. - FULL REMASTERED WORKSHOP (Arizona, 2003) - AA Speakers
  6. Joe H. - Step 1 - The Power to Get Free - AA Speaker - YouTube
  7. Joe H. - AA Speaker - "Finding and Using a Higher Power" - YouTube
  8. Mark H. and Joe H. Big Book Experience 1994 - AA Speakers - YouTube
  9. Joe H. - AA Speaker - "The Depth and Weight of the Program" (2002) - YouTube
  10. AA Speakers Mark H. and Joe H. "Experiencing the Big Book" - Part 4 - YouTube
  11. Joe Hawk's Insights on Embracing Powerlessness in AA Recovery
  12. Audio – Joe H - Big Book Awakening