18 Months (don’t believe it)

How does this just happen?

Over a week ago, I noticed a few lovely purple flowers popping up in front of my mountain A-frame home in Idyllwild. I supposed they were delightful anomalies, arriving to tickle me and make me happy. Then, I looked closely. They were little orchids.

I wasn’t prepared for what the next few weeks would bring. An explosion of purple, arriving like a stupendous benediction, leaving me thunderstruck with gratitude. Suddenly my little cabin was the prettiest on our street. 

What the next few weeks would bring. Oh my God, I am so Loved. Recalibration starts…just like this.  

18 Months: Recalibration

My 19 Months blog got attention from family and friends. We all knew the playing field, prostate cancer since 2020, lots of treatment, long road, but this was some news. A 19 month medical prognosis (don’t believe it…). 

My partner Mark and I got active. Lots of appointments. Lots of reading and research. Lots of putting things into action. Stricter diet (wait for it…). Daily exercise no matter what. Finding healing options in unexpected places.

But most of all, those nine days created a bridge between a brain that ping-ponged between subdued terror and frenetic action - and a state of mind that was taking root, even more, in deep peace, joy and tranquility. 

Not in all 60 years of my rambunctious life has anything occurred that was so, well…extreme. 

What The Hell Is A Diet?

I have always been thin. I have always eaten what I want. Sweet treats equaled Mother Love for someone who lost his at 18. Yeah, my mom fed me frosted graham crackers, even as she was dying from melanoma. 

I finally stopped sugar, flour, and most dairy and most meat, no starch, no processed food. These last few weeks, I remember angrily sitting on the couch for 15 minutes, in a stew, wanting what I felt I deserved. But I didn’t. Looking in the refrigerator over and over again at nothing but fruits and vegetables. Driving to the store and staring for five minutes straight at what I wanted. But I didn’t. 

Now, I feel so clean. I’m Mighty Mouse. It’s been almost four weeks. 

Laughing Boots

During this time, creation of and daily recitation of affirmations became the power tool for my required brain reprogramming. The body and mind of a person who created an illness needs to change completely to one who heals.  

Enter Laughing Boots.

This new alter-ego arrived in the form of a unique affirmation. He’s the kid way back when that joked around a lot, and he was still there, waiting to turn me into a gorilla chipmunk who eats flowers, or a bad opera singer, or a cook who weeps when he sneezes.

Laughing Boots is self-named, defiant, and a detonator of seriousness bombs and anxiety mines. He mostly only comes out in private, but he is always there at parties, and had a blast during our Cards Against Humanity BBQ on the 4th. 

He is a champion of creating laughing cells in my body that drink joy and heal.  

Enter Coaching

I also knew that now was the time to ask for help seeing my blind spots (Laughing Boots imitating Mr. Magoo in the background). 

I realized that, to get me into a Healing Center, start my life-saving infusions again, keep up my expenses with the reduction of work necessary to allow the diet and lifestyle interventions prescribed to take hold, and hopefully get me into a Dr. Joe Dispenza event, we had to create a budget, and meet that goal.

And also, to release any expectations of how and in what way this would happen. 

It became clear that what would most serve me would be to begin a lot of conversations to help create the coaching and workshop series that I felt were the future I wanted to live into. My greatest gift to the world. 

It would also be necessary to ask for help. Our goal was 21K. Enter another GoFundMe.

Where Are We Now?

“Those that heal from chronic disease, no matter how advanced, had an experience where they tangibly and unmistakably felt themselves as Divine Energy. Not a belief or cognitive thought - a visceral and profound awareness.” - Deepak Chopra, as told to my friend Dr. William F. Pettit

“Shannon; I suggest that you are being called to Stillness”

These words from my friend & mentor Dr. William F. Pettit penetrated deeply. 

Dr. Bill, as I call him, was not the only one who graced me with wisdom and guidance over the last two weeks. 

Kirk Souder invited me into a powerful conversation where I saw the judgments surrounding my situation, and dissolved them into the nothingness from which they came…leaving in their place, Unbearable Light & Love. 

Stephen McGhee created an invitation to participate in a coaching experience with my tech skills, and then unleashed his extraordinary L4 program, with me on tech, as well. He also helped Mark and I launch our GoFundMe, and through work and donations beginning to come in - I began to see a future.

And finally: enter Amber Shirley, coaching powerhouse. What can I say? She is for me. The best of the best.

Kirk sent me this this morning. Surrounded by angels. I’m on to you, angels! You can drop the act. I see you!

Dear Shannon,

Wow. I am so grateful for this, and for YOU.

You are a true light in this world.

You are one of the most purely loving beings I know.

When I grow up, I want to be like Shannon. 

It’s very true. 

I am ALWAYS here for you.

In Loving,

Kirk