Brave Enough To Be Bliss

Ginger Bliss sent the following messages at 1:12 PM As do you. And after listening to your podcast, I'm even more excited to attend the event! Thanks again, look forward to seeing you! Dr. Troy Amdahl was the keynote speaker at this event, and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. According to the website, “The OolaGuys, Dr. Dave and Dr. Troy, are the co -founders and co-authors of Oola. Their mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of 1 billion people in the next 7 years using the power of #Oola. They believe that with a more fulfilled and balanced life you will make a more balanced family, community, and world. They are passionate about their mission to spread the message of Oola and make a lasting impact on the world. ” (Oola (oolalife.com) During his presentation, Dr. Amdahl explained that he wanted each of us to complete a 14-question quiz. He happened to mention this exercise wasn ’ t something they typically included in their presentations, but that it had been impactful at large annual conference several years earlier so he wanted to try it again. After we completed the quiz, we went through several rounds of trading quizzes with others around the room to ensure no one knew who had whose quiz. Participants answered yes or no if they had experienced issues like eating disorders, anxiety, depression, financial issues, sexual abuse/assault, physical abuse, job dissatisfaction, organized religion, lack of purpose, toxic friendships, loneliness, social anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Because everyone knew no one had their own quiz any longer, he asked individuals to stand up when the answer was yes to the topic he mentioned, and we went through each one which was an impressive visual representation of the pain that exists in this world. It appeared from the expressions of some of the participants that they were shocked by the large numbers of people impacted by most topics. And then I knew why I was there. It was the confirmation I needed to trust the feeling and publish a free e-book. I had questioned if I was too close to the issues, if I was seeing what I was seeing because I was looking for it and only convincing myself these issues were prevalent. The results of this exercise substantiated that was not the case, and it was only fear that made me question the feeling. So, I am eternally grateful that Dr. Robin invited me to the event. I hugged her on the way out and told her I ’ d follow up sharing a story about what being there meant to me. I walked to the parking lot with the assurance that I would be doing the right thing for all people reminding them even when they feel alone in their pain, they are not and there is always hope for healing.

“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.” Mother Teresa

On January 21, 2024, I received a text message from John in which he very cryptically said he couldn’t edit the book : “I’m good with numbers . ” I’m not sure if he can’t say no to me or if he still thinks I can’t take him saying no to me, but I wasn’t even disappointed . By that time, I had decided I wanted to self- publish the book because it wasn’t too much, I wasn’t too much. My words were what they needed to be in order to touch people’s hearts and have a chance to make a difference. So, whatever his reasons for declining, it felt like the right answer. I had been brave enough to ask the question and he was doing what he needed to do for him. I replied with this message and photo of my storage unit and he “loved” the photo.

Great to hear from you, John . Thanks for letting me know. I understand. I just think you’re good with a lot of things. I’ve slowed down and enjoy life. This is the extent of my worldly possessions, and your readers are in there. I’m not giving them back, b ut they’ll be there for you whenever I have a place to live again. If you ever feel like talking, please reach out anytime. I would love to hear about you!

To refresh your memory from early in the book when I explained about the night, I wanted to kill myself back in the summer of 198 6…

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