In 2011 I decided to sell everything I had and move to China to learn Chinese, train in Kung Fu, and document the gap between the survivors of the Cultural Revolution and the mall-going, cell phone wielding youth of today. Then I was poisoned.
China is a beautiful and fascinating place, but also, in their race for modernization, highly toxic. I rode overnight in a faulty bus leaking carbon monoxide into the cab as we slept. Over the next two weeks my ability to function deteriorated to the point where I had all of the symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease. I couldn't walk, think, or speak without tremendous effort.
Being face to face with the last minutes of my life was scary, humbling, and unexpectedly beautiful. As I watched the final door closing I was surprised to discover that what I had considered a "waste of time", my hours spent developing and deepening relationships, was in fact far more important to me than anything I had built, written or done. I was also grateful to feel that I had lived a full life.
In the end I was left with one thought. If I had more time alive, if I was given anything extra, the one thing that remained was my desire to share what I'd seen. I wanted to help others find access to the richness of life and relationships in the tiny handful of moments we have left.
As I began the slow process of recovery I enrolled in a series of leadership and self development programs to support that mission. I have deepened in ways I could not have imagined and am fortunate to be helping people every day to build inner strength, deeper relationships and more connection to what truly supports them.
For a list of trainings, see methodology
