Priorities, Jasmine Gold

A few weeks ago I found out that a friend of mine, Robert Labensart, had passed away in July. It was a startling reminder to live life fully. We never know what is going to happen in our lives. The unexpected can occur at any time. He had a fast moving cancer – something I would not have expected him to get.

Robert was a friend of mine for nine years though it has been a year or two since I had talked to him. He was a regular at the Hands of Gold Clinic around the time that Songbird opened and also an occasional teacher and special event speaker over the years. In a strange synchronicity, I just discovered that Robert knew my sister and brother-in-law for much longer than I have known Robert. They were in the same spiritual meditation, yoga, and service group.

Robert was always enthusiastic to explore new types of healing and share them with the world. He was a fountain of knowledge and a collector of healing tools. Every time I met him he was learning about something new and fascinating. His last talk at Songbird was entitled Alternatives to Acupuncture. It included Mind Gems, Crystal Acu-therapy, Qigong Somatic Energy Techniques, and Quantum Stilus Healing Water.

Robert was a massage therapist, hypnotherapist, yoga & qi gong teacher, meditator and much more. His bio says that his “passion is helping his clients experience greater serenity, health, vitality and inner freedom. For 30 years Robert has helped clients to clear stress, transform negative belief patterns, and eliminate pain through alternative healing.”

I’m sure his house must look like the lab of a mad scientist, only Robert was the explorer, not the creator. He researched the science behind everything he taught and bought.

In September, Robert’s wife Nydia reached out to me to help sell some of his healing tools to those who can use them. She is consigning them at Stones Throw at a fraction of the cost that he paid. The tools are infused with Robert’s positive, relaxed, fun, and grounded energy. I had hoped to have more time to explore them with him one day, but he passed before that happened.

While this kind of exploration was definitely a priority to Robert, along with sharing his knowledge and helping people to heal, he also knew how to prioritize his family. He stopped coming regularly to the Hands of Gold Clinic because Tuesday was his day with his grandson and he was usually too worn out at the end of the day to come.

His passing has reminded me that in my busy life, it is important to take regular time to reflect on whether I am busy with the things that are important to me. If you are not spending time the way you want to, make sure to find a way to shift your life to reflect your priorities. Your life is your own and how you choose to live it is up to you. There is no right, wrong, good, or bad way. Focus on your passion and what excites you.