To My Beloved Family,
If you have received this letter, it means that I have not been heard from for at least a month. In this case, my body probably has died or is missing. While this is an unexpected turn of events for you, it is something that God has been guiding me in and preparing me for since May 2010. The purpose of this letter is to help you understand why this happened and to help you find peace, contentment and “closure” despite the surprise and loss that you will surely feel. You loved me well. That I know for sure. And I know you will miss me. Thank you so much for all your love and care over these many years.
Why This Happened
This is not something that happened because of any feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, defeat, hopelessness or helplessness. This is not suicide. This is not a wish to end a life that has become unbearable or unsupportable in any way.
This happened because I have been Divinely Guided to Embrace Death as a Conscious Transition to another phase of Life. (When I capitalize words in the middle of a sentence, it indicates that the meaning of that word is connected to Divine Source or is an Expression of the Soul.) I have truly come to Know, Believe and Experience the physical body as simply a temporary habitation of the Soul. I have come to regard this body as “my work clothes for this incarnation.”
Over the past year since this direction for my Life (this Calling) first came through, I have prayed, meditated and contemplated “Death as a Conscious Transition.” During this time, I have Realized a profound shift in my attitude toward my body and toward all the resources at my disposal, including money. For example, most people’s attitude toward the body is: How can I make my body last as long as possible? But from the perspective of the eternal soul temporarily inhabiting a human body, the question becomes: How can I best use this body to fulfill my Soul’s Mission (my Divine Calling) on Earth? The same shift in attitude and behavior has occurred in the area of money and other resources. For me, the question is not: How do I make these resources last as long as possible? The question is: How can I best use these resources in fulfillment of my Life’s Mission?
On Oprah’s last show – May 25, 2011 – she focused very strongly on the fact that each person on Planet Earth has a Calling: Some kind of Divine Mission they are here to complete that only they can do. For me, that has been the travels, photos, writing, experiences and positive messages and intentions that have been emanating from me continuously over the past four years and more. Since January 2007, I have been working in countless ways around the clock to help Humanity, Mother Earth and all of Earth’s kingdoms and realms successfully make the Profound Transition that is underway.
Please Know: I love my life. I’ve had a wonderful life. And as I’ve told you many times in recent years: When I die, know that I died happy. And I was ready. I AM ready … to make my Transition at any moment.
I feel like a dolphin who’s been captive in a very nice dolphinarium in Mexico. I’ve been well fed, well loved and well trained to work with nice tourists, giving them a positive interspecies experience. I’ve been happy to be loved, well cared for and doing Service work that has a positive impact on all involved. But still, I’m not free. And I am aching to return to the freedom and fullness of experience of the vast Cosmos which constantly Calls to me.
I didn’t tell you all this before because I knew it would be hard for you to understand. There’s so much to explain (this letter is just the “tip of the iceberg”). And I didn’t want to worry you or hurt you. I wanted to make this Transition as easy as possible for all of us, and I wanted to avoid any impulses you may have had to try to talk me out of this or stop me. This is my free will and my conscious choice. And it is the Right Choice for me Now.
There is much evidence to support my beliefs and experience that consciousness endures (that the Greater Truth of our Being is that we are Eternal Souls having a temporary experience in a physical body). Many books, websites, radio and TV shows, and university research contain evidence that supports this perspective. If you want to understand more, just check your Guidance and you will be led to the Right Sources to assist you on Your Journey.
My Path of Loving Service
In January 2007, I said to God: “I want to do whatever is so important, if I only had six months left to live, that’s what I should be doing.” Since then, I have totally dedicated my life and all the resources at my disposal to following God’s Will for my life. This includes every trip I have made, every photo I have taken, all the art I have created, every word I have written and every development in each of my relationships over the past four years.
Every trip since my three-month journey along the Continental Divide of North America in 2008 has been at God’s request for the purpose of assisting the evolution of Humanity, Earth and all Creation. These have been wondrous and exciting journeys, and it has been a privilege to be of Service to the Divine Plan in this way.
I also have written extensively about Unity Consciousness, Death as a Conscious Transition, new economic and political models and other issues that can serve as templates to help us all create a New World that truly works for everyone. The Evolutionary Goal is an enduring era of freedom, peace and prosperity for all. Hundreds of thousands of people around the planet are working toward this shared future. I AM One of Many.
Now, I am Guided to begin a series of Journeys that will take me to 17 countries over 170 days – nearly six months, from June through November 2011. In June and July, I will be driving through the US and Canada. In July and August, I will be in Iceland and Africa. From September through November, I will be traveling from Italy through a number of different countries to Fiji. I have been Called to go to some places with a history of conflict, violence and repression, as well as areas of unsettled weather and high levels of seismic activity. Please Know that at whatever time and place my Transition comes, it was Purposeful and was an Act of Loving Service for the Benefit of All.
What Now?
I know my beliefs and experiences are very different from yours. That’s why I’ve taken some pains to explain myself here. I hope it is helpful. Also, I’ve enclosed an excerpt from an article by Martha Beck, O Magazine’s life coach, on coping with loss. This letter is intended to be read by Mom, Jan, Joel, Cameron and Harrison. They all deserve an honest accounting of my perspective on this important Life Transition. In the end, each of us must decide what Truths are relevant to our Lives.
As for friends, neighbors and other family members, I recommend that you give a simple, neutral explanation (assuming I make it all the way to Fiji): There was a boating accident. Her body has not been found.
In response to any inquiries from banks, creditors or government agencies, I would suggest the following: Ms. Steltzner was last heard from in an email on ________________ (date) from _______________ (if known). She is missing and presumed dead.
(I’m doing my best to be helpful and supportive here, even from Beyond the Beyond. 😉
Nelson once said to me: “I don’t want to think about a world without you in it.” Well, you don’t have to. Wherever my Spirit may go, I will always love you and always be with you. Call on me any time. You can count on me … as I count on you … to discover your Calling and Serve the World. That is each Soul’s Destiny during our lifetime here on Earth.
Thank you! I Love You All!
Thank you, Mom, for giving me Life … and for all you’ve done for all of us over these many years. Jan, thank you for sharing the journey, for all your loving support of Mom, and all you do for Joel and your dear boys. Thank you, too, Joel, for being so loving, caring and supportive to all. You really are tireless in your care of the entire family. Cameron and Harrison, I love you both and am so very proud of how smart, talented, kind, creative and caring you are. Every single person on this planet is unique and valuable. Each one of us has a role to play that no one else can accomplish. Do your best to learn whatever lessons your soul incarnated in this body to understand, and to make the contributions that only you can make. I wish you joy, love, peace, freedom, good companions on the journey, health and strength of body, mind, heart and soul. Know that wherever I am … whatever my next “assignment” is … my conscious awareness, love and support will always be with you. Death is not a leaving, ending or going away. It is merely a transition to a different form of being, a different expression of the consciousness that is our eternal essence.
While you may not understand or agree with my choices, I hope you will take some comfort in knowing that all this was a conscious choice, undertaken at every step of the way with direct Guidance from God (Divine Source) and joyously offered in Service to the Evolution of Humanity, Earth and all Creation.
As you contemplate my passing, please focus on the fun we’ve shared, the joy we’ve felt, the happiness we’ve created, and the many “Aha!” moments along the way.
I love you. I thank you. Please know that I AM happy and at peace with the conclusion of this lifetime in this physical body and I am looking ahead in joyous anticipation of whatever is next.
My love to you all … always …
Joy