This week I'm joined again by Buddhist Monk Tashi Nyima, who you might recognize from past episodes, Help With Despair Over the State of the World and Help With Generosity.

Tashi had a near-death experience recently, and I wanted to have him on to talk about it, and what it illustrates about death from a Buddhist perspective. 

In this episode we talk about:

--Tashi's brush with death and what it taught him

--Buddhist teachings on death and dying

--How to confront the fear of death and prepare for death ahead of time

And much more!

I hope you find it helpful. 

Here is the link to Tashi's blog, which has information on how to join his Zoom sanghas.

Help Existing is listener supported. Please consider donating to my Venmo @rachel-krantz. 

This week I'm joined by one of my closest friends in the world, author and teacher Shannon McLeod. Shannon is the author of the wonderful new story collection Nature Trail Stories, as well as the novella Whimsy. She's also taught English at a high school and elementary school level and works as a reading specialist. 

In this episode, I wanted to talk to Shannon about the realities that teachers today are facing.  

We talked about:

--How to be a better ally for teachers. 

--What teachers today face, from shooting threats to phones in classrooms

--Her tips and experience with burnout

--The pandemic and remote teaching, and how she's seen kids change since 

--How technology and trauma are impacting students' ability to read and write

--How her teaching life informs her creative life

--And much more!

As always, I hope it's helpful.

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You can donate to Help Existing on my Venmo @rachel-krantz. Every bit helps! 

Continuing on a similar theme as the baby decision episodes, I wanted to have a conversation about what aging while child-free (and/or unmarried, and/or nonmonogamous, and/or without a stable job) might look like. I'm joined again by the counselor and author Kathy Labriola, who you might recognize from last season's episode, Help Dealing With Jealousy in Relationships & Career, as well as from my book, Open. 

Not only does Kathy have an excellent new book out about aging while nonmonogamous, Polyamorous Elders, but she is herself a badass example of aging while unconventional. She is queer, child-free, and has multiple partners-- but is married to none. 

In this super practical conversation, we talk about many different things to consider when aging outside the box, including:

--Differences in civil rights granted in a domestic partnership versus marriage

--Different things even younger people need to do, like filling out advanced care directives, writing a will, and thinking about long-term care insurance

--Thinking about housing long-term, and how to pay for it if you're not rich

--Why having a child is not a guarantee or even good insurance that you will be taken care of in old age

--How she has set up her life and practice to operate outside of traditional capitalist structures

And much more!

I am always inspired by Kathy, and I know this conversation gave me a long list of things to do and think about. I hope it helps you too!

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Help Existing is listener supported. If you found this helpful, please donate to keep it going on my Venmo @rachel-krantz.  Please feel free to get in touch if I can help you with anything as a consultant, coach, or otherwise @rachelkrantz on Instagram & Twitter, or via the contact form on my website, www.racheljkrantz.com.

Words of encouragement are much appreciated too! As is buying/reviewing my book, OPEN. www.prh.com/open