Michael Meade

I have been called many things in my life. Professor, Guru, Wise Man are all terms people have used to describe me. I tend to think of myself as a slightly crazy, mostly normal guy with a lot of experience. I think it’s the experience that matters the most. There is a certain part of our being that comes to us through genetics, in our DNA but it is the experiences that we endure that really shapes our ability to teach others. The hard part is learning to accept ourselves, and realize that we have gifts, gifts that are empowered through the events in our life.

We also have to learn that there are certain experiences that are forced on us, especially when we are younger, but there are many that are the result of choices that we make. I have made certain choices and it has led me to where I am now.

For most of my life, I was split between two passions. One was music, and the other was photography. I really enjoyed being creative with the camera, but when I was up on stage, singing my songs, I could feel the emotions of the crowd. I didn’t realize at the time that this was an empathic absorption. I also didn’t realize that what made it so meaningful for me was that I could control the crowd’s emotions by the songs I sang and how I sang them.

When you are an empath, and you are in a crowd of any kind, there are emotions all around you and those bombard you with feelings from every direction. It is not a good feeling, because there are so many different feelings flooding your head. I never liked going to parties or even crowded bars and restaurants. There were too many loose emotions flying around, and I would get very confused. But when I was playing music, it was like I was pushing my emotions out and the crowd (for the most part) came into line with what I felt. A kind of unified feeling took over the room.

I didn’t accept that there was anything like this happening. It’s only now that I am more open to realizing my gift, that I understand what was happening. I understand now how those experiences shaped my life. Now that I have accepted what I have, I can look backwards at those experiences, and see why my life ended up the way it was.

Photography became my career, but not in the actual shooting of the photographs. In my youth I had spent long hours in the darkroom, and the production of images from other people’s photos became my focus. I worked with film companies, and those that made the processing equipment, and became very proficient at repair. I was singled out to instruct others, teaching classes, showing the thought processes of repairing equipment and customer service. I ended up in a support role, supporting a large group of people doing the job I used to do.

I don’t play music any more. I made an unconscious choice to set that aside as my wife and I embarked on a journey together. In our store, we meet many people on the verge of discovering their own gifts, but need help in developing them. Others who know about their gifts, but feel awkward speaking about it find a safe haven in our store where they can express what they have been hiding for so long.

Now people come to us because they can tell that the experiences of our lives can help them find their way on their own path, whatever that may be. Though we may not share the same gifts, we understand that it is real, and their need to accept them. We offer understanding and guidance without judgement. It is a shift from everything that I have done in the past, but it all comes down to helping people. It adds value to my life, and offers me the chance to use the experiences of my past, to help people make choices in their own lives.