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I was introduced to Jamie Dyer Dordek after her death by Huffington Post blogger, Eli Davidson who also learned of Jaimie's vibrant life after she died. Eli Davidson shared lessons she learned from Jamie who, by all accounts, lived an incredibly full life.
Jaime was not a spiritual guru who left a legacy of books and teachings. She was a blogger (sharing love letters and passing notes with her best friend Marc) like you and me except:
Jaime was a blaze of florescent colors until she stepped off a curb and sprained her ankle. The blood clot from that minor accident traveled to her brain and killed her.
Jamie Dyer Dordek was 32.
The lessons Eli learned from Jaime all involve love, kindness, friendship and joy. Here is just one:
3) WWBD?
"Life goes better with...bacon!" was Jamie's motto. Having grown up on a farm in Kansas I know what a pigpen smells like. I don't get near things pig related. Not so for our Jamie. She surrounded herself with all things bacon. She had bacon band-aids, bacon mints and her prized possession a folder the WWBD "What Would Bacon Do?" folder. In a bind? Spin the arrow to discover the sage wisdom of bacon to guide your decision-making. (I was so curious that I had to get one for myself.)Tip: Find your bacon. Fill your life with what you love, love, love and leave the rest.
Unfortunately there are those who are blinded by their need to be righteous and to feed their ego and apparently a few commenters felt compelled to deride Jaime's memory because she was not a vegan.
From those callous remarks and her reaction to them, Eli was inspired to share what she calls, "the bacon test."
The Bacon Balance Test
I did not pass the 'balance test.' Regardless of your opinion of bacon can you stay centered? Here's a quick test.Do you need to be right and make someone else wrong?
Do you need to be in control?
Can you use the situation for upliftment, learning or growth?
Can you respect the person even if you disagree with them?
Can you put yourself in someone else's shoes?
Read Life Balance: Can You Pass The Bacon Test for the whole story
I believe that not only are Jaime's life lessons a wonderful example of how to live life to the fullest, now, today but so is the Bacon Balance Test. Learn, let it go, move on, go live.
Reading about the bacon test also reminded me of a quote I have on my vision board in my office: "The only choice is kindness." This is the title of an article by Steve Silberman in Shambhala Sun about Susan Boorstein:
“Life is so difficult, how can we be anything but kind”—it was these words that inspired Sylvia Boorstein to follow the Buddhist path. Steve Silberman talks with her about the challenges of life, from a rough childhood to a post-partum depression, that helped her become such a beloved teacher—and example—of Buddhist virtues.
Being kind - to ourselves as well as others - can help us remain present and living fully.
In reading blog posts from others who have been posthumously touched by Jaime's life, I found Nicole Seiffert who tweeted an excellent call to action :
If you're dreaming of a day you can start doing what feeds your spirit instead of doing it now, remember: you HAVE now.
Jaime Dyer Dordek's life and spirit were so incandescent they shine through her blogs, her tweets and the loving remembrances of her friends, family and community. I am grateful for the reminder that we only have the present - the future is not guaranteed - and I can choose to live fully, now, by remembering that kindness, to myself and others, is the only choice.
How do you remember to live today? What lessons can you share?
Related Reading:
Nicole Seiffert at How To Wake Up Famous: Count Your Blessings Out Loud
To paraphrase Frank A. Clark, be thankful for what you have or you won’t like what you’re going to get.
For the rest of today, remember to say “thank you” to your family, your friends, your coworkers, and anyone else who lightens your load or lifts your spirits, and mean it. Share your appreciation so freely that if–award in hand–you said, “I want to thank everyone who made this possible; you know who you are,” it would be true.
Tomorrow, wake up famous and do it again.
Pamela Slim at Escape
