I was in a conversation with a gentleman who were passionate about life, so ready to create a new business and there is light in his eyes when he envisioned his new community of people in his new venture.
I got curious.
I am always curious about the life stories of an aspired high-achiever because they didn’t build this contagious influence, passionate love for life and seem-to-be invincibly resilience out of nothing.
There is always something about them.
He was an expat for life, exposing to material affluency at early 20s moving from a 3rd world country to a well-developed country.
His desires for things bursting out of him; all was new and he wanted all.
He learned the language.
He got in an international, world-known corporation, climbed the ladder to the top in his division and envisioned himself to be the head of the country.
At the same time, he slept less and less; he gained more and more weight.
He was on the go all the time even in his sleep.
Nothing wrong and nothing out of ordinary.
Until a work-related accident sent him into a journey of 12 surgeries in the course of one year and an amputation.
During the recovery or maybe better described as “not-so-sure-I-will-recover” 14 months, he was in great pain.
He continued gaining weight, lost him to video games and he didn’t have the physical strength and vitality to play or even walk across the road with his 1.5-year-old daughter.
Plus, he lost his job. The livelihood of the household was on the line.
Amputation took away most of the pain. A twisted plot of liberation as he described it.
Yet, a self-judgement came on the “inadequacy” of the physique.
More indulgence in food and video games plus prayers for not waking up in the morning.
“But, Shuang-Min, you know, I kept waking up the next day.
At some point, I realized I had to do something about my life.”
Our stories are so shockingly same when we are so distinctively different – gender, nationality, culture, family, education, professional backgrounds…
I was nodding my head like a hen pecking on the ground.
Some 18 years ago, I kept waking up the next for 6 months when I had wished the opposite.
At some point, I realized I had to do something about my life.
In less than 5 years,
He lost 20kg+ during the 2-month in hospital after the amputation simply but leaning into his own personal growth.
He became a wellness coach and has been featured multiple times by one of the largest personal learning platform in the world.
He bought land and built a house from scratch in a foreign country in the way tailored to his family needs and his own aesthetic expressions. (I saw the photos. It is luxurious and homy and Zen all at the same time.)
Over the course of 18 years,
I followed my heart through India, Italy, China, France, the Philippine and built a multi-6 figure career, immersed in the ocean as a surfer and sat through the pandemic as a lifestyle coach.
I moved from feeling 0 support to allow myself wrapped in the love of my family, friends, colleagues, partners of various kinds and even from total strangers.
(Here is a watermelon from a total stranger when I spent 10 days in a remote town, Gümüşdere, about 4 hours outside of Istanbul. During those 10 days, I hardly needed to buy my own food thank to the abundant in flow from neighbors who didn’t speak a word of English.)
(This watermelon would not be possible if I had chosen differently on that particular morning.)
Now, at this moment in time, we sat in front of our respective computer across a vast ocean and miles of lands, we discussed a new venture of business.
Do I have a moral for you in this story?
Not really. I simply felt compelled to share.
Maybe, the moral of this story is to remind myself and if I may, you of the significance in such a insignificant moment in daily life.
Waking up.
When we wake up, we are granted a possibility of a clean-slated 24 hours to create.
We are free to create the same, to create different and to create anew.
It’s the power of grace and grace of power within us manifesting.
Tomorrow when you wake up, take a moment to consider it.
“And now you know, I must continue this path (growth & expansion & making impact). It already cost me a limb to get here. I am not going to let god take another one.”
We laughed so hard for this.
We see each other as fellow travelers, dreamers, visionaries and high-achievers.
This part of our journey started great and ended in a pit.
Then it started in a pit and ended here with an open view.
Let’s just stay open then.
Be love and be loved,
Shuang-Min
☀️ P.S. Has this happened to you, waking up? Hit reply to let me know.
☀️ P.P.S. If you didn’t have a chance to catch the truth of the high-achiever in you, READ HERE.
Hi, I am Shuang-Min.
✨ Ready for your next chapter?
If any part of this story made you pause or a memory, a longing, a quiet “me too” – maybe it’s time.
Time to answer the call. Time to wake up with intention. Time to create something new from where you are, as you are.
💬 [Book a free Love. Discovery Call] – let’s explore your story, your dreams, and what’s ready to be born next.