My incredible step-father, John, would have had a birthday this week. He passed away two years ago from Alzheimer’s. I wrote this the week he passed and I wanted to share this important message as we are all facing death in our life, especially these days, whether we want to or not.
Yes, I am mourning the lost of a loved one. But I promise this won’t be a dark, depressing post about death… I just want to share my insights from the experience with you.
John was my dad in my life over 30 years – just as long as my biological dad was in my life.
I lost my “first” dad over 13 years ago, and I’m heartbroken to lose another dad too.
(But I am grateful to have had so many years with 2 dads!)
I’m angry that Alzheimer’s exists, and pray there’s a solution sooner rather than later… but I’m thankful he didn’t suffer too long. He seemed peaceful when he moved on….
Right now, I’m sad to feel his loss, especially during the holidays.
But at the same time I’m happy to have so many great friends, family, loved ones, and a supportive partner standing by my side, sending all their light and love. (I <3 MY COMMUNITY!)
Here’s why I’m writing to you talking about death… sharing this experience with you:
Losing my second dad reminded me once again that LIFE IS SHORT….that LIFE IS A GIFT….
…and that we only have RIGHT THIS MOMENT to fully embrace our life… to live it up… to soak up all life has got to give.
Losing John reminded me, once again, that your life is in your hands. It’s up to you to create all that you want, the life you want, the coaching or healing or psychedelic business you want, have the adventures you desire, and everything you long for.
You see, when my first dad passed a while ago, it really made me question a lot about life:
What am I doing with my limited time here?
What is the point?
What is my purpose?
Am I happy right now?
Will I be happy living like I am now for 30-50 more years?
Heck, will I be happy living like I am now for 1 or 2 more years?
When my first dad passed, I was working in a cushy corporate job that I liked, but my soul was being eaten alive. My soul craved more…my soul wanted to fulfill its full potential.
My heart longed to follow the ideas and dreams that I pushed aside for many years. Facing the brevity of life after he passed, I started to wonder if I would be happy later in my life knowing I had given up on my dreams… and given up on my Soul’s Purpose, and myself?
And I thought about how much our “work” or j-o-b’s are part of our life…
On average, you will spend one third of your life working.
Like many of my generation (I’m in my 40’s), I was raised to believe life was just about surviving, not thriving…
I was raised to believe that when it came to your career, it was all about “making good money,” working a “secure career…” then giving your life to that career for as long as you’re able to, and pretty much just suck it up if you don’t like it.
And then you retire. And then you die. Hmmm.
It took my first dad’s death, losing multiple jobs, changing careers, a massive leap of faith, getting past fears, and finally stepping onto the path of entrepreneurship to realize that the paradigm of “work hard and suffer until you die” is just not true.
Then I spent years doing the work to reprogram and unlearn this “work hard and suffer” belief system. It took years of deep inner work and mindset reprograming to see the truth.
The truth that you actually CAN make money doing work you truly love.
Not only make money, but I now make wayyyy more money as a spiritual psychedelic coach than I ever did working at a J-O-B.
I’ve proven it to myself, and done it myself. So have my clients. So I know it’s possible.
And now I look around and realize that all my friends and the clients I work with? They are thriving entrepreneurs and have “done it,” too. They’ve made the required “leap of faith.”
For me, it took a hard “smack in the face” to wake up…
…to realize life is short… and to know there MUST be more to life than spending a third of it behind a desk.
You can do what you’re being called my Spirit to do.
You can do work that’s in alignment with your Soul.
You can fulfill your full potential in this one and only life you have to live right now.
Every entrepreneur out there would probably agree that although it’s not always “easy,” but you can create the business you dream of.
The decision to follow your heart and do what you love is up to you. Your life is in your hands.
You can create the life and business you want.
Don’t wait for death to teach you this. Life is short, and you only live once. How do you want to live it?
Lots of love,
Beth
