“A few years ago I had to have open-heart surgery. When I got...

“A few years ago I had to have open-heart surgery. When I got the news from my cardiologist, I went into full panic mode. Suddenly there was nothing going on in the world except for my fear. I thought that I was going to fall apart in front of my kids. I ended up walking to the bookstore alone. I was looking for anything that might help calm me down. And I ended up grabbing The Power of Now. It’s not an easy thing to describe in words, but that book taught me how to stay in the moment. It taught me to step back and observe my thoughts, to label them as ‘thoughts,’ and to create a gap between myself and the ‘voice in my head.’ Once I realized that I am separate from my thoughts, it took away their power. This photo was taken an hour before the surgery. I’m with my grandson. And there isn’t a fear in my mind. I’m locked in that moment with him.”