Transforming Grief into Purpose: My Spiritual Awakening After My Brother's Suicide
Speaking on the theme Reinvention at Speaker Slam® in Toronto on Jan 30, 2024, Nubbia Quezada took the stage with a five minute story.
Transcript
at first I was afraid I was petrified kept thinking I could never live without you by my side but then I spent so many nights thinking how I did you wrong and I grew strong and I learned how to get along in 2022 I experienced the most heart-wrenching pain I have ever felt I couldn't breathe my insights felt like they were twisting and I instantly collapsed on my knees my brother he was a fond loving creative who suppressed his gifts and somehow he knew that his time on Earth was going to be shortlived he would randomly say things like I was destined for more and
I want to go home I didn't know it at the time but what he was whispering to me through the those words was that he wanted to take his own life I didn't know respond or how to take him seriously I mean why would I he wouldn't do that to me he wouldn't do that to us regretfully I was wrong on September 11th 2022 my brother was gone I screamed at the top of my lungs as a desperate attempt to deny the reality that was on folding before me the guilt consumed me I felt like a failure haunted by the belief that I could have
done something more the day of his viewing was surreal my hands were as cold as my heart was and yet deep down the depths of my soul I held on to a belief that this happened for a reason I remember walking towards his casket looking at his beautiful face and I wrapped my arm around his head and I whispered Justin please I need to know that you're okay I need to know that you made it to the light send me something anything please I love you the next day in the most unexpected way he delivered a message but here's the thing it didn't come through
me the day of my brother's Mass I went back to the funeral home to gather the rest of his belongings and I just sat there in the viewing room and one of the embalmers came up to me and she said I have a message for you I believe your brother came through to someone I know my instant reaction was to know who this person was and a week later we connected so he could share his experience with me he said that when he was done writing the message that he closed his eyes and that's when he saw Justin but this was the part that he
didn't understand he said he saw two of them walking towards this bright white light as if they were twins when he said that I froze and my mom who was also listening to the conversation she also froze she then started crying tears of happiness and said he reunited with his brother you see my brother he was a twin but that was just the beginning my brother continued to send me signs and messages visiting me in dreams and Whispering that everything would be okay in embracing this new found connection I discovered a greater purpose I started helping others find their way Miracles started happening on a
day-to-day basis and I quickly discovered that who I thought I was a fitness trainer with a passion for helping people live healthy and abundant lives was just the first step to help me practice my selflessness and in that very moment I knew that I was Reinventing myself and I wasn't alone I learned to listen to The Whispers the same Whispers that my brother would tell me before he took his own life those Whispers became my Sirens pain my greatest adversity became my greatest gift it led me back home to my spiritual Essence and in doing so I found my Divine Purpose to help others listen
to their own inner Whispers today I stand before you as living proof that through loss there is gain and through pain there is power and and through grief there is relief listen to The Whispers of your heart connect with your inner wisdom and embrace the healing Journey as a necessary part of your purpose I am no longer who I was I used to be afraid of this power but now I embody it listen for The Whispers what do you hear thank you guys thank
Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.