When your computer or cellphone don’t quite work right, you turn them off and restart them. That typically solves most glitches. What’s interesting is that this doesn’t just happen with electronics. I have found that life needs restarts too. Wise people choose to unplug and restart when needed. However, often times, we don’t choose when life serves us a forced restart. Life just happens.
My forced pause and restart
Since the end of 2022, I have been radio silent. My forced pause was to grieve the sudden loss of my life partner, Brian Treptow. He was my everything. The last 16 months have been the toughest of my life. I couldn’t have made it this far without the love and support of friends and family that came out of the woodwork. To those that helped carry me when I needed it, I will be forever grateful. Muchos mahalos.
Although my healing continues and will probably continue until I pass, I can now see how there is an opportunity to learn, grow, and find the upside of losing everything. The last time, I had a full-blown life catastrophe or what I like to call a when all balls drop moment was in 2009. After which, I created the Look Up Mantra to remind the world of a tremendous power we all possess, which is the ability to change your mindset and the power of perspective. The Look Up Mantra was designed to quickly change your mental channel by asking you to: 1) Be in the moment and 2) Find the upside.
Along this journey since late 2022, I’ve fought finding the upside. I still do. But, then something or someone reminds me that Brian was the epitome of Look Up. He was always in the moment, chasing squirrels all the time. He was an expert at turning lemons into margaritas too! Salud! Now, more than ever, I need to walk the walk and not just talk the Look Up talk.
Walk the walk – Look Up Book Restarted
In late 2022, I had completed 15 chapters of the Look Up Book after interviewing 17 amazingly sensational human beings that had overcoming tremendous odds: escaping war, surviving a hurricane, solo sailing from Maine to Polynesia, loss of spouse, and three generations of breast cancer survivors. In honor of those stories, Brian’s life story, and mine, I ask for your continue support of this project.
How Can You Help Support the Look Up Book?
Please help me find another dozen stories of individuals who have survived hardships and have thrived despite the odds. In particular, I’m looking for stories that touch on sexuality, racial challenges, natural disasters, ex-pat life, immigration, and/or substance abuse.
You can share this blog post to your connections. If someone would like to participate, please have them contact me via email and/or fill out this form.
