LIMITED RELEASE VERSION
Expressing Gratitude for OUR liVeS!
A community for people who realize that they are really lucky,
grateful to be alive,
and are looking for a way to keep that experience alive and express it,
every day!
JESSE’S STORY
I had been expecting this heart attack since 2008, and maybe before that too, yet it was still a surprise. My mother died of a heart attack in 1987 at the age of 50, her mother at the age of 54, and my brother at the age of 44 in 2008, the year I turned 50.
On May 16, 2022, I woke up with a strange set of pains between my shoulder blades, in my collar bones, neck, and left arm.
At first, I brushed it off and started out for work but decided to drive myself to the hospital instead. I walked into the emergency room and said “I think I’m having a heart attack right now. I was admitted and scheduled for triple bypass surgery. It saved my life! I beat the odds, breaking a generations-old family history of early death from heart disease.
When I came out of anesthesia and realized that I had survived my open-heart surgery, I experienced a palpable, physical sensation of joy and gratitude like no other experience in my life. I was suddenly aware that I had filled the life I almost lost with petty complaints and constant upset. I saw that I had been living a life of resignation and disappointment. All of that disappeared in the moment of joy I experienced when I realized that I now had a “new” life to live.
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”
~Buddha*
*No matter what your faith, this is a quote worth pondering!
Jesse James Turner
A few days after the surgery I did a zoom call with my siblings. As we spoke, it occurred to me that had things gone differently, they would have been having that call without me, making plans for my funeral, and writing my obituary. We always have a bonfire when somebody dies. I love that part of the celebration.
That was the moment I realized that I am now living my ONE EXTRA LIFE!
Instead of an obituary, I wrote my Nobituary. Not a description of a life once lived, but a statement of who I am now, and a declaration of the future I am creating with my ONE EXTRA LIFE. The unbelievable experience of writing my nobituary was one of power, freedom and complete gratitude for life. My understanding of time, synchronicity, focus, relationships — all of life — spun in my head.
You are reading this because you somehow stumbled onto this page. Whatever brings you here now, I challenge you to write your own nobituary. Guide your own life into a future of your creation. The nobituary that I wrote can be found HERE. If you would like to post yours after you write it, please join our Facebook group, One Extra Life, and post your own nobituary there. If you want help in writing or editing your nobituary, please go to the Contact Us page and I will work with you.
What this page is for
I created this space to acknowledge and celebrate anyone who has realized that they should be, could be, and probably would be DEAD, except for one little thing that happened.
Nothing in my life had come close to the feeling of hope and gratitude rushing over me when I realized that any other turn of events could have sealed my doom.
It was nothing short of a triumph over death itself.
My time was up, but I got an extension! All the trivial complaints I had had about every aspect of life- my relationships, my job, my career, everything, faded into obscurity for a few short weeks! But as I returned to daily life, frustrations crept back in. Life returned to normal. This effort is dedicated to keeping that magical experience of gratitude alive that comes when we face the loss of our very life and survive.
If this resonates with you, please share your story here.
Since my heart attack, my mission has been to return to that vision daily. I never want to forget that moment of joy and gratitude when I awoke from surgery and realized I now had a second chance at life.
My purpose here is to connect with others who have experienced a similar epiphany and help them keep the joy alive too. And I want to share this mission with everyday people who have not been reminded of their mortality, forced to face the true nature of time.
Join me in standing for yourself. Write your own “nobituary” and share it. Let it be known; that’s what makes it real. Sharing it makes it work: you become accountable for it and become known for it. Keep it present for yourself and the people that you love.
Join this community. Please share your stories, and provide hope and inspiration to others facing their own challenges. Network together. Support one another.
The full array of ways to participate in this community is summarized below:
Write your own Nobituary, on your own, or with support (Click HERE)
Join the free Facebook group HERE
Get your affairs in order. Don’t leave your loved ones guessing about your wishes if you become incapacitated or die. Click HERE for guidance.
Join us for Story Hour. Share your story, and listen to others. Participate! Check the schedule HERE.
The One Extra Life Club is a membership area for more extensive and full participation. Click HERE to go to explore membership. Membership features:
One Extra Life Marketplace is a forum for members to offer artwork, goods, and services and for members to buy those goods and services, share our talents and resources, save each other money, and make new possibilities available to each other.
Moderated Group Discussions. Members discuss their lives with others, comparing notes, and supporting each other, with topical and open sessions, moderated by skilled group leaders.
Individual and Group Coaching Sessions.
The most important part of any transformation is to keep it alive, present, and growing in your life as a form of self-expression. It becomes a way of life. If this calls to you, or you know others who may benefit, please join in, share, and grow this with me as a community. I am not religious, and some people are. We can share despite those differences. We can form groups by finding others to share within our religions, ignoring our religions, or sharing them. This is, however, a place to check your politics at the door. We welcome all humans to be kind to each other without engaging in the polarizing debates we see in some political discussions.
Anyone can join in
Those who have literally (or figuratively) dodged a bullet
Cancer-patients-in-remission
Transplant recipients
Patients recovering from diseases and surgeries of all kinds
People released from incarceration
People triumphing over addictions
Survivors of grief choosing to return to their life after almost giving up
People pondering suicide but calling out for help instead
People facing any challenge and seeking support
People who want to participate because they want to!
But as I returned to daily life, frustrations crept back in. Life returned to normal. This group is dedicated to keeping that magical time of unconditional gratitude alive that only comes when we face the loss of life itself.
ready for the #nobituary challenge?
Download this free PDF template and get started on writing your Nobituary. Make sure to share on social media and use the hashtag #nobituary so you can share your story with the community.
