near death – Surprised By Joy

“Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an undeniable breakthrough.” – unknown

I think there are a few existential experiences that are so rare that we almost have an obligation to share them. Like if we’ve:

Held hands with an octopus
Skiied from the top of the world
Had a near-death experience and met Jesus

There are movies made about the first two (My Octopus Teacher (2020) and Everest North (not yet released) by Jimmy Chin). And for the third, I was exceptionally lucky to have recently had a conversation with Liza Anderson about her near-death experience on the Life of Try podcast.

Liza Anderson shares the extraordinary true story behind her book The Crossing: My Near Death Experience with Jesus. After a sudden medical emergency left her in an induced coma for weeks, she experienced what she describes as a choice between life and death—and an encounter with Jesus that transformed her understanding of suffering, healing, and purpose.

Liza tells us what happens when life strips everything away—your plans, your certainty, even your sense of who you are—and asks you to choose. We talk about near-death experiences, faith, trauma recovery, critical illness, prayer, and how to stay grounded when everything around you is swirling.

Takeaways:

You don’t have to control the outcome to choose the next step.
Some of life’s deepest lessons come through suffering, but they can reshape how we live every ordinary day.
Trying can mean returning to life one small moment at a time.
Being fully present matters more than predicting or controlling what comes next.
Sometimes courage looks less like certainty and more like choosing life again and again.
The adventure of life may be less about outcomes and more about how we show up to the moment we’re in.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch Liza’s amazing journey:

The podcast player embedded below
Click this link to watch in a browser: Near Death, Deep Faith, New Life | Liza Anderson’s Extraordinary Story
Subscribe to The Life of Try on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry

Growth Takes Energy| How Rest Helps Habits Stick – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

Why does growth feel so exhausting—and could rest be themissing ingredient that helps new habits stick? In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon connects Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research, Adam Grant’s ideas about habits and identity, and the restorative power of sleep,fewer decisions, intentional breaks, and creativity. Through stories from the first day of school, middle-school drop-off, mountain climbing, and her daughter’s crochet project, Wynne shares three practical ways to protect yourenergy while building sustainable change. If you’re navigating a transition, working on personal growth, or trying to avoid burnout, this episode is a reminder that rest is not stepping away from the try—it is what helps you return.Listen next: Identity Before Strategy withKevin Yoder, a conversation about why lasting change begins with who we believe we are—not simply with a better plan.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com