Ep. 171 Keeping Vigil While the World is at War

War is unfolding in many parts of the world right now, yet for many of us life continues largely unchanged.In this episode I reflect on the difference between how earlier generations experienced war—especially during World War II—and the distance many of us feel from today’s conflicts.Drawing on a story from my father’s experience in the war, I explore how we might remain present to the suffering of others without becoming overwhelmed or turning away.I also invite listeners to consider creating a simple Sunday evening vigil—a moment to pause, light a candle, and hold the people of the world in compassion.Download the Sunday Evening Vigil Learn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

This episode is a companion for my latest post on Substack which you'll find a link to below. Many of us are reaching a stage in life where it is important to begin cultivating our life's wisdom in order to move into the role of an elder for our society. Read about that on the post first and then listen to this episode which includes practices for becoming an elder:Set aside time every day for reflection or journalingLovingkindness BlessingLetting go ritualsSlowing downPractice recording storiesEmbrace physical changesCultivate humorSee yourself as a mentorLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this brief episode I'm sharing with you my own experience of the spiritual realm and the afterlife since many people have wondered whether or not I "believe" the afterlife exists. This episode includes:Childhood experiences of the spiritual realmWhy I don't "believe" in heaven or hell but instead have an inner knowing of the spiritual realm that we already always exist withinHow deathbed experiences and visions with hospice patients were part of my inner knowingWhy I don't fear death Learn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this episode I share with you a powerful tool that we all need right now: The Lovingkindness Blessing. You can use this every day to transform your life and relationships - the world is starving for lovingkindness right now so I hope you will give this practice a try! This episode includes:The power of tiny acts of kindnessMetta as a Buddhist practiceHow I began to use The Lovingkindness BlessingThe 5 components of the blessingDownload The Lovingkindness BlessingLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this episode I'm sharing my own up and down journey of learning how to step forward with love in this world where hatred surrounds us. This episode includes:My desire to not add to the burden of hatred the world is already bearingHow the March for Peace by Buddhist monks inspired me this weekWhy we need to stay motivated by love even during times of fear, anger, dismayWhat fierce love really means and why it's not soft or weakThe Milgram Experiment and what it tells us about our human natureLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this episode I talk about the horrific state of affairs in the world and especially here in the US where we are confronted on a daily basis with violence, hatred, and inhumanity. We are awake now to the reality of the dark side of human nature and though we feel change is coming we don't know how long it will take. This episode includes:Societal change takes time - we have to be in it for the long haulEvery little step makes a differenceFind a reason to stay hopeful and grateful every day rather than falling into despairKeep working on your own shadowBe creative in your own unique way every dayLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

This episode is a post-illness reflection on what happens when all our plans and aspirations get waylaid and we end up getting nowhere that we had planned to be. It includes:How my end of year plans got upendedA metaphor of going NOWHERE on a forlorn highwayWhy nowhere is exactly the right place to be (Now Here in fact)How inspiration arises when the ego runs out of certaintyWhy this matters during the holiday seasonLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this episode I discuss "immortality projects" - a term coined by Ernest Becker to describe the ego's efforts to escape the fear of death. This episode includes:What type of "projects" the ego creates to hide from deathThe cost of denying deathWhy denying death makes us vulnerable to cults, conspiracy theories, and manipulationWhy we need to awaken to our Higher Selves, our witnessing and observing selves, and help the ego surrender to our own higher wisdomWhy even "death work" can be an immortality project for the egoLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

Today I'm sharing Thich Nhat Hahn's 4 elements of true love, which is a Buddhist perspective on love that I find valuable. This episode includes:Loving-kindness: May you be truly wellCompassion: Your pain is not separate from mineJoy: Your joy is my joyEquanimity/Freedom: Love that doesn't possess or controlLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this episode I talk about the timing of delivering bad news and the experience of carrying that bad news until the moment it can be shared. This episode includes:The weight of carrying bad newsThe divine timing that sometimes asks us to waitWhy pausing is a survival skill in our current hurry-up societyHow synchronicity can occur when we slow down and allow for pausesThe value of saying Not Just YetLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here