Suffering, Creativity And Transcendence

— Let this story of Richard Schooping's life alleviate those who suffering with AIDS. Let it reveal all that we are so each person may feel connected to source and not alone. Let it reveal the peace that always is. Let it bring self-understanding, self-knowing, ego un-knowing, and revolution. Let it empower, illumine, heal, and awaken those that are suffering with AIDS, AIDS Consciousness, death, fear, or any limitation. When we love ourselves fully and harness the wisdom of the heart anything seems possible.  Valeria Teles interviews Richard Schooping — the author of "From Suffering to Soaring: Through God I Transcended AIDS." Richard Schooping was born in Maitland, Florida – a small suburb north of Orlando.  He was born into a family of musicians.  His grandfather was a minister and stroke survivor for the Presbyterian Church who wrote hymns for the church.  Richard's father was an accomplished jazz musician who played piano, wrote his own scores, and had his own band that played on the Space Coast in the 60's through the 80's.  It was only natural to Richard to become musically inclined as well. Richard's mother introduced him to language and theater, where he was awarded children's singing roles in local musical productions;  Oliver, The Music Man, were just some of the few musicals in which he sang. Richard was diagnosed in 1993 with AIDS after his third partner passed and he took HIV medications on and off for several years.  Medications back then were more toxic (AZT) and so powerful they put Richard in dark mental places with severe psychical side effects.   AIDS, at that time was defined as having less than less 450 t-cells. On his healing journey, Richard was called within to an Eastern perspective – meditations, yoga, and peacefulness.  And for several years he did quite well.  But a series of accidents and illnesses slowly chipped away at his health (broken collar bone, fistula, pneumonias, basal cell cancers, depression, weakness, and waning concentration) which left him unable to work.  He went on disability. He wrote music throughout his journey, and also his first book "From Suffering to Soaring": a book pointing towards his awakening epiphany.   His compassion has only deepened throughout his journey which has birthed We Are Overlap with his soul brother Robert Sidebottom. To learn more about Richard Schooping and his work, please visit: weareoverlap.com and compassioncurrency.org       — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.