Part I with Slade of Shift Your Spirits last week was so successful that it inspired people like Corinne Edwards to write about her own psychic experiences -  check it out at the bottom of this post.   I think you’ll enjoy it but Slade comes first – he’s the star today!

Meanwhile, a handful of new people commented how reading my interview with Slade was almost like listening on the radio – that’s exactly how I’ve been envisioning it when I do these interviews!

Slade is definitely different from the people I’ve interviewed so far, isn’t he?  Well, I never told you it would be “same old, same old,” didn’t I?  In fact, I intend to bring in people of different backgrounds, even if their philosophies or viewpoints might be somewhat foreign to yours.  What’s the point of interviewing people who bring in the same thoughts, ideas, etc?

Slade has a fascinating story because while all of us have psychic abilities, not everyone has taken the time to nurture and then use them for the greater good like he has.

OKAY, SLADE COME ON OUT FOR THE LAST TIME! (sounds of audience applauding, whistling, shouting)

Alright, that’s enough kids!  Calm down, now!  LOL.  Let’s get started, shall we?  (Turning to face Slade under the glare of hot lights and whirring cameras with red blinking dome lights).

14.   What would you say was the defining moment that forever changed the course of your life?  For example, was it someone who made an impact on you or was it a spiritual revelation?

My spirit guides communicated to me an ultimatum. “You are already everything you’ve ever wanted to become. You fulfill your life purpose with every breath you take. How long do you plan to stay in your Ivory Tower, keeping what you know to yourself, when it could benefit other people?”

Stephen’s Response:  Sometimes it takes an ultimatum directed at us to make a decision.  Life is like that sometimes.  This may not be a good analogy but I’m thinking of the situation where the wife says to the drunk husband, “It’s either the bottle or me.”   Hopefully that wakes up the hubby and he cleans up his act.

15. At Adversity University, I often talk about the value of  changing our perceptions in order to deal with adversity.  How have  you dealt with adversity in your own life?  Give us specific examples of adversity and what you did to overcome them.

Well, that’s exactly the theme of my life and the meaning of the title Shift Your Spirits. You can change your life not by changing the Stuff — the Material — the Circumstances in it, but by changing your angle of approach.

The most devastating situations I’ve had to deal with have mostly been medical. And I must say that I am very grateful for the health that I do have, and would not trade my body with any one else. I would not even try to “compare” what another person has to deal with every day, and whine about my challenges.

My worst year was about 6 years ago, when I had a minor stroke at age 33. I woke up one morning partially paralyzed on one side of my body, with most of the nerve damage to my face. The facial paralysis was a blow to my vanity and more than anything it took away my ability to talk as I always had — my speaking ability is at the heart of everything I can do and how I define myself, from the work that I do, my resume, to my greatest joy in life — conversation.

I feel the emotional component leading to such an extreme manifestation of stress and anxiety was the lack or balance or harmony between the intellectual forces in my life and the nurturing, spiritual — I was living in a state approaching 100% Mind, with my heart and my soul almost entirely psychically repressed.

I became a shut-in, a recluse, for a few years after that, and I eventually recovered about 90% — I have only an embarrassing facial tick and a bit of a lopsided smile left over from it.

But during that time, I was unable to go out and work as I had before and ultimately the only thing I could do to support myself and move forward was the very thing I’d always put off and really wanted to do more than any other – to write and share myself with the world.

The Story of a Victim and the Story of Victory — the material, the details, the circumstances — can be identical and to some degree what you make of them is a decision.

Stephen’s Response:  What a sudden, “in a heartbeat life change” that was for you!  No one can possibly know what that must be like unless it happened to them.   We can only imagine.

It’s like people who try to imagine being deaf.  It isn’t the same thing to plug up your ears with a pair of cotton balls!   There’s a whole range of emotions that you deal with as you’re going through the process of grappling with it.

I sense you eventually saw this as something that happened for a divine reason.  Would you agree?  That’s how I tend to see things – the “good” or the “bad” (which is actually the meaning we put on things – nothing is really good or bad – they just “are” but we humans need to label everything, you know).

16.  What is your favorite word?  Least favorite?

Epiphany is my favorite word. My least favorite — evangelical, in the political context.

Stephen’s Response:  I like that word epiphany too because I’ve had a few of those moments.  They were glorious not to mention life-changing.

17.  What was the most embarrassing moment of your life that you now look back at and laugh, cry or smile?  What was the lesson you learned?

The most humiliating day of my life was when I called my boss from the emergency room to tell him I had a minor stroke and was paralyzed. He accused me of lying to “get out of work” and told me I would be “written up” and possibly fired if I did not come in.

So, I went in to work, with my face visibly immobilized, wearing an eye patch because one of my eyes could not longer blink or close, my ability to speak horrible slurred. I mostly wanted to make a point of just how true my condition was. I was a student advisor at the time, and I had to sit through the rest of the day meeting with students who gaped at me at me in horror, some of whom wanted to know why I was even there.

I could’ve sued, I could’ve fought to make a point, but fighting that individual was the main source of the stress that caused my stroke. Fighting further, I could have had another stroke and died.

I chose to simply walk away from that battle and vowed to never be in a situation where a job could control me like that.

Stephen’s Response:  I am absolutely stunned – dumbfounded even.  I had a bully of a boss one time too.  Going to work for the “arrogant bank boss” was a very difficult experience.  I even wrote a story about my experience with him.  Every morning, I woke up with a knot in my stomach until I used the power of visualization to turn things around.    The lesson from that experience was that love wins in the end.  I can say it because I actually experienced it firsthand.

But boy, did I live in fear for almost a whole year!  Talk about stress!

18.  Name the top 5 articles from ”Shift Your Spirits” that you believe readers at Adversity University would benefit from.

• The Art of Surrender
• Teaching What You Came Here to Learn
• The Stories that No Longer Serve You
• The Keys to A Magical World View
  
• What’s Wrong with What You Want?

19.  What do you hope God will have to say to you when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

The poet Maya Angelou says that when you reach Judgment Day, the question that will be asked at the Pearly Gates of Heaven is not “What did you do?” but “Whom have you loved?”

Stephen’s Response:  I’ve always wondered about the existence of “Judgment Day.”  I actually believe that while we go through a life review, none of us are “judged” for the things we did.  They are merely reviewed and observed, without attachment or meaning.

Having said that, I love what Maya said would be asked of us:  Not “What did you do?” but “Whom have you loved?”

20.  This is a new one, inspired by Karen Putz‘s interview with me here a few days ago.   What’s the top five items on your “Bucket List”?  (Inspired by the movie ”The Bucket List” with Jack Nicolson and Morgan Freeman).

You know, I understand, conceptually, what kinds of answers you’re asking for — I could list any number of places I’d like to travel, things I’d like to accomplish, dreams and aspirations… But that “exercise” really bothers me. Forgive me for saying so; I’ll explain where I’m coming from.

All the things on that kind of list would have two features in common — they would be “missing” or lacking from my life, and they would all exist in the future. I feel that living in the future and focusing on what you don’t have are the two major reasons why so many people are not happy and do not feel a sense of peace.

I’m constantly working to be mindful of the present, and to stop living for the future. To understand more of where I’m coming from, see the last article in my list above and remember one of the most important things my spirit guides have ever communicated to me –

“Joy only happens in the present.”

Stephen’s Response:  See (turning to audience)??  That’s why I love having people like Slade here because he will give us the answers straight and narrow!  WOOT! (I sound like a kid when I say that, don’t I?  Well, I can’t help it!  I get excited, you know).

The funny thing here is while I have always been goal-oriented and love having a list of goals to aim for, I do believe in the concept of living in the present.  In fact, I have a friend who wrote a book called “Goal Free Living” where he suggested that while having goals are a worthy pursuit, it tends to become a problem if you’re living in the future and not the present moment.

So, Slade gave a rather interesting answer because I do agree that we need to be present; however, I also believe it’s important to have a vision – something to work towards.  Indeed, it’s a delicate balancing act – staying in the moment yet work towards something you desire for yourself in the future.

21.  Being deaf, I am always curious to know which sounds other people love and hate to hear.  Tell us a sound you absolutely adore and a sound you detest.

I love the sound of a cat’s purr! And you may truly appreciate the fact that this sound is also a physical sensation — I can’t think of any vibration that feels exactly as it sounds. Even though you are deaf, you can access nearly everything there is love about petting a purring cat.

I can’t stand the sound of someone talking on the phone while they are eating, or cracking and popping chewing gum.

Stephen’s Response:  A purring cat!?  Well, did you see the picture I uploaded to Facebook about a stray cat that leapt up on my balcony one night, scaring the heck out of me?

The photo you see was taken a few days after that night.  I had gotten used to him, even putting out cat food (see the dish in the far corner?).

We have a lot of stray cats around here so at first I thought it was wild but then it started to lean up against my legs, purring.  I was like “Whaaat?  Where did you come from?”

Truth be told, I’m not much of a cat person but I’ve found myself making a connection every so often like I did with this one.  But since I travel so much, even though I know they’re quite independent, I didn’t want to take on the responsibility of caring for it (i.e. vet, food, shots, etc.)  Call me selfish, but I ended up giving it to my neighbor who gave it to her mother so all is well!

22.  We all have our likes and dislikes.  What would you say turns you on and what turns you off?  Give the first answer that comes to your mind without censoring or editing it.

Humor turns me on. The sexiest people in the world to me are funny people. Comedians can speak the truth that politicians and preachers can never get away with, and power it with laughter.

What turns me off? Passive-aggressive communication and “guilt-trips.”

Stephen’s Response:  I LOVE humor too.  Have you ever had a belly laugh?  Oh, I have and it’s so incredibly healing, wouldn’t you say?  It felt so good at those times.  Your whole body feels like it’s tingling when you’re laughing like that.

Oh yes, I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a “guilt trip.”  But that’s when I was allowing it to happen.  These days, if anyone tries to lay one on me, I tend to nip it in the bud immediately.  You take the fun out of it for that person because he/she no longer has any ammunition to play with.  They’re banking on you to feel horrible/sad/guilty or overly apologetic.

Nope, no thanks – been there, done that.

23.  And finally but not least, where can we find out more about you?

You can read my blog Shift Your Spirits!

Check out Corinne Edward’s story:   Ghosts, Spirits, Seances and a Story

OKaaaaaay.  That was THAT.  Folks, what did you think of this cool fellow?  Did you learn anything new?  I know his area of expertise is something that some of you might not be familiar with.  So I guess I’m asking you, what was it like to take a peek at something you might not be conscious of?

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