I’m afraid of death. And if you’re like most people, you might be too. It may not be as real or as raw for you as it is for my 6-year old daughter; if she’s afraid she’s likely to yell-cry “I’m going to DIE!!!!” You might be more like her dad, who practices calorie restriction for his personal longevity and who spends his days working to improve gene-sequencing technology in order to end disease and aging. A noble endeavor to be sure!

I know with total certainty that every time I've been brought to my knees in pain, every time I'm confronted with the reality of my own mortality and the delicacy of being this human self, this human heart that I'm in the middle of a rebirth and that on the other side is a deeper commitment to the vision and many more layers of understanding grief, loss and the ultimate phoenix rising.

Ironically, it's only when we fully recognize, welcome and get peace with our losses, our pain and even our symbolic and literaly death that we can truly embrace the vibrancy of our second half.