I am indeed extremely proud to be Australian and have been ever since we arrived from England all those many many years ago. For my gift of being Australian I thank my Mum & Dad for having the sheer guts and resilience to pack up and head to the other side of the world, leaving family and a support network behind.
But it is very humbling to have people that you have known for quite a while, and people whom you have only just met tell you that you are an inspiration. In my last session of Radiation Therapy last week I was almost moved to tears when my amazing radiotherapists (Anita, Nicola and Suzanne (Note to self, make sure you check those names)) actually told me that I was an inspiration and I brightened up their days. These people are taking great care of me and it is challenging to be told that you are a person that inspires others.
YODA - Now I confess to being somewhat confident in my abilities. Many years ago I was introduced to one of my most important life guides. This little character was, in my opinion, one of the stars in a movie that has gone on to become a cult classic - Star Wars. One of my all time idols is Yoda. From the first time I saw this little guy with his jumbled up speech phrasing and heard his statement "The force is strong in you Luke" I was a fan. (Hence the reason I have this 50cm figurine of him on my bedside table (thanks to my amazing kids for this awesome gift)).
Yoda doesn't say much in any of the movies, but when he speaks it is cram packed with wisdom. He coaches Luke in the proper use of the force and the warns him about the dark side and as a young kid I was hooked and ever so slowly Yoda introduced to my "internal force". In Star Wars it was good vs evil, but for me it led me to believe that we all did have an inner strength that makes us who we are. All we need is the ability to tap in to this force.
RUSTY - Several years later Lisa (my wife) and I were on our honeymoon and had the wonderful fortune of getting front row seats in a central London theatre to watch a live performance of -
Now if you listen to this song and only hear a few words - then these are the ones that you must hear -
Only you
Have the power within you.
Just believe in yourself -
The sea will part before you,
Stop the rain, turn the tide.
If only you
Use the power within you
Needn't beg the world
To turn around and help you
If you draw on what you have within you
Somewhere deep inside.
So Rusty has provided me with these words of inspiration on so many occasions, when each of my children was born, this song blared out so loud, when I ran for politics, this song helped me start the day, and as I take this Cancer journey, these words, this song, provides me with the constant reminder that it is my force, my power, my inner strength, that will help me get through.
I have had plenty of training over my career on how to present a strong, professional image. I needed this to allow me to succeed as an accountant and financial adviser. My training/career development has offered me numerous opportunities to learn how to speak publicly and helped me enormously to develop an inner confidence.
I have seriously delved in to the Fish Philosophy, and am a very strong believer in "Chose Your Attitude". Fish Philosophy is so simple yet so effective. I urge you to look closely at Fish. It will have a profound impact.
For me however all of these things come together and are capped of by one of the most amazing scenes in a movie I watched a while back - Coach Carter. This movie contains one of the most personally influential statements that I had ever read and has for the past 10+ years been a daily guide to how I chose to live my life. The quote that appears in the movie appears below and is often attributed to Nelson Mandela but is actually a poem -
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Now I don't want to sound all biblical and religious so we can overlook the lines about God, if these are not your cup of tea, but the message brings it all together for me -
- I do have an inner strength or power, or force. We all have it, and only need use it.
- I do have an opportunity each day to chose how I will face the day. I chose my attitude.
- If we shine, out light will be cast on others.
So I suppose that in everything I do I choose to manage it rather than letting it manage me. I choose to be happy, it helps others, I choose to look on the bright side (thanks to Eric Idle) because there are so many things I cannot control so why stress on those uncontrollable things when I can control how I deal with things.
The further I get in to the journey, the more I realise that my "force" is strong (Thanks Yoda). I know that the next few weeks will call on all my inner power (Thanks Rusty), and if at this time in my life my light is shining (Thanks Coach) and that is making me inspirational to others, then this Cancer has challenge that I face has provided me with a sensational outcome and serves as a much needed purpose. Everything happens for a reason, and if I am inspirational to others then whilst humbled by these statements I am proud that just by being me, I am indeed helping others. But as to being an inspiration to others - I am still not quite sure....
Enjoy your day, I am sure I am going to enjoy this week - Two Treatment Tuesday Three starts tomorrow. Cool as Bro!!!
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