On The Path with Kissiah Young

~This October, I'm revisiting a few conversations from the On the Path archives that still feel worth hearing.~

Have you ever sat and gave thought to the truth that you are going to die? Have I? Death is inevitable, so what are we doing with the reality of that? This episode explores the first of nine contemplations on death that we are gifted from scholar and monk, Atisha (also Atisa) Dipamkara: 

Death is inevitable; no one is exempt.
Holding this thought in mind, I abide in the breath.

Let us take a moment to enter in, to be with the truth of our death and find space to hold it as we hold the truth of our being alive. Thank you for your presence.

Deep bow,

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

Most of us are on the go quite a bit. There's some task or to-do demanding our attention. It seems normal, like what we're so accustomed to doing that we think that's how it's supposed to be. It isn't. We are often just conditioned. 

In today's episode, I share how I am allowing myself to pause. I'm taking a moment to drop in and be more present and available to myself, which also means pivoting in some areas of my life. I often talk about the pause, so it's important to me that I practice it as well. 

I'm grateful for your presence and listening ear.

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

We often think we have endless amounts of time. We say things like, when I retire then I'll... What comes after that are a great many dreams and desires that have been deferred. The truth is, retirement age isn't a guarantee. There are many unfortunate realities that come along the way often throwing a monkey wrench in our retirement plans. Life can be unpredictable.

What about this moment right now? How might we live our lives in the present  since it truly is all that we have? What of our future plans might we be able to access today—it is after all the truth of what we have. Even when later arises, it is called today. 

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

Each and every one of us will need the help of another at some point in life. This is particularly true when faced with a health matter, a hardship, or moment of transition. So many people feel they do not have anyone who would be there, and that they would have to carry the weight of things alone. 

I want you to know that support is available. I founded Beside You to offer a kind of companionship that walks beside you when what you're carrying is too much. You do not have to go it alone. There is space to lay down what you've been holding, so that you feel a bit more held, sustained, carried.

Information is available at kissiahyoung.com. 

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

We hear words like fight, miracle, love, and hope and often assume we understand what someone means. But the same word can hold an entirely different meaning for the person saying it. 

Beginning with a reflection from palliative care physician, Sunita Puri, this episode explores what can happen when we stop assuming and start asking.

Thank you for listening.

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

We often turn away from the thoughts, feelings, and moments that are hardest to face. But avoidance doesn't always make them smaller. Sometimes it gives them more room to grow.

In this episode, I reflect on what can happen when we gently turn toward what's difficult—when we name what we're feeling, acknowledge what's here, and discover that simply facing it can begin to loosen it hold on us.

Grateful for listening ear. 

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

When someone we love is facing the end of life, we often reach for words like be strong and keep fighting. But what happens when they're tired of fighting? 

In this episode, I talk about making room for a different kind of courage—the choice to fight less, live more, and spend the time that remains being present for the life that is still there, and how to support that as a loved one.

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

Over the weekend, I went to a celebration of life for someone I will always hold dear. Being there surrounded by so many who embodied the essence of Lee, made me give more thought to living with meaning and purpose. 

Our time is finite. We do not know where our road will go, yet we walk it each day.  I can't help but consider what this means in a bigger way—in a way that opens the door to wake up a bit more where we honor not only those we lose, but the lives that continue to be, including our own. 

Let's hold that today. 

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

There is so much in life we cannot control. Hard moments, unbearable circumstances, and sudden loss can sweep through like a storm toppling us over into the throes of the unimaginable. I can't help but think about the recent earthquake in Colombia, and how so much and so many are gone now beneath the rubble.

In this episode, we pause to reflect on how sudden devastation often wakes us to a new life, one where we turn toward more meaning and more purpose as a form of honoring what we cannot control, and choosing to hold close what perhaps we once took for granted. 

I appreciate that you are here with me. 

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show

We spend so much of our lives trying to control what cannot be controlled. Inspired by a teaching from the Thai Forest master Ajahn Chah, this episode explores what it means to let go—not of caring, but of resistance. Together, we'll reflect on meeting life as it is, finding peace in the present moment, and discovering the quiet freedom that comes when we stop fighting reality.

Thank you for listening.

~Kissiah

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the show