By Jeff Olsen
Mile marker 80 doesn’t seem like a scared place. It’s just a sign on a lonely stretch of highway about two and a half hours north of Las Vegas. But for Jeff Olsen, it’s both an ending place and a beginning point for a journey that changed his life forever.
In 1997, Jeff experienced a horrific automobile accident there, which inflicted multiple life threatening injuries, including crushing both his legs. His left leg was amputated above the knee. The most devastating outcome of the accident was the loss of his wife and youngest son, both killed instantly. At that time, and into Olsen’s five-month hospital stay, which included eighteen surgeries, Jeff had profound experiences. Clinging onto life, he had glimpses beyond the veil that deepened his spirituality and gave him insights and gifts not common in today’s world.
During these episodes, Olsen experienced a connectedness to others wherein he says he knew everything about them. He knew their love, their hate, their joy, their pain, every decision they had ever made and why. He knew their very hearts, and actually felt a profound love for them no matter their station in life. It was experiences like these that inspired Olsen to heal and share his message of peace and hope.
“We have far more in common as humankind than we will ever have separately. Although we may have different skin color, come from different religious or cultural backgrounds, we all share a universal language, the language of emotions. Our experiences are diverse and many but the emotions associated with those experiences are absolutely universal. We all know fear, joy, shame and love in much the same way. In the end, we are all made of the same stuff and therefore are brothers, sisters and souls united in the common cause of peace, prosperity and love.” Says Olsen.
“Until one can experience the connection we truly have to each other, we will view ourselves as separate, yet we are not. Even the space between us is filled with light, or energy, which links us together in beautiful ways. Letting go of the judgments and comparisons that so often divide us is key in ever creating a place where we can truly live in peace. We were meant to be different, we are meant to be unique, and we all have our own perfect path to walk. Let’s honor each other along the way instead of judging and finding fault. Life is hard enough without us making it even harder by comparing our lives and then classifying them as good or bad. We all come from the same source, and the differences, colors and scares of our lives are simply reminders of what we came here to learn.”
In his second book, “Beyond Mile Marker 80,” Olsen said, “I once read a story about a potter who would create beautiful pots. He would glaze them with fantastic finishes, only to wrap them in burlap and break them into hundreds of pieces. Then he would meticulously reassemble the pieces back together, filling the cracks with contrasting colors. When asked why he did such a thing, he explained that the process made each pot unique. It made them interesting and gave them character… I’ve often wondered if our lives are like those pots. Perhaps only when we are shattered and then reassembled do we step into our true glory as one of God’s masterpieces. “
Olsen is a best-selling author and inspires audiences across the country with his intriguing personal story of perseverance and inner strength. Join us as he presents at the World Peace Garden gathering on Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 and learn how much we are known and loved by the entire universe. Learn how to embrace perfection and find wholeness even trough tragedy. Gain tools that assist you in healing yourself and the world around you. Discover how to find greater joy in the very simple things of life. Transform faith and hope into absolute trust.
Olsen is the author of “I Knew Their Hearts” and “Beyond Mile Marker 80,” which are available in local bookstores and internationally on Amazon. He can also be reached through his web site at www.atonenow.com
This article was provided by the World Peace Gardens’ non-profit foundation which holds non-sectarian gatherings every Sunday to promote world peace and sustainable living. Gatherings are at 11:30 a.m. at Green Valley Spa, 1871 W. Canyon View Drive, St. George, Utah 84770. Admission is free. For more information log on at: www.WorldPeaceGardens.org on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/worldpeacegardens or call us at: (435) 703-0077
