Lighthouse: A Beacon That Guides Us Back to Love

By Everest Bryce

It has taken me years to learn many of life's hard lessons. Now I've got something to say. The message in this book is not about me, but I am the messenger.

 

Everyone is born with an important and irreplaceable purpose to be fulfilled, but we are wounded and worn out from the whirlwinds of life. We accept the scraps le

• Language: English
• Publisher: In Your Lighthouse LTD
• Release date: Jan 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781737975915

Book preview

Lighthouse

A Beacon That Guides Us Back to Love

By Everest Bryce

Copyright © 2021 by Everest Bryce

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

www.InYourLighthouse.com

ISBN: 978-1-7379759-1-5

First Edition

I dedicate this book to my beautiful bride, Kristen, my irreplaceable partner in life I know I can always count on no matter what.

I love you.

Contents

Introduction

1. A Wild Journey

2. The Lighthouse

3. Path to Love

4. Nature’s Voice

5. Crossing Over

6. The Weakest Virtue

7. Pulling Back the Covers

8. The Other Side of the Veil

9. A Storm

10. Returning Home

11. Putting on a Bow

Epilogue

Introduction

We are all here for one common purpose: to love and be loved. Our heart’s greatest desire is to come to know the deepest, richest experiences of love. But why is it so hard to achieve such a beautiful passion?

Because there’s tremendous resistance and opposition that wants to drag us into the dark, away from the love we so desperately desire. In our lifetimes, we’ll face mind-numbing noise, confusion, guilt, judgment, and fear. These obstacles could have as many names as there are stars in the sky. Collectively, I call them chaos.

Chaos stands between us and our dreams. It poses hurdles and resistance to finding and living out our deepest passions. We yearn for a trustworthy way back to our greatest desires of love. We need a beacon to help us navigate the dark chasms of chaos that stand in our way. There’s a tremendous amount at stake.

There is a beacon that awaits and will light up the path we seek. Somehow, it has been overlooked and nearly forgotten over the years. Some have suggested it is hanging on by the slimmest of threads, but I believe it remains strong and ready to guide us.

I’m talking about the beacon of virtues.

Throughout history, the value we assign to virtues wavers. Sometimes virtues are embraced as treasured partners that help us live out our potential. Other times, they are seen as obstructive hindrances that restrict our freedom.

Like an ignorant child who wants to play in a busy street only because they are told they can’t, we’re so busy chasing our latest desires, it’s easy to lose sight of where we are. Each of us eventually finds ourselves playing in a busy street at some time in our lives. We know it’s foolish, but chaos dupes us into considering it. In fact, chaos is a powerful enough influence that when we suddenly open our eyes in the face of an oncoming car, we ask ourselves, How did I get here?

This book tells the story of three people from different walks of life who meet on a retreat that evolves into a wild journey that changes their lives. At the retreat, they encounter a mentor whose simple wisdom shines a light on a path that brings clarity and purpose to their lives and re-ignites their hopes of living life to fulfillment.

I share this story so that you may be impacted by the life-changing discoveries these unsuspecting people uncover in their adventure together. As we embark on this journey, I ask that you allow yourself to be courageous and open your heart to the possibility that there's a beacon that can provide clarity, order, and direction to your life. This story cuts through chaos and exposes virtues for what they are: irreplaceable treasures that light a path through the resistance that stands in our way.

In this book, we’ll expose the character and nature of virtues, these beacons gifted to us that can open the door so we can know and experience our deepest desires of love.

Chapter 1

A Wild Journey

My name is Pharos. I'm a 41-year-old entrepreneur, husband, and father of two. Five years ago, I thought I had a good idea of what I was looking for in my life but hadn’t yet put a name to it. With my younger days behind me and many still ahead, I knew I wanted to get more out of my life. I wanted to live the best life possible. I think everyone does.

Fast forward five years. My life has changed dramatically, thanks to a remarkable and surprising path that has been uncovered for me. I discovered a life-changing message, and I’m moved to share it with as many people as possible. This message is not about me. I am only the messenger. The message is much bigger than me.

I believe that each of us has fierce, core passions for our lives rumbling deep within. I call them our primary whys. But we get wounded and worn out from the nasty whirlwinds of chaos that stand in our way and lose track of these passions. Most of us feel forced to accept the scraps left behind from life’s storms, but the scraps are not enough—not nearly enough! We remain restless, unfulfilled, and—far too often—feeling alone to fight our battles.

I reflect back and consider, there are over seven billion people on earth, yet during my most trying times, where was the help to point me in the right direction? Yet, I persisted, moving forward, yearning and searching for that evasive peace, the fulfillment of my passions, and experiences of greater love. One thing’s for certain: life is such a wild journey!

I remember the desperation as though it were yesterday; dreams and desires rumbling within from the moment I woke. Dreams to have a deep impact on the people I love most: my wife, daughters, friends, and family. Desires to develop an adventurous business that would change people’s lives for the better. Desires to have an impact on others and to build a legacy that lasts long after I’m gone. Noble desires that seemed so attainable, yet remained just out of reach. Much like a dark chasm, fear and chaos stood in front of my dreams, obstructing me from living them.

Then I met Hank Bender.

I think of Hank as my life coach, and though I’d only spent five days during a retreat under Hank’s guidance, he changed my life forever.

His retreat center is called The Lighthouse. There, Hank shares wisdom and life experiences to help his guests get on track to realizing their dreams and living a life of greater fulfillment. He does this by revealing a bridge over the chasms that block our dreams, allowing us to experience more of life’s ultimate gift: love.

Hank talks often about how much he enjoys giving away what he’s learned. He once said, Giving away what I’ve learned is like opening up the same wonderful gift again and again.

The property The Lighthouse is built on is a gift in itself—a sprawling 53 acres of Mother Nature nestled 75 miles inland from the Pacific shore. Though most of the coastal terrain is flat, the center borders the coastal mountains and some spectacular wooded areas.

Guests get to choose from five two-bedroom cabins surrounded by a community building nestled together in the thick of the woods. Hank and his team host a small group of guests for a five-day retreat once a month, year-round.

At The Lighthouse, admission is just enough to cover the cost to run the center. Hank’s compensation is the joy to pay forward some of the most treasured gifts life has given me.

A Lighthouse Tradition

At the mid-year event in July, Hank invites a few alumni back to visit. He chose me to be a visiting alum this year and I couldn’t wait to return for my second visit.

My role was to be an observer. My task was to be silent and watchful when guests were around and to respond only when they spoke to me. Hank’s entire focus was his two new arrivals, Michael and Lauren. They were to get all his time and attention.

Michael was a 35-year-old entrepreneur with a growing business. He was a married father of two coming over from the Midwest.

Lauren was a single mother in her early forties. She’d recently inherited some money from her deceased father and was traveling across the country from Rhode Island.

I arrived at The Lighthouse two days before Michael and Lauren were expected to show up. Everything was in place for their visit, which meant there was plenty of time for Hank to step away to enjoy his favorite place on Earth: the Pacific shore.

The Pacific Shore

Hank’s mind was free of worry. A perfect time, he thought, to slip away and immerse himself in the gifts of the ocean.

The two-hour drive was always worth the reward of the ocean. Hank paused to take in the scene. The sun was stretching itself deep across a blue sky. Rays of light shot in straight lines from the sun to dance across the sea’s horizon.

Hank reflected on something he’d once heard. The sun's rays can pass through transparent objects, but they don't produce heat until they strike something solid. Hank tracked one ray from the sun to the sea and wondered where it would land. When and where would it land and provide its life-giving heat?

Hank stepped across the edge of the grassy ridge and placed his bare foot in the warm sand. Though he’d been to the beach more times than he could count, somehow, it always felt like his first time.

The smell of the Russian sage flowering just on the edge of the sand prompted him to close his eyes so he could focus on the invigorating, lilac scent with each deep breath. The soft wash of the waves whispered a seductive welcome, beckoning him closer. The salty air, warmed by the sun, misted his skin. There was nowhere else Hank wanted to be.

So much was happening inside him; it felt like a combination of Christmas morning and a first kiss. The growing adrenalin was feeding his anticipation. He knew the ocean and its glorious beach wouldn’t disappoint.

It struck him that so much life and mystery was coming from simple, ordinary sand and water. Three-quarters of our earth is covered with water, he thought to himself, yet something magical happens when the sea meets the land.

If I looked at nothing but the waters of the sea, Hank pondered, it would be interesting for a few minutes but would quickly grow old by itself. And looking at nothing but sand would be even less interesting. Yet, when the two come together, something magical happens.

Something life-affirming.

Something spiritual.

The sand was heating up under the late morning sun. There wasn’t more than 70 feet of beach before he would reach the water. Part of him wanted to sprint to the ocean and run in as far as he could before diving in. Another part was