Update on 1/19/19:  My memoir, Angels in the OR: What Dying Taught Me About Healing, Survival, and Transformation, can be pre-ordered now. It is a #1 new release in several categories.  I would love it if you helped me make near-death experiences more mainstream.

This video discusses a few important messages from my NDE, but here is the abbreviated version.

Message #1: Be Open to Communication and Assistance From the Other Side

Our world does not celebrate the gifts of intuition and being right-brained as often as it celebrates the left-brain types of accomplishments.  However, the right brain is a lovely place to live.  Guided meditations might be one way to open more to imagination and connection.  Stilling the mind through mindfulness meditations might facilitate more receptivity.  The realm between sleep and waking can be a place to access messages as well.  However, these activities are not necessary for communicating with angels and guides.

These are simply possible ways to open your mind to divine communication.  Taking a walk might be a way to open to guidance.   Lorna Byrne says to simply ASK for communication from angels, and Ann Albers gives a beautiful overview of connecting with guides and angels in this article.

Message #2:  Be of Service to Others and Angels Might Work Through You

I wrote a post about how being of service is one way out of depression.  It is not the only way, but simply one part of shifting one’s focus off all that is wrong with one’s life to what can be done to help others. In serving others, our hearts open to the world.  During my NDE, I saw how powerful it was to help others and realized that the beauty we create in the lives of others is one of the main memories we take with us.

Message #3: Be Open to Others and Don’t Judge

During my NDE, I understood that many people were just like me.  They were doing their best, struggling to make sense of their lives, and trying to survive.  I saw that they needed as much grace and compassion as I was given in the afterlife.  Consider many different possibilities when interacting with others.  For example, those with poor social skills might have a disability or be suffering from an anxiety disorder.  Offer as much mercy and kindness to people as possible.

We are not that different; we are all more similar than we think.  During my NDE, I saw clearly how my judgments prevented me from knowing lovely, spiritual people in my vicinity.  Be open to kind people especially. However, personal boundaries and self-protection/love is a theme I come back to often. Abusers in spiritual communities and other areas of life can trespass on the boundaries of very loving, open people.  Love and openness given to others must be balanced with protection and love for the self.

Message #3:  Go to Nature

I made a recent post about this idea and believe that nature is healing, calming, and important for our mental health. Additionally, many people who experience an awakening have a greater awareness of the energy of certain foods and the importance of treating our bodies like temples.  I have found a lot of healing at different times in my life from a diet focusing largely on fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.

My grandmother, who lived in the country, picked fresh beans and vegetables from her garden and often said, “Food tastes best when the sunlight is still in it.” She had a good point!  Not many of us have access to food that fresh, but look for possibilities to eat the freshest possible foods.  Spend time enjoying the beauty of nature; it will reset your energy level and often erase your worries.

Message #4:  Be Like a Little Child

In Matthew 18:3 Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you change and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It is easier to access the love of God with an open, trusting heart.  Children do this more effortlessly than adults.  Look for ways to be pure of heart and gleeful about your connection to the divine.  Greet your life with immense gratitude.  On a basic level, NDErs will always know the fragility of this life and how easily our lives can be ripped from our grasp.  We appreciate being alive, but you don’t have to have an NDE to be grateful, joyful, and peaceful.

Message #5: You Are Loved and You Are the Light

Before my NDE, I lived in an almost constant state of worry and fear.  I survived a lot, but this fear was not improving my life in any way; rather, it was destroying my well-being. The immediate knowledge of the immense love of God  during my NDE altered my perception of reality. It is important to know that fear can be dismantled and forgotten.  Remembering our connection to unconditional love can ease much of the strain of this life.

Message #6:  Be Good to Yourself and Others

This is a golden rule of most religions.  To me, goodness is more than simply doing no harm.  Goodness is making the world around you brighter, healthier, and a more positive experience for others.

Message #7:  Live a Purposeful Life

The last part of my NDE showed me that I needed to return to earth and teach.  You do not have to be a teacher to live a purposeful life. You do not have to have a NDE to know your life purpose.  You only need to infuse your actions with goodness and blessings for others with whatever it is you do in this world.

Years ago, I read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.   If there is a quote from that book that sums up my major life lessons, it must be this one: “Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you. Don’t waste your pain; use it to help others.” ― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for