Craig Rice Coaching

Name: Craig Rice Coaching
Address: Boise, ID, US
Telephone: +12083533741

I’m Craig Rice the Burn Survivor Coach. I partner with burn survivors. I spent 31 days at the University of Utah hospital. I started to have small victories.

My story

On August 21, 2014, I was badly burned at home working on a piece of equipment outside my shop. I was airlifted to a burn center where I learned that I was burned on 21% of my body, mostly both my legs from my knees down to my toes and the top of my left hand and fingers. I went through multiple skin graft surgeries to repair the skin badly damaged by the burns. Anyone who has survived

a burn will tell you it is one of the most painful experiences they ever went through, between the twice a day wound cleaning to the long and arduous physical therapy that can last months, even years for some. Not much can compare to suffering a severe burn. Like many other traumatic injuries, rehabilitation goes far beyond the physicality; it reaches into the emotional, and spiritual. The emotional wounds seem to take the longest to heal, even though most burn survivors live with some amount of persistent physical pain. The emotional scars range from the trauma of the event itself, to body image issues and the effects of physical limitations. They impact our self worth and take their toll. I feel fortunate to have realized fairly early on that my burns were not going to define me; that I was somehow going to grow from this to be better, to somehow turn my lemons into lemonade. I still had days of doubt and fear, but I pushed through, gritted my teeth and through many tears, persevered. I also had an incredible support system: my wife, family and friends rallied around me, loved and supported me. But as is often the case when alone, when I was by myself I had my dark moments, feeling like damaged goods, ugly, scary, unworthy, and just plain scared as hell of what was next. At first they were the physical ones: 3 more minutes on the elliptical, then 5, then 10. Then there was going back out to the shop and seeing where the accident happened, and the damage to the equipment. Then repairing the equipment, lighting fires again in our wood burning stove, and even the first time post accident filling up a vehicle with fuel. These may seem insignificant to some, but every burn survivor can relate to how tough these may be to do. Pushing through the fear and getting back in the game is sometimes the most difficult thing to do, and it’s not just burn survivors who struggle with it, everyone does from time to time. Burn survivors are a little more unique, due to the trauma, and the emotional and physical scars that can present challenges to regular daily routines. I realized that I was handed an opportunity to channel my own passions into something potentially helpful to others in a similar situation. It got me thinking about how I am passionate about finding positivity, even in situations that might first appear dire and that I am passionate about helping people. I am passionate about fighting through fear, and I am passionate about being passionate. I decided then that I wanted to partner with other burn survivors to engage their resiliency and strengthen their resolve by providing a safe place and encouragement to explore new possibilities. Burn survivors need support to deal with some of the effects of being burned and defining what they want this new chapter of their life to be. From my personal experience, I help to facilitate perspectives that allow them to see new possibilities.

09/19/2019

I love this analogy!

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.

Why did you spill the coffee?

"Because someone bumped into me!!!"

Wrong answer.

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.

Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.

*Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.*

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled.

*So we have to ask ourselves... “what's in my cup?"*

When life gets tough, what spills over?

Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility?

Anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions?

Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it.

Today let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation; and kindness, gentleness and love for others.

(Shared from a friend whose cup is full of goodness and inspiration.)

01/25/2019

Been working on remodeling our kitchen, in the process came some papers and things. While sorting through, I came across a stack of items related to my accident. I started reading some of the cards and letters sent to me while I was in the hospital. I was humbled by all the outpouring of love, support, and encouragement found in the words of friends and family. I was reminded of the importance to nurture those relationships that support, love and lift you up when you’re in need. Life gets in the way sometimes, but remember to pause and reflect and reach out to those that honored you when they paused and took the time to let you know you were being thought of. Or just reach out to them and let them know they’re in your thoughts. Do it today!

The Invitation By Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Famous Inspirational Poem

07/14/2017

This poem after 20 yrs still has significance and moves me.

It doesn't interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesnt interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if have been opened
by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn't interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/the-invitation-by-oriah-mountain-dreamer

The Invitation By Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Famous Inspirational Poem This poem is an excerpt from the book, The Invitation (1999), by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. Oriah is a spiritual counselor and story teller among other things. This poem offers an invitation to every single one of us to show up in the universe. She reminds us that we do not serve the universe by being…