Life After Near Death

In 2016 I almost died from an aortic dissection. Aortic dissection is very rare, and a very deadly medical emergency. I am lucky to be alive. If you've cheated death you may have asked this same question. "So...what's next?"

How many of you executives, moms, dads or business people have experienced near death? It's like you knocked on heaven's door, or maybe "the other door," and had it slammed in your face.

Since this event I've been curious about others experiences. Not so much about if they saw a bright light, heard a voice, or visited heaven. I wanted to know what people did afterwords. How did they feel about their lives now, and what fears or frustrations did they have? Did something stick out as important, or were they spared for a special purpose? Did they have something to finish, or accomplish? Most of all I wanted to know what they were up to today. Did they accomplish that "special thing" during their second chance at life?

From those I've interviewed one thing is sure, we are all different. Some have a fear of death. Some do not. Some wonder how much time is left. Most live one day at a time, and like me, realize life is really, really short!

A couple of things seem prevalent, the importance of family or relationship, and answering the ultimate question, "What's next?" Not necessarily what's after death, rather "What do I do now after this, with the rest of my life?"

After surviving the experience, actually breathing and heart beating, after the flowers and balloons have withered, and everybody's gone back to work, we might find ourselves staring at the ceiling and wondering, "Now what? I guess I'm alive so... what's next?"

My experience was surreal. It was as if this near death thing hadn't really happened. As I recuperated the scar healed, the fog of heavy medications wore off, and life kept going on around me.

I needed to jump back on the merry-go-round of life! And yet how? Most survivors I've spoken with rarely say, "I just had this near death thing happen to me, got my chest cut open, or whatever, and now I need to go back to work!" For those I've interviewed there is a general consensus that there's, "Something more..."

For me it was a year or so of foggy, prescription induced, semi consciousness. Going from awake to asleep in my chair, or bed then waking a little confused, "What was I doing before I drifted off?" There was no focus, no "eye of the tiger" just blah...

Every time I started typing out my plan I'd drift off to sleep, and wake up the next day, or week reading my brilliant strategy, and saying to myself, "What was I thinking?" So I'd start over again. I upgraded my laptop, opened it up and made more nonsensical plans for my business and future, and I slept a lot.

Then gradually things started to change. It wasn't like I woke up one morning, swallowed six raw eggs and jogged off in the morning light, cold wind in my face to the Rocky theme song. It was more like, "Wait a minute, that plan actually sounds semi coherent." And yet, did it have purpose?

The PURPOSE! After all, I had come back from near death and felt there was a reason for it...Many of us feel that way. To me, there seemed to be this purpose looming in the distance. What ever your return to reality was, I'll bet there was some unescapable feeling of destiny, something undone, more in life to do, PURPOSE! Then as suddenly as your purposeful vision comes back into focus... the noise of reality kicks into full gear. So loud, so shallow, so much less inspiring!

Remember those days? For me it was looking out my bedroom window at the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and thinking how amazing and powerful they were, and how connected I was to that power. It was the sound of love coming from the lips of family and friends. It was profound, and quite possibly drug induced. However, this inspiration seemed as though it contained the very essence of life.

For those who have never experienced an unkept appointment with the Grim Reaper this may seem crazy, delusional, and disconnected from reality. However, according to my findings, for those few who have nearly died, it makes total sense.

So quick! Are you that special "Cat with 9 lives, or miracle survivor?" Consider this, before life returns full throttle, and the loudness of it all takes over, STOP! You have a purpose. You wouldn't be alive if you didn't...

It's time to stop, look, listen, and feel because what you went through was NOT a dream, it's a glimpse of what reality is. It is living fully in the now, including the inevitable tomorrow that waits for you, and what you do with this second chance IS POWERFUL! Don't waste it. Ready or not...it's time to do something BIG!