IN MEMORIAM: DIANE JOY ISRAEL

Diane Joy Israel (1960–2021)

Longtime adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Counseling & Psychology, a member of the Naropa University Board of Trustees, and a graduate of Naropa, Diane Israel (MA Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, '91) died unexpectedly on November 23, 2021. One of the most generous and open-hearted people one could possibly know, Diane was connected to Naropa for more than thirty years, and she fearlessly shared her wisdom and passion with many hundreds of students, faculty, and staff over those years.

A world-class runner and triathlete, author of Joy: Befriending Death (2021), executive producer of the award-winning documentary film Beauty Mark, and board chair of Queer Asterisk, Diane inspired students, clients, athletes, family, and friends alike to revel in their true selves.

Diane’s work was centered on breaking the stigma of "mental illness" by supporting the discovery of humanity's inherent genius and mental brilliance. She was very public, verbally and in print, about her struggles with her mental health, which was a profound expression of her generosity, and her candor and fierce acknowledgment of the suffering that all of us experience directly affected people who were then motivated to take their own private pain and to seek support and healing.

A resident of Boulder since 1981, Diane made it her mission to discover joy and wellbeing by opening to the beauty of nature, something she practiced on her daily hikes. Diane was described by those who knew her as a “brilliant shooting star of a human being,” “mystical as fuck,” and an “f-bomb dropper and sage truth-teller,” someone who was courageous, wild, visionary, vulnerable, salty, gritty, and fiercely compassionate. Diane left an indelible mark on our hearts, and Naropa will never be the same.

Marathon of Adaptation

Remember, life is a constant marathon of change and unfamiliar territory.

There is no finish line.

The marathon of anxiety becomes a marathon of changing patterns.

So many.

So many that don’t serve me or others.

Marathon of healing, yet not being a constant victim.

A victim of my mind, my family, my habits, my self-sabotage, my self-criticism, and illusions

It's all about love. As it always has been. Now. Always

Marathon of LOVE. Marathon of kindness. Marathon of compassion. Marathon of slowing. the. fuck. down. Marathon of simply existing. Marathons galore.

Excerpt from Marathon of Adaptation By Diane Joy Israel