TORONTO - Theo Fleury has come a long way. Chase Edmonds Cardinals Jersey .The former NHL star has seemingly escaped the chokehold of addiction and now wears a smile on his face. His mission today is to help others escape their emotional pain.Fleury chronicles his spiritual journey in a new book called Conversations With a Rattlesnake, co-written with therapist Kim Barthel.Helping is healing is a key theme.Its my purpose, Fleury writes. I honestly believe its more important than my hockey career. I was put on this earth to help. Fleury calls Barthel the Wayne Gretzky of therapy. She says Fleurys intellectual capacity is pretty extraordinary, shown by his ability to take in information, assimilate it and act on it.Now 46, Fleury still sees himself as a work in progress. But his life journey is no longer two steps forward, one step back.Its only a half-a-step back now or a quarter step back, Fleury said in a recent interview. Because I have tools.Nice, interjected Barthel.Whereas before I didnt have any tools, Fleury continued. I reached in my toolbox and I couldnt even build a square box ... because I didnt have anything. Now I have a few screws, a screwdriver. So I can build some stuff.The exchange, in the restaurant of a downtown hotel, reads like an excerpt from Conversations With a Rattlesnake.The book is written in the form of an extended conversation between Fleury and his therapist. Its the product of two and a half years of constant conversation, according to Barthel.The difficulty was I couldnt keep up with Theo, she said. He would change so fast, that all of the transcripts from the recordings, they were way out of date by the time I would get to them.In essence everything got written in about four months. But the transformational process was over a two-and-a-half year conversation — daily conversation.Barthel, who now teaches therapists, says it is not traditional therapy — if for no other reason that no one would have as much access to a therapist as Fleury did. It was also a collaborative, rather than a patient-therapist, relationship.Fleury evolved over the months, with the first 18 months leading up to the real meat of the discussion.The book comes in a challenging format. But the give-and-take between the two does show movement and how they reached their conclusions. Its like being a silent partner in a marathon self-help session.Chapter titles include Its Not My Fault, What We Say is More Than Words, Relentless Positivity, Shame Revisits and Walk With Thousands.Its the kind of book that will be well-worn, with more than a few highlighted passages, for some readers.We can all be a conduit for healing, said Fleury.He has proved to be just that. Barthel says people seem drawn to the former hockey player by his honesty and vulnerability, reasoning that if he can change his life so can they. Its actually miraculous, she said. I havent really got enough adjectives to describe it.People approach Fleury everywhere. He cant even go to the bathroom, said Barthel.We have had some incredible moments of reveals, said Fleury. It would just warm your heart that people look to you as somebody whos safe.Fleury, who has no complaints about being a people magnet, says part of his success is that people understand he is on their side. They know he not going to judge them or use their deepest darkest secrets against them.And he understands that part of helping others is not interjecting yourself. Youre just holding the space which allows them to talk about these things that have happened to them in their life, said Fleury. They dont want comments. If they want, theyll ask. Theyll ask for what they want. But you dont provide anything other than Im just going to hold the space for you.And occasionally asking the right question, adds Barthel.Barthel has her own rule of rule of thumb — not to offer advice unless someone asks three times.Fleurys autobiography, Playing with Fire, co-written by Kirstie McLellan Day, was released in 2009. An HBO Canada documentary, Theo Fleury: Playing with Fire, came out in 2012.Both detail his life spiral. The bleak image of Fleury standing outside a Chicago crackhouse he used to frequent is hard to forget.The two faces of Fleury are captured on the cover photo of Conversations With a Rattlesnake.Theres the black-and-white shot of Fleury from the past, his face covered with an unhealthy sheen of sweat. And next to it, a colour shot of a smiling Fleury today.One is a survival face that says Stay away, Fleury explains. The other says Come ....Ive got something you might want to try.These days there is a glow about Fleury, who says he has not had a drink or used drugs in nine years. He says his story of abuse is part of him, but does not define him.I dont wear the Scarlet Letter any more. Ive gotten rid of it. And thats why I want other people to come to the realization, he said.Because I look at my parents, I look at Graham James, I look at the lowest points of his life, I look at them as gifts now. Because without those gifts, I still have that face. With those gifts I have this face now.James was convicted in 2012 for hundreds of sexual assaults on Fleury and his cousin, Todd Holt, when they played for him in the Western Hockey League in the late 1980s and early 90s. An Appeal Court later extended his sentence to five years from two.Fleury and Barthel first met in May 2012 in Winnipeg at a presentation by Barthel. Fleury, who was also a speaker at the conference, called it a thunderbolt of brilliance.He walked up to an unsuspecting Barthel afterwards to say she had changed his life and that they were going to work together from then on.It was amazing. It was like you were explaining me inside and out and I didnt feel threatened by it, Fleury writes in the book. One hell of a liberating combination. I guess we should never underestimate the potential for finding help when we least expect it.Today they are friends before anything else, according to Fleury.But when you have a close friendship or relationship, you should have these kind of conversations, said Fleury.Those with little experience of therapists might be surprised to learn that the growth in the book seems on both sidesIf youre a really good therapist, its always a learning experience, said Barthel, who opens up about her past in the book. Part of the process is Healer, heal thyself.Fleury says Barthel helped him understand his trauma started early in life. Fleury believes he was shaped by an upbringing that included an alcoholic father and depressed mother. The book discusses in depth the chemistry of the brain and how the way you are treated can modify it.The book is about finally taking a look at that family of origin trauma where I understand why my brain is defective, Fleury said.Barthel jumps in again to warn against the use of defective as negative language.So would she call him out on it if that exchange had been in the book? I just did, she replied.Which tells you that therapy is for the rest of your life, Fleury added. Theres no beginning and theres no end. Theres only learning and experiences.His own brand of spirituality — a mixed bag of everything from organized religion to aboriginal spiritual teachings — has played a huge part in Fleurys road to recovery.For me spirituality was the way back to self, he said. I dont care what you believe in. Its not my journey and spirituality is very personal. I suggest that you try everything.Fleury, who has been married twice and has four children, who has just embarked on a new relationship.He is constantly on the move these days, be it speaking, accepting an honorary doctorate in Guelph or giving a speech in Helsinki. Fleury reckons he is on the road 200 days a year while Barthel is at 300.Fleury is also making music, writing and singing rockabilly/country songs for his band Theo Fleury and the Death Valley Rebels. A record and tour are in the works. Its all a far cry from his hockey days. But it somehow makes sense for Fleury. Because Im a big thinker, I always felt there was something greater than my hockey career, he said. I just didnt know what it was.Today he does. He knows his life purpose.Thats to share my story and be vulnerable, and not really care about what the world thinks about what Im doing. All I know is the feedback that I get back is more positive than negative.The former Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks forward still watches hockey but with not as much interest and not as much invested.Because someday I would like people to say Oh, Theo Fleury, the spiritual guy and philosopher. Didnt he used to play hockey? That would be kind of neat.— Conversations With a Rattlesnake, by Theo Fleury and Kim Barthel, Influence Publishing, $26.95---Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Josh Bynes Cardinals Jersey .com) - The New York Rangers hope to punch their ticket to the second round when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for a Game 6 battle at Wells Fargo Center. Josh Rosen Cardinals Jersey . -- Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer will be out three to six weeks with a stress fracture of the third finger of his right hand. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/ . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk.MILAN, Italy -- Luca Toni scored again to help Hellas Verona thrash relegation-threatened Catania 4-0 in Serie A on Sunday to boost its European chances as Parma lost 1-0 at Cagliari. Verona remained level on points with Torino and Lazio in the race for sixth place and the final Europa League spot. "We have nothing to lose in the race for Europe," Toni said. "Well be fired up, we know we can go down in history. Well see what will happen in three weeks time." Torino beat Udinese 2-0 while Lazio won by the same scoreline at relegation-threatened Livorno. The results saw Torino, Lazio and Verona move a point above AC Milan and Parma. "We werent as strong and determined as usual, thats the main thing about this match," Parma coach Roberto Donadoni said. "We werent ourselves in the first half, but even so we didnt give much to Cagliari. "Then two incidents determined the final result: the penalty and the sending off of one our players meant we were chasing the game with a numerical disadvantage. Now we have to try and get the maximum of points, in other words nine points in three matches, working as hard as we can." Also, 10-man Sampdoria fought back to beat Chievo Verona 2-1 and Genoa drew 1-1 at Atalanta. Verona got off to the perfect start when Catania goalkeeper Alberto Frison palmed away Juan Iturbes shot and Toni fired in the rebound in the sixth minute. Toni thought he had doubled his tally in the 28th when he headed home for what would have been his 20th goal of the season. However, the Italian league later awarded it as an own goal by Frison after watching video evidence which showed the effort had rebounded off the post and in off the goalkeeper. "Before I didnt believe I could win the top goalscorers award this season," Toni said. "It would be something extraordinary at 36 years of age." Marquinho extended Veronas lead on the stroke of halftime with a low drive following Juanitos pass. Juanito saw a shot turned onto the post by Frison moments later, but the Argentinian did get onto the scoresheet in the 75th with a curled effort into the far corner. Mason Cole Jersey. Ciro Immobile remained on course for the top goalscorer award as he scored his 21st goal of the season for Torino. Omar El Kaddouri had given Torino the lead in the 15th when he weaved his way into the left of the area before firing into the near side of goal. Parma was looking to get back on track after just one win in its past seven matches. But it was Cagliari which broke the deadlock in the 35th minute after Alessandro Lucarelli took down Daniele Dessena, right in front of the referee who pointed straight to the penalty spot. Mauricio Pinilla converted, sending Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante the wrong way. Parmas hopes of getting back into the game evaporated early in the second half following a moment of madness from Felipe, who was sent off for pushing Luca Rossettini in the face. The Brazilian had to be dragged away by Pinilla and faces a lengthy ban. Both teams needed points in Livorno, with the home side desperate to avoid relegation and Lazio chasing a Europa League spot. Livorno gifted Lazio the lead in the 15th minute as goalkeeper Francesco allowed Stefano Mauris angled volley to squirm between him and the near post. Lazio doubled its lead six minutes after the break when former Livorno winger Antonio Candreva scored a penalty after Leandro Rinaudo was harshly adjudged to have handled. Livorno remained in penultimate position in the standings, three points off safety, and five behind Chievo. In the evening match, Paolo De Ceglies first goal in more than two years appeared to be enough to secure victory for Genoa and snap a four-match losing streak. Genoa managed to last most of the second half with 10 men after Daniele Portanova was sent off five minutes after the break for a foul on German Denis. Mattia Perin saved the resulting penalty. However, Atalantas pressure finally paid off eight minutes from time. Perin pulled off a stunning save to deny Guglielmo Stendardo but Giuseppe De Luca -- who was clearly offside -- put the rebound into the empty net with an overhead kick. Cheap Baseball Braves Jerseys Cheap Baseball Marlins Jerseys Cheap Baseball Mets Jerseys Cheap Baseball Phillies Jerseys Cheap Baseball Nationals Jerseys Cheap Baseball Cubs Jerseys Cheap Baseball Reds Jerseys Cheap Baseball Brewers Jerseys Cheap Baseball Pirates Jerseys Cheap Baseball Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Baseball Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Baseball Rockies Jerseys Cheap Baseball Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Baseball Padres Jerseys Cheap Baseball Giants Jerseys ' ' '