Category Archives: Grief/Loss

Connection and Community

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Have you ever lived in a family or a community? Most of us have had this experience, for better or worse. Some of us have been blessed with an ideal situation where we have found people who we really love and care about, who have functioned well in a loving, caring way toward each other. This experience is more rare. I remember growing up in a neighborhood with decent people who did not deeply care about each other. For the most part, they did better than tolerate their neighbors but, by and large, remained independent and superficial (or aloof) from their nearest neighbors. In primitive communities, neighbors worked together to survive and looked out for each other because they realized that it was too difficult to live comfortably completely on their own. But growing up in Southern California suburbs meant barely putting up with your immediate family, let alone the neighbors. At least, that is what it seemed to me.

No man is an island was a line in a 1624 poem by English poet, John Donne. Suggesting to me that we are all connected and the world is less if anyone goes missing. Also included in this poem, “And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.” “Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in Mankind.” So some people reach out to deeply connect and care for others, and this serves all of us to do so. Caring and connecting makes us happier and healthier. Perhaps we can remember this and make connecting a higher priority. Some of us may need to be reminded that life experiences are better when these are shared experiences.

Whether people are conscious or not, most of us strive to be included in communities. We feel better in a “Tribe.” In this day and age, a tribe may be with other people who share a common interest or even passion. In the United States you can see the tribes gathering on weekends in the Fall of the year. People in the tribe dress up in colors and costumes to be included in the celebration of the religion of their favorite football team. A very tribal community with elaborate clothes (Jerseys), hats, and even War paint. There is competition to be the most devoted and fanatic among the tribe’s fans. This may be our primitive need to join and to be part of a tribe.

Consider that this need for community exists and many of us do not feel a part of a “Healthy” and supportive group of people. We have been too isolated by our cultural behavior where independence is worshiped and lack of trust runs strong. For many of us, the need for connection and community has begun to surface, especially, as we begin to face aging or our mortality. Being “alone” during these transitions is often scary and less conducive for healthy transitions and the learning we gain during these major transitional periods. At the very least, it is better to have mentors or role models to help cope with these difficult life lessons. Connection and community can be very useful in these times.

So I ask you, what are YOU doing to build and maintain a HEALTHY connection and community? Not just with fellow sport fans, co-workers, or folks you see in class, church, or club, but real deep connections with caring, supportive people who can “count on you” and you on them…. It takes time and effort, but for most people, it is worth the “trouble.”

Another perspective comes from metaphysical philosophy which tells us that we are all in this together, spiritually. We are all pilgrims and benefit from reaching around and assisting the fellow pilgrims we meet in life. If nothing else, know the value you can offer by allowing another person to share their story with you. You can even show respect by not interrupting, except for clarification, as your partner finds the depth of their experience to share with you. I know that YOU would love to be respected and “heard” as you attempt to share your truth. Blessings and patience. Learn to judge less and accept more, for this offers the deepest love you can give your fellow pilgrim.

The skills of “witnessing” and listening are taught and practiced by members of the spiritual support community, the Masters of the Journey. The Masters of the Journey is a supportive community who believes that we are each masters (of our lives) having lived through many life experiences. There are lessons learned and wisdom to share. Find your supportive connections and community!

Find out more about Masters of the Journey: A Transformational Community at: www.mastersofthejourney.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney

Death and Dying: Fear and Anxiety

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Can you live fully if you fear death? Can you be fully present in life if you are distracted by dying? Does there come a time in your life when you can let go of your anxiety and celebrate your life?

These are not easy questions and yet they are surprisingly common. After your birth, the only certainty is that at some point you will die. No big deal, ’cause we all gotta do this, BUT, it is a big deal! In a metaphysical frame of reference, the fear and anxiety may come from the part of YOU that does NOT move on. Let’s back up! Many of us remember that our soul/spirit is neither created nor destroyed, it just changes form. As a spirit, we have lessons or challenges to encounter and we get into our life in a certain “Meat-suit” (body) so we can experience the lessons which we need to “move on.” Our “meat-suit” comes complete with a brain, emotions, “ego,” physical attributes, AND mortality. This body does not get to move on into the divine, it simply goes back into the Earth’s elements and is recycled.

The lack of our brain’s ability to understand death and our “ego’s” mortality, make for the fear and anxiety which many of us consider and shudder to deal with. Real scary fears surface and cause major distractions in life. My father was afraid of change and very fearful of dying. He did not know to trust the experience of “letting go” anywhere in his life. As he got older, his anxiety increased and he seemed to turn to his religion for comfort and found little peace of mind. He was scared! On the other hand, my mother’s life was filled with intuition and trust. She loved change and travel and adventure. Late in her life, she was somewhat impatient regarding letting go of the limitations of her body so she could “move on.” Two different role models for me. I chose to be a bit more like mom in these regards.

Some people are blessed with experiences which offer insight into death and dying like a “near death experience” (NDE) which allows them to visit the dying process but return for more living. There are many accounts written in books and articles which describe these documented experiences. In the accounts which I have read, death seems comfortable and not scary to the soul. Upon returning, the individual who experienced the NDE seems to live with less burdens regarding anxiety of dying. In many cases, there is a greater appreciation of life and greater enjoyment in experiencing living. Consider reading some of these accounts for yourself. I recommend, Ken Ring, Ph.D. as an author and researcher on NDE’s, but there are many popular books on this topic and first hand accounts of near death experience. If you read these and find them familiar, you may relieve some fear of death.

Spiritual development and learning to be more “present” can also offer you the insight that will give you comfort. I am currently participating in study groups reading the “Course in Miracles” and “The Way of Mastery” which challenge me to consider a way to find the “Divine Spirit” in my day to day living. Many meditation practices are also helpful and create positive insights which allow you develop your intuition and connection with your soul/spirit. There is great value in finding a loving supportive community where you can share the anxieties which may arise and the questions which surface. My only warning is to find a community where you are accepted for who you are and does not want you to conform in ways that restrict your spirit’s need for expansion and ACCEPTANCE. We are all in this together and we benefit from supporting others without the “judgements” that can separate us.

Blessing to you on your path. Find a way of supporting other pilgrims and reach around to lend a hand.

If you require resources for finding community or are looking to checkout other consciousness development processes, consider the new and evolving community called Masters of the Journey. We are building a website and have a Facebook presence to assist people who are searching… Please take good care of yourself.

If appropriate, please share this blog. Thank you.

Learning from Loss and Tragedy

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Have you ever suffered a loss? Of course, who hasn’t? Even if this loss was a “Tragedy,” was there some benefit from the lesson you had to learn?

Every human has suffered from a loss? The loss of a job. The loss of a relationship. The loss of money or property. The loss of your innocence. The loss of a loved one, a friend, a parent, a sibling, a close family member, or a child can be a difficult, if not devastating, challenge. The most difficult group I ever had to speak with was a support group for parents who had lost their child. Many in this group were suffering. Some even after many, many years after the death. A parent’s grief is especially difficult.

My reason in writing this blog comes from my own experience with loss and grief. I seemed to manage with the death of my father when I was 35 years old. My mother passed when I was almost 51. I thought I knew something about loss and grief. The greatest lesson was when my life partner, wife, and friend, Barbara, passed away from Ovarian Cancer when I was 61. I thought that I was prepared because we had 8.5 years after receiving her “terminal” diagnosis. My naivety protected me right up until the reality of the “void” set in… It took me one year before I could even began to look at the trauma this health challenge and loss of my wife had manifested within me. Some people get angry, bitter, sad, or anxious. For me, the loss of my partner of nearly 30 years was a vacuum that could not be filled.

Today, 4.5 years later, I realize the amazing blessing I have received from this valuable lesson. The blessing comes from learning much about myself, grief, and the empathy I developed from this painful personal lesson. With surprise, I have grown from the experience of this “misfortune” as I realize the new perspective on life and even the “joy” that came from the ashes of a loss.

Sheryl Sandberg speaks about her appreciation and the lessons of gratitude she learned from losing her husband, suddenly, to an unexpected cardiac incident. Her speech at the 2016 UC Berkeley Commencement was removed from youtube however, know that I was moved to tears as I listened to her story.

“When life gives you lemons, learn to make lemonade,” the old saying goes. But finding your strength and resilience from a difficult loss can provide you with one of life’s greatest challenges and benefits. Learn, accept, and share the lessons. (Remember, you learn best by sharing your story AND you can be of service as you help to create awareness in those who you offer your experience.) When you “KNOW” the value of surviving your loss, you can move on to other lessons in this life.

Life is precious. Joy and Gratitude can be derived from unexpected appreciations of even the darkest moments. Learn from your challenges and reach around to assist other pilgrims as we move along the pathway of our lives.

Blessings.

Share this blog, if appropriate. More support for your spiritual development can be found at the Masters of the Journey website: www.mastersofthejourney.com or at the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney

By the way, if you want to explore more information regarding death and dying, consider reading the many books written regarding Near Death Experiences (NDE’s) which can shed light on the situation your departed person experiences but offers little for your personal grief created by the void generated from the loss of your “Loved” one. In doing this research, it allows me to gain spiritual insight which helps me to live more easily in a state of grace.

Please take good care of yourself!

Spring: Rebirth and Death in the Light

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It is April, 2016 and in the Northwest, Bellingham, Washington, we are feeling the warmth of sunshine and Spring! Life is blooming in every sense of the word. Life is exploding because that is what life is supposed to do at this time of year, in fact, at any time of year. Flowers are springing. Birds are doing what birds do. Joy, light, and even, Love, fill the air. We in the NW are basking in the beauty and the return of the longer, warmer days…

So two nights ago we had a small gathering at my house and a friend speaks up regarding the sudden and painful news about a childhood friend who, for his own unexplained reasons, had taken his own life! This has happened before and will happen again but the angst in the midst of re-birth weighs heavily upon the mind, emotions, and the soul of my friend (and others in this situation.) What can you say? What can you do to console a friend in this unexplainable situation and his grief? There is a lesson here for those who are left to ask, WHY??? There is a life challenge and lesson about death that we who are left behind must endure.

Another friend finds the following article about death, http://spiritlibrary.com/uriel-heals/death-dying-grace-and-peace and we read and possibly learn something from the thoughts and experience of another pilgrim. Perhaps you have been in this situation or know someone else who is? Perhaps this blog or the linked article can be of service? Perhaps you can contribute additional thoughts, articles, or videos to our library for referral to others who struggle and ask WHY?.

No matter how you contribute, thank you for your time and consideration. Meditate and send a prayer to my friend Glen or anyone else you know who may need some unconditional love and support. AND, do not miss the opportunity to hug your family and friends and tell them you love them!!!

Blessings, light, and love to you. May you bask in the warmth of sunlight and unconditional love… Appreciate Life and be Present! Find the way YOU can serve and share Love!

Share this article, if appropriate, and respond if you feel that you can add a positive contribution. We are ALL in this together and what has an effect upon one of us, challenges all of us…

Be well. Find your Bliss and celebrate life, even if you feel the struggle…

Thoughts About Dealing with Grief

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What is the process of surviving grief? How can we manage to go through the stages of grief and learn the lessons that this experience is demanding that we learn? Can we enhance the processing of our grief so we can get through it most gracefully and maximize the benefits of this painful process? Can we be assisted by others involved in grieving or by a coach who can guide you through this unique experience? Can we maximize our learning as we process our grief AND serve others by sharing the process?

Everyone is different and each experience of loss and grief is unique. Since loss and grief are unavoidable experiences in life, can we engage in a process that can maximize the benefits and the learning that comes from this painful, but common, experience in life? In fact, from the moment we are born into the world we experience loss. From the warmth and safety of the womb, we are cast out into the world with the rudeness of cool air and gravity after the loss of our mother’s warmth and the buoyancy of floating in our prenatal environment. We must learn to adapt to the changes and the growth that living provides. With every learned adaptation we release our old self and enter into experiencing the world with new information and insights. This is how we develop from being a baby to growing into a child and finally into the more adult stages of life. With every step of growth we take there is a loss of innocence and we try to make the most from each of these developmental steps.

Most people admit that the support of family and friends can ease the pain of growth and enhance the essential learning and development along the way. A supportive group of fellow life explorers or trusted coach can make the processing most beneficial. For many people, our parents, siblings, and immediate family can serve as these mentors, coaches, or guides, at least for a while. Teachers, neighbors, and our youthful peers often take over but these relationships lack the bond that immediate families CAN have. (We must learn the tough lessons of selecting wisely the mentors that appear along the path of our life’s developmental stages. Mistakes are made that offer the opportunities to learn from the testing that life provides.)

At some point in our lives, we are challenged by significant losses. It may be the loss of parents or siblings or friends. It may be the loss of home environments or pets or experiences (like classrooms.) Or, you may suffer the loss of a spouse, a relationship, a divorce, a child, your health, your career/job, or your innocence as your life flows through the testing times of your life. Perhaps one of the most difficult experiences of loss is the loss of yourself or of your faith.

We are all unique and the unique differences make everyone’s experience of loss (and, in fact, every unique loss) a special unique challenge. My loss of my parents may have prepared me for the loss of my wife in some ways, however, the loss of the unique relationship I had with my wife is very different, for me, from the experience of the death of my parents. I am sure that everyone reading this article has your own series of unique losses experienced by the adventure of living your life.

In my research and from my personal experience, I believe that grieving your loss will move more quickly, if not easily, with enhanced learning opportunities if you have the “right” support. The support of healthy family or friends makes the process less lonely. The positive perspective of healthy friends will allow you to learn your lessons better. An experienced coach or therapist can be beneficial in mentoring you through this process, and it is a process that requires your time, energy, and your motivation. Not all friends, coaches, mentors, clergy, or therapists are “right” for you and your unique requirements so do not settle for the first person who appears, if you do not feel that they are perfect for you… Perhaps you will require a team of supporters and coaches. Sharing your grief and the “story,” repeatedly, will assist most people to wend their way through this difficult process. But, do not fall victim to the trap of getting stuck in your own “victim” place for too long (easier said than done.) Also, give the “gift” of allowing other people to give you support!

Ask yourself, if you can thank your loss for the lesson that you must learn. Can you be a better person due to the learning the lessons of this loss? Use the terrible pain of loss as a time of self-awareness and learning. It can be an experience that will ultimately enhance your self-esteem. The wisdom of surviving this painful experience will serve you in future travels through your life.

Avoiding dealing with grief often prolongs the process.

Keeping too busy can be avoidance.

My Pain, comes from My Loss. It is difficult to understand, how you will fill the “void” created by your loss.

Your anger may be an expression of your personal loss of control. People can get stuck in their anger.

People fear being alone and avoid their own company because they may feel driven to immerse themselves in another person’s life to avoid learning to accept their own life’s flaws or imperfections.

Please share if appropriate and send feedback to the Stress Education Center.

PS August 19th is the date of my wedding anniversary. I feel the loss of my wife from January, 2012 as I write. The lessons I have learned, AND continue to learn, from this loss are very important to me and my growth. Blessings to you readers and tell your family and friends how much you love them… Do not miss this opportunity.

Unique Path to Higher Consciousness

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Are you happy with your life and find joy every day? Do you know YOUR “purpose”? Do you wish there was something more in your life? Perhaps: peace, connection, community, spirit, or even life balance? Have you considered what you could be doing differently to find greater fulfillment?

Or, would you like to better control fear and anxiety? Would you like to live each day with greater personal satisfaction?

If these questions stimulate something in you then maybe you are on a path to develop your higher consciousness. Would you be open minded enough to look at a spiritual development program (and community) that is NOT based on religion, churches, gurus, celebrities, ashrams, denial, rigid philosophy, or old school mind control? There is a new way to connect with higher consciousness that does not follow older, controlling dogmas or ego filled leaders. Masters of the Journey: A Transformational Community allows you to be the Master. The process invites you to celebrate and share your past life lessons with other fellow pilgrims who are on the path toward raising their spiritual consciousness. These fellow Spiritual Warriors are available to support you and to be witness to the story of your learning. The value to these fellow pilgrims comes from the sharing of stories and the trainings that enhance the process of growth.

Trainings will vary from: stress management, meditation skills, communication techniques, learning to be present and grounded, development of intuition, using biofeedback, and learning how to control anxiety while tapping unconditional love and higher consciousness. The Master of the Journey believe that we are all interconnected (and one) and it benefits ALL of us to assist and support all the fellow travelers. We will set up webinars, conference calls, trainings, retreats, and Master Mind groups so people can participate in ways that are best for their individual requirements. BUT, most importantly, the trainings and the community offer you an opportunity to live your life with greater purpose and satisfaction!

So are you ready to participate in this new endeavor? Would you like to move forward every day of your life? Would you like to join a community of pilgrims moving more consciously through life?

Contact us through our Facebook page at Masters of the Journey’s Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney and look for website (in development) at www.mastersofthejourney.com You can also contact us through the Stress Education Center at www.dstress.com Anyhow, good luck on your journey. FIND your unbridled passion for life!

Masters of the Journey: a Transformational Community

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We are all masters. We are all on a journey. We can all benefit from a safe and supportive transformational community. Let me explain. When I say that we are all masters I am speaking about the expertise that we all have in knowing about our lives. There is no one who knows more about you than you. If you believe that life is filled with lessons and our primary goal in living is to learn and to develop, then we need to be prepared to share our learning, our experiences, and our acquired wisdom. To truly master something you need to teach it. To assist other people along their journey, we need to support and honor our fellow travelers. We need to realize that none of us are alone and that we are all interconnected. We can benefit from knowing the bond of unconditional love, caring, and support that we feel for all other people who are learning the lessons of this life.

The journey that I speak of is the process of all of the acquired learning that we can do in our lives. From the moment we are born until the moment when we die, we are exploring the lessons and experiences of this life. There are some people who believe in the philosophy that we are choosing to live in the bodies and in the lives that we currently have. We have exercised this choice because of the specific lessons that we must learn. The philosophy may also suggest that we choose the people that surround us in our life as a way of learning our lessons and resolving our issues. Whether a person has their eyes wide open to the fact that they are traveling down the road on this journey or whether they are naïve, or even blinded to the fact, that our purpose may be to be as conscious and aware of each step along the way as we wind our way through the journey of this life.

The concept of being a part of the Masters of the journey is to take conscious responsibility for the learnings and the lessons that we have in this life. It is for people who realize that for us to gain in our consciousness we must support and reach out to help all of those people that we can touch and allow them to develop their awareness and consciousness so that we all grow and develop together. The transformational community allows us to have unconditional loving support as we share with the people around us. Celebrating the lessons and experiences that we gather, and must learn from, on our path through this life. We can do this face-to-face and in person. We can do this through our writing of articles and blogs, books and other resources. We can do this by joining together on conference calls or in webinars to share and interact with other people from our community, even those around the world. And there will be times when we can involve ourselves in intensive retreat programs where we can interact in a safe environment which can enhance the growing and learning process as we move on our own individual journeys.

Many people are trapped in believing that they are only students and not really the Masters. Many of us are learning the lesson of our own individual insecurities about being willing to step forward and share our deep feelings, experiences, and secrets. We can benefit by realizing that we all have much to say and we all have much to offer. Sometimes our roles will be as listeners and witnesses to other people sharing. This, in its way, has great value. It has value both to the person who is speaking and sharing their experience, their knowledge, and possibly their wisdom. It has great value for the witness as they learn from a personal story, valuable lessons and experiences which can contribute to higher consciousness. The bond between the speaker and the listener can demonstrate the support and the unconditional love both sides can feed off as they follow their individual paths on their journeys through life.

I ask you, are you willing to share from the knowledge you have gained? Are you open to listening and participating in the sharing by other travelers on the journey? Are you interested in creating a community which strives for higher consciousness and awareness? Are you willing to bask in the connection and the unconditional love and support from the community of fellow travelers? Can you feel the value of being a master who is willing to share from the experiences that you have had? Would you like to connect with our transformational community?

No matter what you think or how you feel, please take good care of yourself. Consider that every interaction you have will be able to assist another person who is on their journey to enlightenment. Some of you will take this responsibility very seriously.

Please let us know what you think. If appropriate, please share this with anyone who is a seeker. Remember, that we will all benefit by helping the other people in our community.

Some questions to ask yourself:
Who was the most influential person in your life and why?

What were the three most difficult lessons you have learned from so far in this life?

Have you ever felt a deep sense of bond and connection with another person? And who would that be? What did it feel like? And what did you learn?

Have you ever helped another person? How did it feel to help them? What did you learn by helping them?

Have you ever really listened to another person? Has anybody ever really listened to you? How did that feel? Was the connection that you had with that person a valuable lesson for you?

Have you ever experienced unconditional love and support? Did you bask in the beauty of this experience?

Notes: We all have our lessons and purpose. We are all perfect and moving along on our journeys. We are all one and support each other’s progress. We are all pilgrims on our personal journey of self-exploration through life. Pilgrims often have reverence for their journey and appreciate the experiencing of the lessons learned along the way. Self-identified pilgrims are more vigilant to these lessons along the way. The “trip” is the “point” and has the value… Hone your skills of vigilance as a pilgrim on your sacred, spiritual quest and reach out your hand to assist other pilgrims along the way. Be present as you take the steps along your way. Look for your connection to all others things and bask in the unconditional love that can be found…

Please “Share” this blog with other pilgrims who are actively in the search of higher conscious and a supportive community. Thank you.Masters of the Journey’s Facebook page

Helping Our Heroes with PTSD

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I am told that in the United States there are 18 Million potential heroes. Yes, 18,000,000 men and women who are actively, or retired from, positions, where their primary work involves saving or protecting the citizens of this country. Included in this group are people you know, the Police personnel, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Responders, Correctional Officers, Active Military, and retired veterans of the these services. They all have stories to tell regarding their service and the heroic actions they have taken or witnessed in the course of their work. Many of these heroes have been affected physically or emotionally by their activities. Most will not discuss the emotional scars that they bare from traumatic events in which they participated. If they can talk about the traumatic events, it is usually with co-workers that they trust because “civilians would not really understand.”

Acknowledgement of their service can make the difference between healing from their emotional scars or following a much more negative pathway. Did you know that our police heroes have an extremely higher rate of death by suicide than the civilian population? Divorce is higher, as is, early death (statistics say 10 years less than the “normal” population.) Historically, returning Vietnam veterans were treated to often harsh welcomes when they returned from service in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Those who had family and community support, appreciation, and acknowledgement fared much better with their mental and emotional rehabilitation.

Currently, a stream of military personnel are returning from long tours of duty in the Middle East. Their healthy re-integration is tested by the existing systems and our society will bear the costs of long term physical and mental health challenges. Amongst these returnees, we see National Guard personnel who are returning to their civilian jobs and lives.

We even have a new class of warriors who work at war during their day and go home to their families at night. Technology now allows for pilots to fly “drones” over enemy targets from computers in our country. There are times when these drones release weapons that destroy targets and kill or injure people on the ground. These pilots are not buffered with re-integration processes and may return home to their families at the end of their shifts. These are NOT video games. These are real weapons and real warfare conducted from home (bases.) How do we assist these warriors with their emotional and psychological issues?

We need to view training differently as we prepare our heroes for their professional duties. We need to act preventively and train our heroes how to minimize the impact of PTSD from the traumatic experiences that they participate in. These heroes are too important to our society to let them “break down.” We need to support and assist them in ways that have not been widely used in the past.

Honor, celebrate, support, and reach out to our heroes. Our police personnel, our fire personnel, our Emergency Medical service personnel, our active military personnel, and our veterans deserve much better recognition and service than they often receive.

In the future, we hope to reach out and serve heroes throughout the world by offering training programs for professionals who have PTSD clients and who may offer better services by learning some of the new behavioral techniques for lessening PTSD.

“There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, there are souls that are pure and true, then give to the world the best you have, And the best will come back to you.” By Madeline Bridges.
Let’s strive to give our heroes our best!

Contact me for more details regarding professional involvement in this network to support our heroes. The Stress Education center at www.dstress.com

No matter what your opinion regarding the military personnel, police and law enforcement professionals, and other emergency service providers, we are all in this together and need to reach out and support ALL people.

You Are Loved…Near Death Experience of Heaven

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A past blog was titled “Proof of Heaven” based partly on the book by that name written by Dr. Eben Alexander. He wrote the story of his own near death experience (NDE) and about some of the “lessons” that he learned while being “out of his body…” His story was similiar to many that I have read about from interviews with people who had near death experiences. Two researchers, Raymond Moody and Ken Ring, have documented hundreds of these people. I am sure that there are many other researchers collecting these accounts from people from around the world. If you are interested, there are books written that have fascinated me in my research.

On page 71 of the “Proof of Heaven” (in my paperback version of Eben ALexander’s book) I quote the most basic, AND important, lesson that he received from his NDE. These were the concepts/feelings that he received while meeting the supreme being of love and light (perhaps God).
1.) “You are loved and cherished”…
2.) “You have nothing to fear.” and,
3.) “There is nothing you can do wrong.”

These are words to LIVE by. Who would not want to know that you are “loved and cherished?” Yes, even the “bad guys” and the people have made terrible situations (perhaps accidents) happen in the world. It takes time to digest and the Buddhists have been offering this philosophy for thousands of years, knowing that it requires a long time to actually know and FEEL this to be true. I challenge you to explore this belief, even better when you do NOT put the filters of one religion or another on your research. Find the truth from your spirit as found in your “gut” response and how it truly feels to you.

We may not know for sure whether these words and thoughts hold true until we experience our ultimate transition, but it gives me comfort that my loved ones are in a better place and I may join them when my time has come.

Live with grace. Bask in love. AND, fear not the end of life transition that we must all face.

Basking in the Light of Self-Acceptance

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Can you allow yourself to bask in the light of Self-Love and Self-Acceptance? Can you see and accept both your strengths and your flaws? Can you find a way to break from being a “victim” of your challenges and your lessons?

Life would be easy if the answers to these questions was “Yes.” For most of us, we are in the struggle called “living” and can not find the time and energy to even ask these questions, let alone, develop the answers. These are questions that people have asked and struggled to answer since the first humans had enough consciousness to realize that they were more than just animals attempting to survive in a difficult, dangerous world. The lessons of consciousness that we historically struggle with are often ones like: What is my purpose? or Why am I alive? or Is there a God? or What happens when I die? or How can I find Love? or How can I keep the faith even as the storm of humiliation and disappointment surround me? There are no easy answers… but for each of us the process of discovery along the path to finding these answers is what our lives are all about.

I believe that each one of us is connected to a higher consciousness and our goal in life is to learn from our flaws/challenges so we can get a less filtered view of this pure consciousness. We are trying to connect with the God within us and to bask in the light of unconditional love and consciousness.

At some point, we must acknowledge our imperfections and find a way to accept these challenges as the lessons we have to learn. By accepting these flaws and giving up the “fight against them,” we can free our energy to find a better way to our life’s purpose and our goals. By giving up being a victim to our weaknesses or imperfections, we can invest our time and energy in moving more freely to the light of higher consciousness. Why is it easier to accept other people and their imperfections, than it is to accept our own? Accept and celebrate your flaws, especially if you wish to find a way to move in more positive directions.

Along the way, find and celebrate the God within you. You may be surprised to find how surprisingly familiar this supreme consciousness really is. (For me, God is not a religious term. It is a word that symbolizes unconditional love in the purest form and the highest consciousness that connects all living things.)