Brave Enough To Be Bliss

The audience is every adult in the United States…to start with. That’s what it would take to make a societal, cultural change. For people to stop being scared to connect with their hearts and souls because it is there that kindness, love and compassion live. And if we were all tapped into those qualities instead of the crap life does to us where we live in constant fear desperately trying to control everything, we would be a lot nicer human beings and the world would be a much nicer place in which to live. You know, nothing big, I just want world peace sort of shit.

And after that text, I quickly wrote the draft of the next chapter with a clear vision of what I feel destined to share with the world.

“If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison

I have attempted to share everything about me in this book so you can feel you know me. So, you can connect with my heart. So, you’ll trust me enough to keep reading even when it may get uncomfortable. I’m making every effort to touch your heart because that’s how I live my life. I may not know you personally, but I care for you because I care for humanity. I want you to see me as a friend, someone who cares about you and someone who challenges you to think because I want the best for you and your relationships. If this connection is made there’s a much better chance you will understand my words and see how even if you disagree with things I've done or things I write, you can practice having compassion for me because we have established a relationship of sorts. Then you can take that compassionate experience and apply it to yourself and others. I will share how I let fear affect virtually every thought I had and every decision I made, but the only way I can do that is by being terrifyingly vulnerable and telling you all about me. I will let you into my mind, my mistakes, my fears, and my regrets. I will let you know the real me, the very imperfect me, the ugliest and most fearful parts of me. My life story isn’t pretty. It includes behavior, language and actions I may not be proud of, but I’m also not ashamed of anymore. It doesn’t make it right; it just makes it real. And I no longer look at myself with judgment, but rather with compassion. Why am I willing to take the biggest risk of my life and be so vulnerable? Because I want to share the things I wish I’d known, before I learned them the hard way . If I can help even one person by telling my story, it’s worth it. That’s how much I care about every human being. It is my sincere hope that something will resonate with you, inspiring you to improve your level of self awareness and self-reflection, increase your compassion for yourself and others, and through that help create a more loving and less judgmental society. If we all put more effort into being the most compassionate human beings we can be, we would automatically be better spouses, friends, parents, siblings, and colleagues than we would have been otherwise. And if we were better humans, our children would grow up happier and healthier, and then we would be one step closer to having more peaceful neighborhoods, cities, states, countries and eventually a world where people matter more than power. “The idea is to write it so that people hear it, and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.” Maya Angelou

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power , the world will know peace.” Jimi Hendrix

I believe in God, but the spiritual references in my story aren’t there to convince anyone to believe what I believe. As you read the word God, it might be helpful to notice if you find yourself having a physical reaction to the word. If so, it’s likely you’ve had a negative experience with a person or organization related to religion vs. a personal experience of spirituality. I’ll share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, as well as the many

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