Words can barely contain the layers of lakes and islands that is Isle Royale.

Isle Royale is a destination island in Northwestern Lake Superior. It has no paved roads, making it a dream-come-true destination for the hikers and kayakers that take the ferry (or charter a pontoon plane) to its shores. It is the largest island in the largest lake in the world.

Siskiwit Lake is one of the many lakes that perforate the surface of Isle Royale, but Siskiwit Lake is special. It’s the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the world.

Ryan Island pokes above the surface of Siskiwit Lake. The tilted strata under the area make it prone to peaks and valleys. Of the many islands on Siskiwit Lake, Ryan Island alone is the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the world.

Moose Flats is a lowland area on Ryan Island. In the spring, after the snow melt, Moose Flats becomes filled with water. During this seasonal time, Moose Flats is the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the world.

Moose Boulder sits in the middle of Moose Flats. During the seasonal flooding of Moose Flats, Moose Boulder is tall enough to keep its head above the surface. It is the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the world.

You can’t make this stuff up.

The book that will change the way you think about life.

The concept of reincarnation is not new. It has been at the backbone of many Eastern beliefs for centuries unnumbered. It has been theory and it has been plot device; it has been earnestly proclaimed and outright denied. Proof of reincarnation is difficult to obtain because no one knows what happens after we die. Nonetheless, evidence of reincarnation has, in fact, surfaced in a very strange place.

Dr. Ian Stevenson was a Psychiatrist at the University of Virginia. While instructing there, he began a casual exploration of a phenomenon he had noticed in kids ages 2-7. What began as a mild interest quickly grew into a full body of work, as years ticked by and thousands of cases came to the surface. The evidence he was finding was so strange, he spent the first 20 years trying to prove the phenomenon was anything BUT reincarnation. After 45 years, he had no choice but to end his scientifically valid study with the conclusion that reincarnation is a natural part of life.

Just what was happening to these kids, ages 2-7, to cause such radical suspicion? Well, to put it bluntly, they have memories of another life. Not just memories, detailed visions of violent deaths and people they cannot possibly know. Now, this isn’t strange in and of itself. Kids make up stuff all the time, imaginary friends and family included. The scary thing is that these kids’ inborn memories line up with observable fact. They are able to identify relatives of the deceased, able to provide full names upon seeing people they’ve never met (in this life). Their stories of death align with the manner of death for the person in question. In hundreds of these cases, children are born with birthmarks that match the fatal wounds of the dead.

Don’t take my word for it, check out this excerpt from his book‘s summary, “[the book] opens with the story of William, born five years after his policeman grandfather, John, was killed, with birth defects similar to John’s fatal wounds. William was able, at three, to report John’s last moments, of which he couldn’t possibly have had any knowledge. Then there is the Turkish child who insisted on being called by the name of a man who had lived 50 miles away. Taken to the man’s town, the child proceeded to the man’s home and identified the man’s parents in a roomful of people. All the stories were checked by scientist-interviewers, and all potential deception was eliminated.” Or how about this creepy example from a recent Buzzfeed list, “Getting my two and a half year old daughter out of the bath one night, my wife and I were briefing her on how important it was she keep her privates clean. She casually replied, ‘Oh, nobody “scroofs” me there. They tried one night. They kicked the door in and tried but I fought back. I died and now I’m here’ She said this like it was nothing at all.” How else does a two and a half year old know how to describe something like that?

The important thing to keep in mind about Ian’s book is that it was written by an unbiased doctor. If a fringe scientist attempted this study with bias already in mind, validity would be a serious issue. But Dr. Stevenson was a trained scientist who attacked his hypotheses with method and logic. Only after collecting and analyzing the data for years did he begin to formulate ideas. The nature of his findings raised many flags, but he had no choice but to report them with honesty. He fought against the urge to mention reincarnation until the data had left him no choice.

This discovery has tremendous application. In this view, death is only temporary. It is a transition from one state of being to another. Even further, it’s so strongly connected to the physical world that return is inevitable. We all die, we all come back. Deepak Chopra said it best when he said this book, “opens a new vision of who we are, limitless beings that fill up all of space and time.”

The best part about this life-shattering discovery? It’s a book. Go out and read it.

“Attacking” is a vague and ambiguous term. Allow me to provide some context. In no way is the attitude of attack a violent one. It is revolutionary only in a peaceful way. To attack is to work for a living, and more so, to work at something you love.

Many people today are over-educated and under-employed. This is a tired point. To those feeling trapped, young or old, in a vicious cycle of financial crisis, you must remember to never stop attacking. Spreading your efforts across two or more jobs while attending school and raising a family has become the exhausting new norm. But take a look at this perspective on life: human beings are made to work to live. It was true in our earliest tribal cultures, and it remains true for the civilizations of today. “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” Kahlil Gibran said that in The Prophet, and a lot of people think he was a pretty smart dude.

Allow me to provide some more context on the nature of work. Your day job does not define you. Money is a necessity of society, and in no instance should currency be mistaken for a true measure of wealth. Wealth is the company of choice friends. Wealth is reading a book and learning something new. But most importantly, wealth is time spent doing something you love. Imagine a hobby brought to a level of passion. So your day job isn’t fulfilling, or maybe you don’t have one at all. That’s no reason to stop attacking. What gets you moving, your hands working? Cars? Painting? Science? Making clothes? Writing?!* Make time to make something! When people ask what you do, tell them about your hobby instead of your job. Maybe one day you’ll find that your hobby is enough to support you.

Kurt Vonnegut had a kooky den devoted to his craft. He toiled for years selling his works to support his interests, like his semi-autobiographical regular character Kilgore Trout.

Nothing in your life is more important than enriching your soul through meaningful work. In this way you will succeed in attacking life. Know what you love to do, then have the courage to do it.

*If writing’s your thing, let us know.