Around the middle of last year I felt I needed to go to the doctor. I wasn’t really sure why, but this is what I discovered and the effect that discovery had on me…
Around the middle of last year I felt I needed to go to the doctor. I wasn’t really sure why, but this is what I discovered and the effect that discovery had on me…
© 2024 Authentic Living.
Nice on James. Looks like you handled that heart surgery magnificently. Lot of love to you and family, and also for being real there in your video.
Thanks Milo. Much love my friend xxx
OK. You got me crying there James . I hope that it doesn’t irritate you. But it is the beauty of the surrender and the knowing that all is well that is mainly getting to me.
I am so grateful that praying seems to come naturally to me so I felt that I could do my ‘bit before, during and after your operation.
Looking into your eyes as you say “All is well” touches me deeply. I know that too. I have to face that my body is getting worse. But I get a lot of blissful times thanks to the acceptance and surrender and loving everything that comes up as much as I can. I often think of you sharing your surrender and your bliss at the end of a meeting. I am sure that your experience has been, and is, helping me.
Thank you for this beautiful video.
All love <3
Thank you for your beautiful comment Jitindriya xxx
I had a kind of meltdown after writing the comment. So many emotions coming up at once about all kinds of things. I had a good cry , shake, laughter etc. Ahhh…! Felt great afterwards
I am so very glad that you are almost totally recoveredđš
Looking forward to the 31st big time!
Much love to you dear James xxx
James it was hard to see you in pain and I’m left feeing quite shakenđ˘ BUT the message is clear: Trust in God/Life & all is perfectđâ¤ď¸
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Dear James,
Don’t know if you remember me but did a weekend with you in Devon somewhere out in the wilds quiet a while ago and then saw you in Bristol.. I do follow you and your lovely messages on email when I get them
Just wanted to say how brave of you putting this out there it makes us all humble and reminds us that life is ever changing but how we try to control!! I guess just allowing things and going with it as really the universe knows whats what… Julian of Norwich, quotes:
All shall be well, And all shall be well, And all manner of things shall be well.!!!
Will send out healing thoughts to you and your family and hope you are quiet recovered soon, as I hope maybe to come to Totnes to one of your meetings.
Lots of love and light suzanne xxx (williams) (Bristol)
Hi Suzanne. Yes I remember you well! Hope we meet again in Totnes sometime soon. James xxx
Oh yikes – just saw the video and am feeling both shocked and glad. Glad you’re still here. Very glad. Very grateful. Needing time to let the news of what you’ve experienced settle… have friends coming for supper and dentist first thing in the morning, (the marvellous ordinariness/ordinary marvellousness of ‘everyday life’!) So will probably write again… and for now sending lots of love to you and to your new improved heart, wow đ x x x
Thanks Melissa. Yikes and Wow says it all really! :-)))
Inspirational as everJames, love these true honest clips of just being in life, feeling it All, acknowledging and showing beingReal. So helpful to me, to be honest, admit whatâs happening andRrust in my being. You have shown me how to Trust, the most valuable thing I could receive. My trust was so broken, now I see the safety in my being can never be broken, despite this habit of distrustâ¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸đşđŚđxxx
“admit whatâs happening and trust in my being”. There it is. Thank you Ursula x
Thankyou for all your work so far James, your such a natural teacher! Ive learnt many good lessons from you xx
Hey Tan. Thanks for your support my friend. xxx
Thank you for showing us the real thing – no hiding, no skating over, no pretending, no covering up, no glossing over . . . raw living experience. Thank you x x
Thanks Katherine. Looking forward to reconnecting in Kings Langley in June đ x
Honest and Brave James! Sending more healing love xx
Thanks Susan. See you and David very soon xxx
Your honest video, James is inspirational for us all as we meet the downs of life. What sweetness/bliss is there when I can trust and bring awareness to the Self whatever the force of my emotions Tears of gratitude are wetting my keyboard. (They come often . . . . . !)
Beautiful Liza xxx
Have been reading all these wonderful heartfelt comments. I love your term the ‘messiness’ of life and add ‘the glorious diverse unexpected messiness’ of it all, even when it doesn’t feel glorious in the least. When I’m in the heart I am in love, and love it all. Yes yes to messiness! but I thank God that you are still with us and are healing…..
Appreciate your brutal honesty and glad it had a happy ending. I must admit that I was a bit surprised to hear that you had a shock and panic phase……we read about other spiritual teachers like Byron Katie who faced life threatening situations and seemed to be beyond such “negative states” (Zen teacher Linda Claire who after surgery refused pain medication)……..so this feeds fantasies that awakening will lead to a permanent state of fearlessness….being above the fray……but as you can testify, our humanity not necessarily leave us as we navigate the wild currents of life.
Hey Steven. Thanks for your comment. This is rich territory… I feel another video coming on!
“our humanity not necessarily leave us as we navigate the wild currents of life”. That’s it. So often ‘awakening’ is seen as the ultimate escape from the ‘messiness’ of life. My experience has been the opposite. Knowing who we truly are gives us the courage to really feel the fullness of life, including the shock, fear, grief, sorrow as well as the bliss and ecstasy â the full spectrum of the human experience. xxx
YES!YES!YES!đâ¤đŚâ¤
Thank you James for inviting me to your videos by email, which allows me to participate. I appreciate your videos and I like the way they are coming along with me in my daily life. The ‘king’s road’ one does often, so I’m looking forward to how this one will lay it’s hand on my shoulder every now and then. Love, Thomas
Thank you Thomas. “Iâm looking forward to how this one will lay itâs hand on my shoulder every now and then”. Mmmmmmm love that xxx
I Love your sharing, brother. Such a generous act. This body we get issued with is a tough bit of kit – how wonderful to see stasis re-established so quickly for you. It made me reflect at another level on who I am – now I’m nearer 70 than 60 – body conscious, aware that there are transmission and steering issues… and that the digital management system has been corrupted somewhat and can go haywire still. But that which IS, though clear and empty, does love and appreciate this body, just by being aware from the Heart’s centre. That Heart’s centre, which I have talked about and taught practices about in classes for many years… which I yearned for, thought I had, yet never really knew until the first time we met, when that fearless gaze, flooding from your eyes cut the key to fit the mortice my grandchildren had forged. The key that almost turned just kept repeating, “Not dead yet!”… the new-cut key swung the door open and, amidst a torrent of laughter, gently bellowed, “Nothing Dies!”
A big smile and a hug, brother. Well done. Nick xxx
Big hug back brother xxx
Hello James just watched your video and stopped to run for the tissues–how honest and open about your pain, an inspiration to us all. I never had any doubt you wouldn’t recover, not only because you are fit and healthy but, because of your positive outlook on life, Thank you so much for sharing, and by the way I lit a candle on the day of your surgery to ask the angels to take good care of you. I am a big believer in ‘ask and you will receive’ You are very special, love Anne xx
Thanks for lighting a candle for me Anne. I feel very blessed to have had so much support from so many. Much love xxx
Thanks for sharing bro – inspirational and so glad you got through it all unscathed!
Bom xx
Bom! Great to see you on here little bro. See you very soon for the big day :-))) xxx
Ooops ! Somehow lost what I was writing. Sooooo, I’ll just start over.
I too came close to tears. I find you to be an authentic, genuine New Paradigm teacher and am over-joyed you are still here to go on going on.
I have to confess that I found it unsettling to look you directly in the eyes. Does homophobia run that deeply in us men? And, at 83 I thought my determination not to “pass on” having failed to learn how to love some 3.5 billion men (my spiritual brothers) had actually lessened my homophobia. Now I have doubts about that. I’d like to have your spin on all this if you feel up to it.
In friendship and love, Tomius
P.S. I’m in Alpine, Texas, USA (of all places!!???)
Hi Tomius. I hear you brother. Yes I think there is still a lot of shame for many men around being seen to love another man. I remember at school how any kind of tenderness shown towards another boy immediately got the ‘gay/queer’ taunt from peers. Might be fun for you to play with? Gazing softly into my eyes whilst noticing what it evokes. We spend a lot of time in the workshops and retreats connecting directly in that way. It can be very powerful for clarifying what the mind is still buying into. Thanks for the kind words my friend. xxx
Hi James…Not sure if you will remember me. I have been to a couple of your Totnes meetings and we had a one to one session at the Quaker meeting house a couple of years ago and I brought along my little tan Jack Russell! ….Thankyou so much for your willingness to talk about vulnerability….Its such a gift….I listen to your words and a joy rises inside as I’m “given permission” to be vulnerable too….I don’t have to hide!!!! WOW WEEEEEEEEE.
So glad you are feeling better…Love Jan and Billy đś
Hi Jan. Yes I remember. How is the little fella?! I’m loving your WOW WEEEEEEEEE!!!. Big smile here as I write :-)))) xxx
Gosh James.. I had no idea.. you have me in tears.. I so relate to your words.. how beautifully you touch me.. I am trying to find words and it’s pretty hopeless.. I love you <3
I love you too brother <3
Beautiful James so open and authentic…..all is well and not well but thats not stopping this magic bus ride
love to you my freind
Rick x
Thanks Rick. Love to all the family xxx
Thank you James for your honest and generous sharing. I was very touched reading it. I am so glad that you have made such a good recovery. How wonderful that you were able to feel that something needed attention, then acted on that feeling.
I found your observation about being ‘identified’ with a certain way of being..eg being super healthy, very helpful. I have several times had to recognise in myself that I am not this way or that way any more..or have realised that I have been labelling myself and getting stuck in a way of being!
Sending love and blessings to you, wishing you a very happy and healthy continuation of your life!
Gwyneth Bowman
Thank you for the love and blessings Gwyneth. xxx
Have watched your amazing video several times now. It is beautiful you could calm yourself when confronted with the shock horror realization of what your situation was. Such a traumatic and painful experience for you. You have been constantly in my prayers. Incredible the way you were able to relax and let it all unfold. I thank God he brought you safely through and all has been successful. As you say. let go – all is well. Lots of love x
Thanks Mum! Lovely to see you on here. xxx
Did you still feel âall is wellâ during that period of post-surgery great pain?
Hi Doni. No. In those post-surgery moments of pain I wasnât thinking âall is wellâ. I was totally focussed on softening into the pain, and when it got so intense that my teeth were chattering and body shivering Iâd ask for more medication! What I meant by the statement âall is wellâ is that even when all is ânot wellâ on the surface, our deeper nature is still shining in all its glory. I donât mean that as a glib spiritual statement, itâs the truth of my experience. xxx