A BREATHING ASHES INTRO
You may be wondering why the title of this book is “Breathing Ashes?” The more I’ve infused the words “Breathing Ashes” with oxygen the more it becomes clear that the meaning is not in the words, but literally in the perception of it. Shortly after climbing Mt Sinai, where Moses stayed 40 days and 40 nights to receive and create the Ten Commandments, the concept “Breathing Ashes” was born. My Wife and I were sitting by the Red Sea in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt discussing how our second honeymoon became a spiritual pilgrimage, sharing insight on topics such as the reproductive system, child rearing and rebirth. During this conversation I realized the profound importance of dying many deaths while we are still breathing and stepping into the courage to release the previous versions of who we once were in order to become something even greater.
I once heard a friend say, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you. I don’t even know who you are anymore.” I responded, “I don’t either, but it’s better than repeating the last decade of my life.” I found myself in a feedback loop, repeating the same story, attached to similar outcomes, running from moment to moment in the name of comfort. I enjoyed the chaos, stayed addicted to the disorder, claiming the need to wander with no direction other than serving others in the spirit of giving back through philanthropic ventures. Forgetting how a person cannot pour from an empty cup, I disregarded the need for reflection and introspection. I wasn’t able to put myself in position to identify the wisdom that I gained. By choosing to carry the burden of others while holding their cross stretched across my back I found myself crucified by the weight that was never mine to bear. These were my choices to choose and I chose them.
The Bible mentions the “Spiritual Woodshed” as a moment in which an individual has to travel within. And that is what I did. Traveled deep within. There was no roadmap for the journey. Just courageous inner dialogue full of accountability. It was a time of isolation where I, the student, had to study the classroom I created in order to find my way back to myself. And that’s just it! Maybe we come to this planet to experience life in human form, purposely getting lost only to find ourselves again. As I traversed through the experience, I explored my light and shadow selves, holding constructive conversations with multiple beings within. Different versions of self that I manifested over the years, each one teaching something new. I learned that inside was actually innerspace, a galaxy of epiphanies and discovery. I learned to turn the struggles into strategy, as I transformed the pain into activated learning and application. I began to rise from the valley of victimhood, reclaiming the power of responsibility as I stepped into a transformation of triumph. I learned the power of moving slow in a fast paced world.
Fire is the great purifier. It is the shaper, the molder, the holder of possibility. I pray you enjoy the rise of flame that I share with you through these writings. Sometimes we have to realize we are the burning building that we have to run into. That we are in need of water. That we need to nurture ourselves, because an individual is unable to pour from an empty cup. If we aren’t able to manage the raging fire within, then we can burn anything and anyone that comes near us. We can consume everything with our heat for life. I’ve decided to burn as much as I can to create ashes. This book is not an urn, but a compass to help guide you as you discover what ashes you need to create and breathe. In the spirit of sharing wisdom and experience, I offer an authentic voice in a moment where sharing undisturbed truth is a courageous act, especially when sourced from within. It is time to embrace our inner phoenix. Embracing our transformation for the world is releasing the old and inviting the new.
There is only me. As I am. Just Greg.
