Praise for Living a Loved Life
“When we learn to love the life we are living, the joke is on us. We have been inhabitants of Paradise all along. Who knew? Modern neuroscience is catching on to the ancient wisdom that Dawna—and her preternaturally wise grandmother—transmit with such grace through luminous stories that ring the doorbell of the heart. When we savor what is and find possibility in life’s inevitable challenges, our nervous system is reprogrammed from self-protection to sweet connection with the astonishing miracle of life.”
—Joan Borysenko, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind
“I love this book. After reading it, I’m inspired to be a grandfather but also an elder. I wish I had a chance to meet Dawna’s grandmother…but I think I already have…because, as Dawna wrote, ‘she passed into me.’ Now her grandmother has passed into me too, and I can use all the help I can get!”
—Al Carey, CEO emeritus of PepsiCo North America
and chairman of Unifi Inc.
“I’m sure I’m not alone in my life-long yearning for a gramma who was wise, taught me the most important life lessons, who adored me, and whose ‘believing eyes’ would bring forward my gifts for the world. Dawna Markova, in her touching book, Living a Loved Life, is kind enough to loan her exquisite grandmother to us to reaffirm that which is necessary for each of us to live life in its depth and fullness.”
—Linda Bloom, co-author of 101 Things I Wish I Knew
When I Got Married: Simple Lessons to Make Love Last
“Internationally renowned thought leader and personal growth expert Dawna Markova, PhD, brings us Living a Loved Life which challenges us to listen to the heartfelt lessons necessary to create the most loving life possible. She inspires us with stories and keen insights into discovering our truest purpose on earth. Her teachings reflect the wisdom of our elders and empowers us to live a fuller life. In her irresistible, poetic narrative style, the author insightfully shares how it is possible to braid our strengths from even our most difficult life lessons. Her teachings guide us to reclaim our voice, redefine our story, and create the life of our dreams. Buy this insightful book today and gift it to everyone you care about. It’s a rare jewel and a life-affirming literary masterpiece.”
—Robyn Spizman, author of Loving Out Loud: The Power of a Kind Word, media personality, and New York Times bestselling author
“Dawna Markova is one of the great wisdom teachers of our time. She touched countless lives with I Will Not Die an Unlived Life, and many more will be touched by Living a Loved Life. This beautifully written book was shaped by three questions: ‘How do I find a way to live a life I can love now? How do I help make it possible for those who will come after me to do the same? How do I re-collect the wisdom earned through my own and others’ challenges?’ I don’t know anyone who would not benefit from exploring those questions, especially in the company of a master mentor, a true companion on the journey toward the human possibility. That’s Dawna Markova, and this book is her gift to you and me.”
—Parker J. Palmer, author of On the Brink of Everything, Let Your Life Speak, Healing the Heart of Democracy, and The Courage to Teach
Living
a Loved Life
Awakening Wisdom Through Stories of Inspiration, Challenge, and Possibility
Dawna Markova, PhD
Mango Publishing
Coral Gables
Copyright © 2019 by Dawna Markova, PhD.
Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.
Cover Design: Joan Selix Berman, Joan Selix Berman Designs
Photography by Joyce Chin
Layout & Design: Roberto Núñez
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Coral Gables, FL 33134 USA
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Living a Loved Life: Awakening Wisdom Through Stories of Inspiration, Challenge, and Possibility
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2019948614
ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-126-1, (ebook) 978-1-64250-127-8
BISAC category code BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Inspiration & Personal Growth
Printed in the United States of America
Blessing
To David Adam Peck
These stories are my heirlooms and your inheritance. They are the true wealth that I have to pass on to you. Consider this my last will and testament, because it will take all of my will to finish it and it is a testament to the wisdom that has carried me forward through many challenges. Passing it on to you will enable me to release my last breath with deep satisfaction.
To all those who yearn to love the life they are living.
Table of Contents
What Was the Promise Life Made to the World the Moment You Were Born?
Blessed, Blissed, Pissed, Dissed
How Do I Call When I Want the Promise to Answer?
Argue for Limitations and They’re Mine
In Pursuit of the Dangerously Possible