Hey everyone, today’s episode is going to be a special one. When I was thinking of potential guests for this show, I kept returning to the idea that it might be a really fun opportunity to use it as a means to reconnect with someone in my past that I haven’t had a deep conversation with in some time. And I thought of my brother, who as you will see in this episode has led nothing short of an interesting life. That being said, I hadn’t really talked to him beyond superficially about his experiences and I certainly had not asked him about what some of the major lessons were that he has learned in his crazy journey to Japanese Zen Monasteries and how that has translated back into living back in the western world. Corey and I have shared so much in this life and I have loved being a part of his Odyssey, but it was both eye-and heart-opening for me to get a chance to sit down and talk to him about the wisdom he has gained throughout his trials and tribulations. Some specific highlights include his discussion of how to get over the struggles of meditation – pretty much everywhere you look these days, you hear about the benefits of mindfulness, but MANY people that I talk to have tried and pretty quickly given up – here is your chance to learn from a guy who says he has been in meditation gunfights! Corey also really talks about some of his mentors and how valuable it is to attach yourself to someone that inspires you. Above all, I think Corey’s is a lesson of patience and passion. Many that know him have wondered at times what he was doing with himself and where he was going. Let’s be honest, it is easy to get caught up in the normalcy of life expectations, but not everyone has the dream to be a lawyer or a doctor and who are we to stand in the way of anyone’s search for an outlet for their intensity – to put out the fire burns inside them? I have recently been enthralled by the solo and unaided journey of Colin O’Brady across the length of Antarctica. No doubt to most sensible humans this seems crazy and you couldn’t pay them enough to even give it a shot, but many, many people have been inspired by this adventure. There is danger in making these sorts of grandiose comparisons, but bear with me. I believe we can all find lessons from people who are willing to blaze their own trails, people like Colin O’Brady and people like my brother, who you look at now and see a great father, husband, citizen and perhaps most of all a teacher that just might inspire you to tune out some of the ubiquitous and often overwhelming outside influences of our lives and instead take the time to look inward and to trust your heart and mind to take you to where you belong – it has done just that for me. After listening to our chat, even if you aren’t in any hurry to rush out and join a monastery, I hope you get a lesson or two out of this discussion and if nothing else it encourages you to reach out to your loved ones in an effort to better understand them and reinforce the kind of special bond that can be shared by those closest to you. And forgive the background noise that is heard throughout this. We did this chat in person and I hope that the intimate nature of it makes up for some of the light traffic winding through Whidbey Island at times.