Welcome to Serenity Sit Down, a podcast series brought to you by The Retreat in Wayzata, Minnesota. This unique blend of inspiration and information is designed for those touched by addiction and behavioral health concerns, as well as addiction treatment professionals. Hosted by Father Jim, a seasoned veteran with over 35 years in the 12-Step Fellowship, this series dives deep into stories, strategies, and topics related to recovery, intervention, and prevention. Today, we’re thrilled to share a special episode featuring John Curtiss, the Principal and Director of The Retreat. Below is an edited transcript transformed into a blog post for theretreat.com. Let’s explore the origins, mission, and magic of The Retreat through this heartfelt conversation.

John has been at the helm of The Retreat for over 26 years, guiding it from a bold idea to a thriving community dedicated to affordable, accessible recovery. I asked him to take us back to the beginning

Recovery is a journey, one that requires support, community, and guidance. At The Retreat in Wayzata, Minnesota, people struggling with substance use disorders find a path to healing rooted in the principles of the 12 Steps. In a recent episode of Serenity Sit-Down, Father Jim sat down with Rich Murphy, Director of Admissions and Marketing at The Retreat, to discuss his personal experience, the unique approach of The Retreat, and the power of community in recovery.  

Chess masters know exactly how to move each piece on the board to bring about the desired result. Master chess players employ certain strategies like the Blackburne Shilling Gambit, which can bring about a victory in just seven moves. However, if one of the pieces in the master’s strategy is unexpectedly removed from the board by the opponent, it can result in a prolonged game or loss of the match entirely.  

This phrase, taken from an essay written by AA co-founder, Bill Wilson, describes the philosophy Bill wanted AA to adopt when it came to cooperation with the professional community. Bill understood that for people to find the AA program, AA needed to have good relations with the medical community, law enforcement, religious organizations and the like.  This is as true today as it was in AA’s early days.  

1. INTENTION: Begin each day with humility. Reach out and connect with something greater than you, in whatever way resonates for you. Help me. Show me. Guide me. Take away my difficulties. Heal and care for me. Lead me with Love. Breathe in, breathe out. Ask your Higher Power to assist you with navigating this day as it unfolds.

Staying sober during the holidays can be a challenge. Alcohol permeates our society and is associated with many traditions of the season like baking recipes, festive holiday drinks, or celebratory toasts. All of these traditions seem to revolve around alcohol. However, just because this may describe the season, it doesn’t dictate the season or us. We don’t have to trip over something that is behind us. We can make new holiday traditions.

On July 4th our nation celebrates its birthday. We trace our birth to the Declaration of Independence which was dated July 4, 1776.

For the fellow truth-seekers, today, we're diving headfirst into the world of alcoholism. We're here to bust some common myths about alcoholism. So hold on tight as we embark on this myth-busting mission!

Yesterday I flew with my daughter to Minneapolis for detox and treatment - an event I could only imagine in a faraway fantasy.  She called unexpectedly, after not talking to me for six months, and asked for help with the most desperate of states of heart/mind… begging to either die or get sober. 

I grew up in an alcoholic family.  As such I wasn’t imbued with a healthy sense of self.  I struggled with issues of low self-esteem.  I searched desperately for parental validation and proof that I was loved and worthy.  I was a child dealing with a very adult issue.  I had two alcoholic parents, and I didn’t have the coping techniques to deal with their alcoholism.