From Addiction, Near-death Experience, Cartel Prison, to Inner Freedom
- Mary McCorvey
- Aug 20, 2025
- 2 min read
Originally published on Mary McCorvey's Substack.
A conversation about remembering who you are beyond the labels, choosing your response, and creating a life that ripples beyond you.
We talk a lot about “taking control” of our lives. Jeff Sorensen took something deeper: radical ownership. After a near-death experience, years of addiction, and a cartel prison cell in Mexico, he discovered a quiet power inside the chaos—the breath, the pause, the choice.
This isn’t a redemption cliché. Jeff maps the very human path from reaction to response, from “my story defines me” to “my story refined me.” If you’ve ever felt stuck, mislabeled, or like something is missing even when life looks “fine,” this one’s for you.
In this episode
Remembering who you are beyond labels (not your diagnoses, job title, or past)
The moment he realized suffering is optional—even in a concrete cell
Breath as an anchor: how to stop spiraling and create space to choose
Radical ownership → self-mastery → conscious creation (the service-driven kind)
The “Ethan vs. Liam” morning—two tiny choices, two different lives
Watch (or listen) here
→ Watch on YouTube: If you prefer audio, this will also be on the podcast feed shortly.
Timestamps
00:00 Who Jeff serves and why “remembering” matters 03:25 Near-death, the voice, and choosing to come back 06:06 Addiction, Mexico, the cartel setup, and prison 10:45 Release, study, rebuilding a meaningful life 12:44 Radical ownership begins (the mirror moment) 18:28 When “something’s missing” in an ordinary life 21:22 Self-love without judgment → loving others differently 24:10 Triggers, breath, and the mechanics of self-mastery 29:25 From ownership to mastery (it’s simpler than we think) 31:24 Ethan vs. Liam: two mornings, two outcomes 38:18 Conscious creation: a life that ripples beyond you
Try this (60-second practice)
Sit. Put one hand on your belly.
Inhale through the nose for a count of 4.
Hold for 4.
Exhale gently for 6–8.
Repeat 5 cycles. Then ask: “What response would serve best right now?” Tiny practice, huge leverage.
Quote of the Day
“When I owned everything I’d created, I also reclaimed the power to create what comes next.”
About Jeff
Jeff Sorensen is a transformational leader, international facilitator, and co-author of the bestselling Ignite Your Inner Spirit. He founded Breath Army and Light Force Training Academy, helping leaders and emerging visionaries move through trauma, reclaim their voice, and live in alignment.
Join the Waitlist for the book
My new book, Experience Over Expectation: Let Go of the Plan and Live on Your Terms, arrives September 2025. Early readers make a huge difference.
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