I should have died 10.5 years ago when I was 33. Yet, as traumatic as this unreal experience was (the above pic of me in the ICU was 47 days AFTER my accident), I can honestly say it was an incredible gift. You see, it keeps death before my eyes, which, crazy as it might sound, … Continue reading Why Keeping Death Always Before Your Eyes Makes Life Better: Let’s Talk About Death Part 5
Many of the people I know who are most ALIVE and JOYOUS are those who’ve lost the most. For instance, by the time she was 4, my 14 year-old daughter’s parents had divorced, her dad had been in the hospital for 6 months after he should have died, she’d moved across the country, and her … Continue reading The Freedom of Dying BEFORE You Die: Let’s Talk About Death Part 4
Our stories contain endless depths to explore and lessons to learn. For instance, I just realized a powerful new life lesson from two of the worst moments in my life. I distinctly remember sitting on a plane 13 years ago and experiencing by far the worst turbulence I’ve ever felt (and I’ve flown several hundred … Continue reading The Gift of Grief (aka “Good Grief”): Let’s Talk About Death Part 3
What if death, whether it’s losing a job/relationship or being put in a casket, wasn’t a badthing? What if we chose to view and talk about death in a positive way? What if we saw death as natural and part of life? What if it we thought of it more as a transition? I don’t … Continue reading The Life-Giving Power of Learning a Death Positive Approach: Let’s Talk About Death Part 2
In my journey of personal growth and development I’ve found perhaps the most important movement toward transformation/enlightenment/salvation is awareness. Becoming truly aware, with “eyes wide open”, of the past trauma(s) trapping us, the cultural messages enslaving us, our internal narratives keeping us stuck, and so on, is crucial because more often than not we simply … Continue reading How the Way We “Approach” Death is Killing Us: Let’s Talk About Death Part 1
Lisa and I have an ongoing joke, wherein whenever we eat or drink something that tickles the back of our throat, causing us to cough uncontrollably, we ironically say "I'm dying." Speaking of which, as the days have grown shorter and darker approaching the Winter Solstice, it seems to me I've been feeling death in … Continue reading Meditation on the Winter Solstice: The Bliss of Embracing Darkness & Death Like Nature Does
Have you ever had news that was SO exciting and AMAZING that you couldn’t wait to share it with others? That’s how I feel about the Eastern Orthodox Church’s take on Easter! This is the kind of beautiful, mind-blowing Truth that has the power to change lives in the most incredible ways. Now, I don’t … Continue reading Crazy Christianity: The Life Changing Beauty of the East’s Easter
In a world of tension and breakdown, it is necessary for there to be those who seek to integrate their inner-lives not by avoiding anguish and running away from problems, but by facing them in their naked reality in their ordinariness. - Thomas Merton We had a saying in the Air Force that’s stuck … Continue reading “Embrace the Suck”: How Learning How to Smile at the Suffering in Life is Essential for Being Whole, Healthy, and Vibrantly Alive
What if we thought of God as more of a verb than a noun? I think it takes us out of our heads and into our hearts, which is where relationship, experience, and love happens. What do you think? Check out my short new video blog on the topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxkN7s0kzio If you enjoyed this … Continue reading The Power of Viewing God More as a Verb than a Noun
Failure can become our most powerful path to learning if we’re willing to choose courage over comfort. - Brené Brown What’s the point of life? What makes for a great life? WHO are YOU when all is said and done, at the center of your being? Today it seems to me a key to … Continue reading The Secret to a Wonderful Life: Lose Your Life to Gain It
