are you ready for true health? 17
circumstances outside of his control to shoulder heavy duties at
a much younger age than you would wish on anyone. One of the
cards he had been dealt in life was to take on responsibilities for
many other people, and his loving and generous spirit was the obvi-
ous fruition of this life. He told the group that he was struggling
with making a decision about divorce. The burden that such a
spiritually mature and sensitive man would feel about this decision,
given his caretaker, “ hold - the - family - together - at - all - costs ” history,
melted everyone ’ s heart. To be able to truly speak your truth, with
a supportive community that has no agenda, is a profoundly heal-
ing opportunity — an experience that enabled Charles to heal in the
deepest core of his being and gather the courage to make changes
in his life.
Although his heart disease, diabetes, and obesity concerns
inspired his initial decision to come to our program, it was his sin-
cere desire to heal his heart at a deeper level that he found most
fulfi lling and transformative. He was ready to hear his truth; he
wrote this poem in only ten minutes!
Sailing from Cape Fear to Hope Island
As I have embarked on this life ’ s journey I simply seem to
have just “ cast off my dock lines ” and headed out to sea.
It seems to me today that I have done this without a ship
captain ’ s log. But there again I have never really felt like the
captain of my ship or the master of my fate.
I am now far out at sea but I can still see land. I remember
reading a statement one day that hit me between the eyes.
“ You can ’ t discover new oceans if you don ’ t leave the sight of
land. ”
I now look to my past life ’ s paths and see that I always seemed
to hang on the side of the pool; this was important when
I had not yet learned to swim. I can remember asking what
the deepest water the instructor had swum in was.
I still remember her answering — like I was still there. “ If
you learn how to swim, the water depth will have no bearing