Ep27-The Greatest Gift

Author and Personal Transformation Coach Lynn Serafinn hosts Polish-American psychologist, speaker and author Andrew Bienkowski along with American author Mary Akers. Andrew and Mary are co-authors of the internationally acclaimed book "Radical Gratitude", recently released in the UK under the title "The Greatest Gift: lessons learned in exile in Siberia." Andrew will share his heart-rending story of how in 1939, at the very young age of 5, he somehow survived the harrowing ordeal of being thrown into exile into the Siberian wasteland, where he and thousands of others were left to die of cold and starvation, followed by another year in an Iranian refugee camp where he nearly died from dysentery, malaria and malnutrition. Andrew's "Greatest Gift" came when he learned how to feel deep gratitude for the seemingly "bad" things in life, and could see how this gratitude is essential to our happiness and spiritual wellbeing. Now 75 years old, after spending more than 40 years as a clinical psychotherapist dedicated to helping others set themselves free, Andrew and his co-author, Mary Akers, join us on today's show to share his amazing story of physical and spiritual survival, his lessons about letting go, and selected excerpts from his book. NOTE: Starting in July, The Garden of the Soul will be starting 30 MINUTES EARLIER (6pm UK/1pm Eastern) and will run for a FULL HOUR. Hooray! Listeners, now that we are a 1 hour show, please DO call in with your questions or comments during the second half of the show, or join our online chat room throughout the show.