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'Hello': A Great Game for Living and Dying Well

18/8/2017

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Wow, I just discovered this game.  This could be of huge benefit to people.  Not only people who are dying and their relatives, but also anyone who wishes to explore death and therefore come closer to life!
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The game poses a series of interesting questions.  It is designed to spark conversations about death between relatives who find the subject difficult to breach.  
But, not only is it great for this purpose; it can also be used for increasing self-awareness around death.  Therefore, it can be used by anyone.  
Here's a nice, informative article about the game. 

​Here's the website where you can buy it: Common Practice
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Cry, Heart, But Never Break: Children's Book on Death (Review)

3/7/2017

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Cry, Heart, But Never Break
One of the hardest things in literature, and especially children's literature, is to portray death in a way that invites a less fearful or condemning attitude towards this phenomenon. 

There are a few children's book that have sought to introduce children to death.  How to breach such a sensitive subject to minds who are innocent and not yet understanding of the impermanence of life?  It's tricky for sure. 
Cry, Heart, but Never Break
However, I would say that 'Cry, Heart, But Never Break' has managed this in a magnificent way.  While portraying the character, death as gentle and understanding it also does not shy away from the realities of death.  This is especially great for kids who have or are experiencing the death of a loved one and don't know what to make of it. 

Written by Glenn Ringtved and illustrated by Charlotte Pardi, the book is a masterpiece, and highly recommended for parents who have grieving children or who simply want to teach children about this delicate subject in a gentle and sensitive way.
One of the things I especially love about the book is the emphasis that death is needed and that it makes life all the richer. 
For more information and another great review of this book, check out Cry Heart But Never Break: A remarkable meditation on loss and life.
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Book Review: Who Dies?

30/3/2017

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Stephen Levine - Who Dies? - Book Review
This is one of my favourite books, written by one of my favourite authors, on the subject of death, and indeed life.  It is aimed at a spiritual audience, where a belief in the soul and in some form of 'God' is assumed and indeed many of the case studies and anecdotes have a spiritual theme.  However, the bulk of the book is about dealing with the many psychological and emotional aspects of death - as the title suggests it delves deep into our identities and our ability to let go and surrender to the moment, whatever it brings - to participate fully in life.
Stephen Levine has an extremely in depth knowledge of the human psyche, and seems to ooze compassion in the way that he writes.  Yes, there are many deep psychological concepts which are explored, which may need to be read more than once if you aren't used to such deep exploration.  However, this is broken up with many beautifully engaging stories which will have you turning pages and confronting your own emotions as you follow the cases that he writes about. 
If you're interested, here is the link to the amazon page: Who Dies?
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How to Die Peacefully - Jeanine Staples

23/2/2017

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How to die peacefully
I love this TEDx talk.  The reason I love it, is because Jeanine Staples talks about the deaths that we die every day and how we can be compassionate to them and ourselves and come through them.  This is the foundation of my 'Embracing Change' work that will be launched later in the year, because it not only shows us how we can prepare ourselves for when 'final death' hits, but also how much richer and peaceful we can make our lives if we work with the concept of death.

So, I urge you to watch it.  In the video Jeanine gives a fantastically fresh perspective, which very much mirrors my own philosophy and the way that I work with people.  She has described it so well, using very clear models of the different kinds of death we die in our lifetimes as well as techniques we can use to establish a dialogue with our pain. 
For related reading see:
  • Who am I? Finding your Essence
  • Dying to Live: Embracing Change
  • Be as  a Lake: A fresh perspective on pain
What do you think of the video?  I encourage you to share your thoughts, feelings or questions.

Much love,
Richard

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Book Review: 'The Girl with the Green-Tinted Hair' - Gavin Whyte

12/10/2016

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I've just finished reading 'The Girl with the Green-Tinted Hair', by Gavin Whyte.  It's a lovely short story, a fable if you like, full of life and magic. 
The Girl with the Green Tinted Hair
Without giving too much away, the book explores the relationship between a boy and a girl that he meets, who shows him just how beautiful life and death really are.  It takes the reader through each season showing how the magic of life can be experienced by everyone.

It's really an uplifting book, taking you through a myriad of emotions as you follow the boys journey.
Even though, as the book progresses, I had a feeling of how it would end, that didn't stop a tear being shed at the beauty of what happened.
If you're interested in taking a look, you can buy it on Amazon here.
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    Author

    My name is Richard.  I love to write, and here you can find my general musings, observations and articles.  Enjoy!

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Articles List
  • Letting go - how to do it
  • Being in the moment vs. daydreaming
  • Why Die Consciously?
  • Too much noise: steps toward 'Inner Peace'
  • Shores of Avalon - Transition into Death and other Densities
  • 'The Observer' Pt1: What is the observer?
  • 'The Observer' Pt2: Simple steps to cultivate the observer
  • 'The Observer' Pt3: Going beyond the mind
  • 'Be as a Lake': A fresh perspective on pain
  • Destiny: Knowing your purpose in life
  • Is Morality Judgmental? Taking Inspiration from Life without Limiting Ourselves
  • ‘I told you so!’ Simple yet powerful ways of improving communication with loved ones
  • What makes you feel truly alive?
  • The importance of balancing the big picture with the little picture in current global events
  • How to Channel your Sadness into Beauty
  • Recovering from Loss of Identity
  • Understanding Grief
  • 'Who am I?' - Finding your Essence
  • Dying to Live - Embracing Change
  • Heaven in Your Eyes - Opening up to the Twin Flame
  • Overcoming Fear by Embracing Death - Pt 1: Our fears
  • Overcoming Fear by Embracing Death - Pt 2: Identity and the 'Self'
  • Overcoming Fear by Embracing Death - Pt 3: Unity Vs. Individuality
  • To BE or not to BE: How to Live your Spirituality
  • True Healing: How It's Possible For Everyone
  • The Hugging Dilemma: Deep Connection vs. Personal Boundaries
  • Breaking Free of the Box: How to Overcome Guilt from Unreachable Standards
  • The Healing of the Divine Masculine
  • Are You Responsible for Other People's Suffering?
  • Why You No Longer Need to Fear Death
  • The Paradox of Passion
























































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    • What is 'dying consciously'?
    • Testimonials
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