The Pull¶

Title Ideas: - The Pull: A Spiritual Path for a Numb and Addicted Culture *** - The Pull: Reclaiming Presence, Desire, and God—One Step at a Time - The Pull: Why We Stay Addicted, Distracted, and Spiritually Starved - The Pull: Reclaiming Desire, Presence, and the Sacred

Idea: We do not distinguish who we are from the constant stream of thought in our minds. We "use" to make us "feel". The solution is spiritual. What are the 12 steps for the average Joe?

Breakdown 1:

Part I – Feeling the Pull¶

1. The Ache We Can’t Name
2. Numb by Design
3. The Bait That Feeds the Hunger
4. We Worship What We Give Our Attention To
5. Why We Can’t Stop

Part II – Facing the Pull¶

1. Naming the False Gods
2. Where Desire Went Wrong
3. The Illusion of Control
4. Shame’s Shadow
5. The Honest Mirror

Part III – Leaning Into the Real¶

1. The Return to Sacred Ground
2. Desire Redeemed
3. Habits That Heal
4. The New Pull: Presence, People, and God
5. Living Awake

Breakdown 2:

Part I: The Pull (The Diagnosis — what’s wrong, what we feel)¶

1. The Ache
2. The Trap of Numbness
3. Worshipping Distraction
4. False Fulfillment
5. The Shame Spiral
6. The Illusion of Control

Part II: The Path (The Spiritual Journey — a reshaped 12-Step walk)¶

Each chapter could gently mirror a step, but not in a clinical way — more like spiritual echoes for the “average person.” Here’s an adapted flow:

1. Step 1 – We admitted we were powerless…
   → Admitting the pull has power over you
2. Step 2 – Believed a Power greater than ourselves…
   → Hope in something deeper and higher
3. Step 3 – Turned our will…
   → Letting go of control and surrendering to presence
4. Step 4 – Made a searching moral inventory…
   → Facing yourself with honesty and compassion
5. Step 5 – Admitted to God, ourselves, another…
   → Vulnerability as healing
6. Step 6 & 7 – Ready to have God remove defects…
   → Opening yourself to transformation
7. Step 8 & 9 – Making amends…
   → Healing relationships and the ripple effects of your numbness
8. Step 10 – Continued to take inventory…
   → Staying awake
9. Step 11 – Sought through prayer and meditation…
   → Spiritual practices that reconnect you
10. Step 12 – Carrying the message…
    → Becoming a lighthouse in a distracted world

Breakdown 3:

Part I: The Pull (Facing the Ache)¶

1. The Pull Is Real¶

We begin by naming the ache—the restless tug toward things that don’t satisfy, the compulsive reach for noise, pleasure, or control. It’s real, it’s strong, and it’s shaping our lives.

2. The Ache Beneath the Numbness¶

We’re not just addicted to distraction—we’re afraid of what silence might say. Beneath the surface lies longing, pain, and a desire for something more sacred than scrolling can offer.

3. Worshipping at the Wrong Altars¶

We become what we give our attention to. When screens, substances, or status become our temples, our souls slowly starve. This chapter explores the quiet idolatry of modern life.

4. The Trap of Trying Harder¶

Willpower isn’t enough. When we try to conquer the pull by force, we often tighten its grip. Real freedom starts when we give up the illusion of control.

5. A Truth We’re Afraid to Tell¶

Most of us are living with a hidden story—regret, shame, or secrets we’ve buried. This chapter begins the movement toward honesty, not as punishment, but as the first breath of freedom.

6. What If We’re Not Alone?¶

When we reach the end of ourselves, we open the door to something greater. This is where we begin to hope: not in self-help, but in a God who meets us right where we are.

🔹 Part II: The Path (Walking Toward Wholeness)¶

7. Surrendering the Illusion¶

This step isn’t giving up—it’s letting go. We begin to hand over our lives, not to chaos, but to a wiser, more loving Presence. Trust becomes the way forward.

8. Looking in the Mirror with Grace¶

Here we take an honest inventory of our lives—without shame, but with clarity. We face who we’ve become and where we’ve drifted, not to condemn ourselves, but to re-center.

9. Telling the Truth Out Loud¶

Secrets lose power in the light. Speaking our truth to God, to ourselves, and to someone safe becomes a holy act of release and healing.

10. Releasing What’s Not Ours to Carry¶

We let go of the false identities, toxic patterns, and self-sabotaging scripts. This is about opening ourselves to inner renovation—trusting that God can reshape what we thought was permanent.

11. Healing the Ripples¶

Brokenness doesn’t stay contained—it ripples into relationships. Here we begin to mend what’s been fractured, offering apologies, owning harm, and seeking peace where possible.

12. Staying Awake¶

Freedom is not a one-time event but a daily rhythm. We learn to live alert, honest, and open—checking in with our hearts and staying connected to the deeper story we’re part of.

13. Listening for God in the Noise¶

In a world that shouts, we learn to hear the whisper. Through prayer, meditation, and stillness, we practice presence and communion with the divine.

14. Becoming a Light for Others¶

You don’t have to be fully healed to carry hope. As you walk the path, you become a lighthouse—guiding others, simply by being real, present, and honest about your own journey.

15. Pulled by Love¶

The old pull loses its power. A new gravity takes hold—one of love, purpose, and sacred desire. You’re no longer escaping life. You’re being pulled into it.

Blurb 1: You don’t have to be an addict to feel the pull.
You just have to be human in a world that’s loud, fast, and spiritually thin.
These steps aren’t just for the rock bottom moments — they’re for anyone who’s tired of pretending, tired of scrolling, tired of feeling half-alive.

Blurb 2: There’s something pulling at you.
A scroll that never ends.
A craving you can’t explain.
A low-grade ache that won’t leave.

We live in a time of endless stimulation and spiritual starvation. We reach for distraction, addiction, and artificial intimacy—not because we’re weak, but because we’re hungry. Deeply, achingly hungry.

The Pull is a brutally honest and deeply hopeful journey into the modern soul’s quiet crisis. It's not just about addiction—though it speaks to that. It’s about the ways we lose ourselves, numb ourselves, and forget the sacredness of simply being alive.

This book isn’t a quick-fix or a guilt-trip. It’s an invitation.
To wake up.
To feel again.
To remember who you are beneath the noise.
To follow the pull—not toward numbness, but toward wholeness, presence, and God.

See also¶