I was reasonably healthy and optimistic about my potential until March of 2020, when I sustained a life-altering head injury. The next couple of years were marked by subsequent head and neck injuries — a reality I struggled to accept.

Panic would set in: how was I going to be able to support him with his journey in life when I still felt like I was behaving like a reactive teenager who was managing a massive “to-do” list that never ended?

The world really looks different. Instead of looking for faults everywhere, such as potholes in the road, traffic jams or grumpy people, I now see the kindness in between.

The envelope arrived in the mail explaining the basic info I needed to know for my surgery. “Surgery?” I thought... I wanted to use this experience to really apply Dharma, to strengthen my refuge practice.

Each day I relentlessly chased the illusion of happiness then self-medicated with alcohol to numb out the pain. Totally exhausting all avenues, I finally hit rock bottom over 9 years ago which resulted in rehabilitation.

The first time I heard a teaching on death, it felt surprisingly like good news, like something I wanted to hear more of. What? Wasn’t the subject of death taboo, something nobody wanted to talk about?

I struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember. I was so familiar with the feeling that I identified with it: ‘I am an anxious person’. This thought pattern had become a necessary part of how I processed the challenges I faced in my life.

Are you terrified of meditation? Congratulations, you are not alone! I was sure I couldn’t do it. I started by watching the classes online because I was anxious about looking like a complete idiot.

I feel as if I am always running, always late for something and always chasing something that needs doing yesterday. I’m exhausted pretty much all the time...