What I thought at the time was serendipity, came to pass in April 1997. I describe this in some detail in my book.

The Way for Man to Live (from Prayers and

Gosanka, Church of World Messianity, 1978), one of many waka

(Japanese-language poetry) verses that Mokichi Okada created following his enlightenment.

The final stanza is the key:

Let us have the strength

To bear with any hardship,

Any mistreatment,

Accepting it with a smile,

Just as though it were nothing.

It took a full two years from the time that I first read these words to the day in 1997 when the full meaning struck me. Strangely enough, it was coupled with my meeting Martin Simmonds! The point Okada was making was, in retrospect, transparently obvious! If indeed our life’s plan was prewritten, and written in stone, why be upset or vindictive when events seem to be evil, bad or troublesome. It is all part of our life’s lessons unfolding. As I describe this event in my book, it was that very day that a period of six years of stress began. Fortunately, I was prepared for it all.

I came to this realization after Dee Harris, Gail Harlow and Martin Simmonds, three people I met on the Internet, took their time and money to fly from California, Missouri and Florida to spend one weekend with me in Denver where I was attending a neurosurgery conference that April.

After that, I flew to Ohio to visit with my mother and many friends came to see me. It was then that it hit me full force: it is written!

If you want to know how it could have been for me had this not happened, I refer you to the 1999 movie with Michael Douglas, Falling Down.

Reaching this state of awareness, I was able to accept hardship and mistreatment with a smile and, as a result, I was able to meet, face and deal with an onslaught of stressful situations, weather the storm and all the while, remain focused. The realization happened as I saw true demonstrations of unconditional love from Gail, Martin, Dee and my friends and family in Ohio. That triggered the realization.