Near-death experiences offer the author a new life

Hard Bargain by Donald G. Denihan with Jon Land

What is it about?

For Donald Denihan, it was supposed to be the fishing trip of a lifetime. Instead, it nearly cost him his life in a tough deal he made with the sea. Near-death experiences, however, were nothing new for this successful real estate entrepreneur.

“Life is not tied in a knot, but it remains a gift.”

This nugget was the last item in a list of 45 life lessons proposed by Regina Brett, legendary writer of the time. Cleveland Ordinary dealer.

It is also the last sentence of Donald G. Denihan new book Difficult market (Stillwater Press), best described as a gripping true adventure story and personal reflection on how three near-death experiences helped him better understand what is truly important in life.

Brushes with death

Although Denihan did experience three life-threatening events, Difficult market focuses on two: an accident during a duck hunting trip near his home in his youth, and a fishing trip to the Bahamas that goes wrong.

When a rifle inadvertently goes off and hits Denihan in the foot while he's duck hunting, it's first a matter of getting help and finding his way to safety, then, At the hospital, complications surfaced that extended the impact beyond his foot. “I drifted in and out of consciousness, but my first lucid memory was asking someone if I was going to die. No one would answer me.

Rehabilitation gave the young boy enough time to think about his fate. On the one hand, he discovered the value of friendship, as many more classmates came to visit him than he ever imagined. While this was difficult for a teenager to deal with, he also began to question whether he had taken life for granted and began to defy the opinions of his medical experts and achieve physical goals beyond his expectations. .

A spiritual awakening

It was also a spiritual awakening. “I had to embrace and accept my faith without preconditions and not view faith as a transaction between me and God. This would have been particularly heavy work for a 16-year-old boy who had been taken to the hospital, but that was not the case for a 16-year-old boy who had been carried outside.

The heart of the story, however, falls on Donald as a grown man, successful in the real estate and hotel business, about to embark on a fishing vacation that takes the author, his dear friend Gene, and their guides Alfred to a remote island. 30 miles off the mainland in a small skiff in search of bonefish.

The story unfolds like a Hollywood disaster movie. The only difference: this one is all too real.

“The wind had picked up again and the rain had turned into a light mist. It refreshed me from the hot adrenaline rush I felt after fighting the bonefish, but I didn't think Gene noticed the weather.

This light mist turns into rain and torrential winds. Out of gas, with limited communication and vision, and bobbing in the cold waters after their boat capsizes, the three struggle to survive. Not the slightest hint of a rescue. Will they all get there?

Once again, this time, in far more compromising circumstances, clinging to part of their skiff for his life, Donald reflects, trying to erase his physical challenge, to reflect on the goodness of his life and to find peace.

“A feeling of helplessness comes over you when you are on the water, hit by a storm. You begin to grasp the awesome power of the sea… I felt the first pangs of despair settle in my heart… Having no other choice, I began to pray quietly.

Determination to help others

Later, this traumatic incident inspired Denihan to want to help others in dire straits, in situations and conditions that might have been beyond their control. He then created the God Is Good fund, a 501© (3) to help people in need. The fund helped rebuild the homes and lives of several families in need.

Difficult market, incidentally named after the capital of Moore's Island, where Denihan went fishing, is a truly thrilling adventure made even more impactful by the lessons presented to and by the author. Readers will be captivated not only by the story, but also by a behind-the-scenes look at how a person behaves, thinks, feels, reflects, and reacts in times of great distress.

All this experience has helped Denihan put things in their proper perspective.

“Too many people want to put a dollar sign on everything, perceiving everything as transactional instead of placing the greatest value on the relationships and interactions that define us as people. You can't put a dollar sign on love, or happiness, or family, or friendship, or loyalty, but they are worth more than anything that has a price.

There is now a message that is priceless.