“There are a lot of people striving but very few arriving.” ~ Wayne Dyer

“Mr. Touhey,” said the paramedics as they were treating me on the floor in the refreshment concourse of the new Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia, “You’re in trouble here.” The year was 2003.

I looked up at my brother, Tim. “Take care of the kids,” I said. “I have them covered,” Tim said. “Just pay attention to the medics!”

“That’s not what I mean,” I thought, but couldn’t speak the words, as blood was streaming from my nose and mouth, and the medics were racing to stop the bleeding. What I really meant was, “If I die right now, will you take care of the kids?”
As the paramedics worked on me my mind began to drift. Had I told Annabelle enough times that she is the love of my life? Have I fought so hard over the last two years only to die now? My daughters, Serena, just three years old, and Ava, only a few months old - will I never again enjoy the wonder of my children?

The commotion around me continued as I mourned my life. If I die now, I would not get to sing my song here on earth. I have not contributed everything I wanted to contribute. I could not accept this as the end.

While I seemed to be giving up, the paramedics had not; quickly and professionally, they were doing everything possible to save my life. My blood pressure was so high, they did not know whether to give me nitroglycerin to prevent a heart attack, or try to stop the bleeding first. If they gave me the nitro first, they might not be able to stop the hemorrhaging. If they tried to stop the bleeding first, I might have a stroke or a heart attack. They were in a difficult situation.

But just as events seemed to be at their worst, I felt a familiar presence; something warm, wonderful, and utterly miraculous, a presence that is stronger than death. This presence saved me many times before and I felt it again. I even heard it, this small, soft voice, speaking from within, tugging me gently out of death’s clutches.

“Kevin,” the voice said, “you have to make it through this. You’re not finished here!”

Meanwhile the paramedics decided to give me an intravenous drug that would stop the bleeding first; then they immediately put a nitro strip under my tongue. It worked. My blood pressure, which had been 220 over 120, began to drop and the bleeding stopped.

The presence remained with me as I began to stabilize. “And once you do get through this,” I heard, “you must stop struggling with life. Life is not a game to be won but a gift to be enjoyed. Your happiness does not depend on success!”
As the paramedics put me on to the gurney for the trip to the hospital, I began to finally see that life depends on just the opposite of how most people define success. Success to me would forever take on a new meaning: acknowledging the gifts and blessings that are all around me. I need to allow these gifts to uplift my spirit; to simply relax and receive all good things into my life because it is my birthright; to enjoy each and every moment as if it is my last.

I still wasn’t “out of the woods” yet. These revelations took a while to sink in. Once I was in the emergency room, I was still extremely upset and scared, until one of the many gifts in my life, my mother-in-law, arrived. Beside the fact that she is a doctor and I really trust her, she exudes a sense of motherly comfort wherever she goes, and I really needed that now. It wasn’t until her arrival that I felt I could start to calm down.

I spent five days in the hospital; a lot of time to think, reflect, and be grateful. I began to realize I had invited some conditions and circumstances into my life that were crushing my spirit. I was facing financial collapse. I was working day and night to keep the creditors away because a few investors in my company made some financial decisions without my knowledge that nearly put me out of business. I struggled for nearly two years under tremendous pressure to save my business. Finally, my body just gave in and stopped me in my tracks.

My life changed that day at the Temple/Rutgers game at the Linc. It was then that I realized all the answers were within me; that the joy I was searching for was a matter of changing the way I perceived the circumstances and conditions of my life. That included looking at my childhood from a different point of view—not through rose-colored glasses—but from a connection with the deep spirit of my soul.

Forgiving myself and all others would be the key to unlock the unprecedented peace and joy in my life that I desired. I was searching in all the wrong places and waiting for some new circumstance in my life or in the outside world to bring the change. These changes needed to be made in my soul. This knowing came from remembering my birthright: to live a life full of miracles, joy, and optimism. I just needed to use the tools of my spirit to change.

The resulting healthy belief system led me down the path of believing that everything in my world is okay. I want for nothing, I long for nothing, and I have everything I need right here, right now, inside my soul. Whether there was any chance I would die that day is irrelevant. I still have some rough times in my life despite this incident and the profound changes in the way I think and feel. The difference is now I am better able to put my problems into a more positive perspective. I can see them now for what they are—little bumps in the road.

Author's Bio: 

“I am an admitted pessimist, and have been for most of my life. That said, I still have some room in my cynical soul for a little hope and inspiration to push through, and Mr. Touhey's book has just the sort of sincere and comfortable quality to reach me.

Touhey's book is revealing, not only about his own familial and personal history, but also about the mistakes people often make in viewing themselves and the world. His lessons and exercises are totally effective in leading people toward a definite change in perspective, and his personal definitions of certain key self-growth ideas are just as helpful. His way of describing self esteem versus self confidence influenced me greatly, and inspired me to re-evaluate how I feel about myself and my actions in certain situations.

If you are a reader looking for a different way to view the world and yourself in it, The Miracle of Optimism, with its relatable storytelling style and its effective lessons and exercises is a book you need to read.”


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