About Us
Early years of constraint and confusion...
From an early age I spent a lot of time in my head thinking about life’s experiences . I did a poor job of making sense of these experiences. This led to 18 years of addiction and loneliness (Freedom video series) into my early 30s (2008). Up to the present time I've been a counselor/mentor/life coach (a.k.a. a listener) for a Christian non-profit organization.
Living a lot in one’s own head can be an amazing blessing or a terrible curse. We all need healthy inflow and outflow of our thoughts and feelings. For me, the outflow of the real and important stuff was minimal and unhealthy.
"Pain that is not transformed, is transmitted." - Richard Rohr
I took up journaling in my 30s, which has been a healthier outflow for me, but it wasn't enough. My journal entries are a jumble of quotes, sketches, lists, thoughts, questions, movie references, song lyrics, etc. More than one friend has described me as having a pregnant brain. I know, that could go either way, but I chose to receive it as an affirmation and motivation. It further informed me that I possessed a need and desire for a greater birth of all that was developing in my mind. Ok, I'll drop the pregnancy metaphor! ;-)
I'm not alone...
Around 2016 I began to think about a website where I could get the traffic jam of thoughts out of my head and make sense of my life. I tried all kinds of apps and websites and couldn’t find what I was looking for.
After talking to many friends and counseling numerous men since 2007(view testimonials) , I realized I'm not alone. There are a lot of people out there who are asking "why" about their life experiences. The search for the meaning of life (the BIG WHY) is obviously important to most people, but here's the problem. The elephant in the room is too big and overwhelming to eat all at once. Because we don't know where to start, we try to ignore it! What's the solution? Well, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. In other words, the search for the meaning of life in everyday experiences. Even these small bite-sized chunks of meaning can be confusing, like a jigsaw puzzle. Around 2019, I created my own website to solve this problem. HOORAY! Then it broke in 2020. BOO! :-( Despite the frustration and disappointment, I continued my own development and research regarding this project, and I kept praying.
How the Why Live Today project began...
In 2021 I met Bogdan, an amazing web developer, video editor and marketer. Our initial meeting and growing friendship over the past year was an amazing answer to prayer, especially since we are 5791 miles apart.
He had also been praying for a way to use his skills for the purpose of helping others and bringing God glory. When Bogdan has free time from his full-time job he helps with the marketing and the technical aspects of the website and YouTube Channel.
Meet The Team
Bret Marshall
My name is Bret. My wife Tena and I have been married since 2006. Also pictured are my son Daniel (born 2010), my daughter Aryn (born 2008), Mr. Biggs and Pepper (our cats:-).
Bogdan Toader
Hi there, I am Bogdan! Happy to share with you the biggest blessings in my life: my lovely wife, Mioara (married since 2013), my daughter Victoria (born 2018) and my son David (born 2016).
Our Mission
Mole, the mascot of Why Live Today, shares his thoughts and feelings. I listen intently and reflect deeply;-)
Why the Mole?
Generally, we don’t ask why about life’s experiences. When we do ask why, we aren't very good at it. That was me for 18 years stuck in loneliness and addiction. Reactions to life’s experiences happen quite easily, but the art and skill of deeper reflection and a thoughtful response require work.
That’s why the mascot of this website and YouTube Channel is a mole. It requires effort and digging to unearth the meaning of life’s experiences, so we don’t miss out on making the most of the life we’ve been given.
It can be hard and scary, but let's encourage each other to keep exploring, discovering, and pursuing the meaning of life's experiences. It's an adventure worth taking!
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
J.R.R. Tolkien // The Lord of the Rings
Don't miss the Mole!
Think about the deeper meaning of a major or minor experience from your life: an event, interaction, movie scene, song lyric, quote, book, nature, etc. It could be anything! When you recognize the meaning of an experience it can really change your life. I said, "can" because you could miss it.
"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller (movie: Ferris Bueller's Day Off)
We are often going too fast, or we don’t process it well and come up with the wrong conclusion. Let’s slow down, stop and look around, so we don’t miss those meaning-filled moments that can change our day or our whole life!
Like one of my favorite literary characters, Sherlock Holmes, we can be meaning-of-life detectives who explore the little things and discover big things! So let’s start asking why about the little experiences and see where that leads with the big question: "Why Live Today?"
All Are Welcome, Wanted and Needed!
Why Live Today is a website and YouTube Channel that produces 100% free content and resources to help people engage, explore, discover and pursue meaning in their lives. While we believe that the meaning of life's everyday experiences leads to Jesus Christ, our goal is not to force or manipulate you into believing as we do, but to help you engage, explore and discover meaning for yourself. You are welcome here, regardless of where you are in your journey.
See the list below for ways you can help grow and shape Why Live Today. I will leave you with a quote form Jesus that helps bring me back to the heart of why I serve and help:
"And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:30-31 NLT
Some ways you can Serve Others...
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Help people beyond Why Live Today...
Please share your best recommendations for ways that people can serve and give. Eventually, we hope to create a Serving and Giving Resource Guide! Email me your ideas: contact us
"Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies."