Ep. 096 | Look Up, Let Go, and Live, with Chris Ray
Do you ever feel powerless against your hurts, hang-ups, and habits? Chris Ray's hurts, hang-ups, and habits literally killed him. Remarkably, his encounter with Mortality wasn't permanent, and Chris returned transformed. Chris is no longer powerless against his hurts, hang-ups, and habits because he has learned to look up and let go. If we have ears to hear, we can learn the same lessons from Chris’ story without a harrowing ordeal of our own. If we have the courage to add Action to our Insights, we can experience transformation, too. I met Chris through a mutual friend here in Steamboat. His warmth, openness, and lack of pretense were simultaneously a bit disarming and a refreshing change. Chris exudes his unique brand of warmth, openness, and lack of pretense, but I realize that it's a combination of qualities that I often encounter in those in the Recovery community. It occurs to me, too, that I belong to that community now, due to the alcohol-free Adventure I've embarked on in 2024. I certainly don't claim to embody those qualities yet like Chris does, but I hope to someday, and Chris is a wonderful role model in that respect. Tune in to Ep. 094, Beyond Resolutions: A Heroic Path to Your Best Year Yet, to learn more about my recovery journey en route to considering how you can go beyond resolutions to your best year yet, too. I would be remiss if I didn't publicly thank Chris for his part in encouraging me to accept this new Call to Adventure. In this episode, discover how a brush with death led to an unexpected journey of adventure and self-discovery. Follow Chris' path from addiction to recovery and to a life-changing retreat in Costa Rica. Hear how looking up and letting go transformed his perspective on life, and find out why he decided to drop social media altogether. This is not just a travel story – it's a powerful lesson in embracing the unknown and finding peace through letting go. And the best part? Chris is not done yet. This is Part 1 of 2–before and after the Costa Rica Adventure. Tune in to find out what he's discovering about himself and how it could inspire your own journey. Some Key Moments: 00:00:00 - Facing Mortality and Recovery Journey 00:03:20 - Transformative Recovery Journey 00:08:14 - Soboat's Growth and Impact 00:12:47 - Galvanizing Near-Death Experience 00:13:41 - Spiritual Awakening and Rebirth 00:14:14 - Surrendering to Something Greater 00:17:38 - Wrestling with Experience 00:19:31 - Appreciating Life After Encountering Death 00:23:02 - Dependence on a Higher Power 00:27:45 - Embracing Faith and Intuition 00:29:37 - The Search for Balance 00:32:28 - Redemptive Effects of Suffering 00:33:01 - The Call to Adventure 00:39:53 - Embracing the Present and Letting Go 00:42:25 - Gaining Perspective and Embracing Community 00:44:11 - Embracing Involuntary and Voluntary Adventures 00:45:32 - Post-Costa Rica Adventure 00:46:36 - Hero's Journey and Personal Growth 00:47:30 - Curiosity and Mundane Adventures 00:51:27 - Disconnecting and Embracing the Unknown Do the Work, Just Don’t Try to Do It Alone Look up, let go, and live! Only you can do the work, but you can't do the work alone. None of us can. I always offer one free coaching session. Visit my website to schedule your free session. Thank you for your time, attention, and trust. Don't forget to follow this show and share it with your friends. I'll see you next time on Andrew Petty is Dying--Lord willin' and the creek don't rise! How Did This Episode Land for You? I'd love to know. Find me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, visit my website, or email me. Connect with Chris Email | Instagram | Facebook (public) | Facebook (private) | Website Follow Andrew Petty is Dying & Leave a Review Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher If You Liked This Episode, I Think You’ll Like These, Too Ep. 086 | The Best is Yet to Come: Rediscovering an Ancient Compass for a Life of Purpose and Adventure Today Ep. 090 | A Tale of Two Mountaineers: How Comfort Sabotages Our Contentment, and What To Do About It Ep. 092 | Crack the Contentment Code: Find the Path to Contentment Ep. 094 | Beyond Resolutions: A Heroic Path to Your Best Year Yet New to Andrew Petty is Dying? Welcome! I invite you to browse the archive of past interviews with fascinating people and short, topical solo episodes--all designed to equip you with the mindset and the means to become the person you were made to be and live the life you were made to live with guts, gusto, and abandon. We flip the script by inviting our ancient foe, Death, to become an unlikely ally in our heroic journey to leave it all out on the field of life. Turns out, Mortality might just be the best motivator available--blasting us out of our ambivalence and complacency and toward the fullness of our potential.