“You know, the ego is very insecure. . . . It uses judgment as armor to protect itself. The ego judges others to shield itself from its own insecurities, which are based on fear. The ego, needing to be special, feeds on constant approval and needs enemies in order to be superior—it raises itself up by putting others down. . . . In other words, by judging others,” Ethel explained, gathering the ingredients for piecrust. “People have a never-ending fear-based dialogue with their egos, which is a source of much unhappiness. They’re afraid of not being good enough, being wrong, not being in control, losing their possessions, being shamed, being judged, not being smart enough, being ugly, being rejected, being destitute, being old and alone. And ultimately, they’re afraid of dying.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“First, and most importantly, a person must recognize their opponents: ego, fear, and judgment. Otherwise, those opponents remain in control. But once a person is aware of their opponents, they can disengage and step aside. Simply acknowledging these behaviors sets them off-balance and facilitates their fall.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“Nothing can divide us, not even death!”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“People prefer things to be finite. Not having answers makes people uncomfortable, and this leads them to fill in the gaps in their knowledge with speculations, which can be dangerous and deadly. Science is a much better path.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“Many things—especially the nonphysical—can’t be measured or understood through science. Take the unseen forces of guilt and shame. You can’t measure them, but they can drive people to destruction. The same is true about love. You can’t put your finger on it, but it can cause people to move mountains.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“When you have a gut feeling about something, don’t dismiss it. The first thirty seconds is your intuition, but then your rational brain kicks in and tries to override it. You must try to remember this and trust your gut feeling—your intuition.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“I thought about how all that mattered, in all entirety, and all I wanted,
and all I could see anything being worth anything for, was being a writer.”
Source: Likewise: The High School Comic Chronicles of Ariel Schrag
“It’s good to be mindful that every situation presents an opportunity we can learn from if we choose.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“I N THE WAKE OF THE STORM, I sat at my kitchen table, drinking coffee, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. One minute, I was remembering my cat, Schmiggs, sitting on the kitchen table. Black saucers filled his green eyes as he craned his neck, clearly looking at something—someone—down the hall that I couldn’t see.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side
“When people are overwhelmed with physical or emotional pain, it’s hard to get through to them, let alone when talking to someone who’s crossed over,” Shane said. “People put up defensive walls to protect themselves, but this makes it very difficult to reach them in their time of need. Very few people can hear us when we talk to them.”
Source: Through the Darkness: A Story of Love from the Other Side