Dear friend,
Last month I had the opportunity to reconnect with Dr. Anthony Yim, the doctor who operated on my cancer 17 years ago, where we were both invited by HSBC to share our stories of embracing change.
It was truly a serendipitous moment as the HSBC organizers had no idea that Dr. Yim and I had a connection. Of all the 7.4 million individuals they could have invited in Hong Kong, they chose the both of us. Such is the perfection of life when everything falls into place so beautifully.
Today, Dr. Yim is no longer a practicing doctor due to health reasons. This may sound unfortunate but for Dr Yim, being diagnosed with Parkinson’s has become a blessing in disguise. He has now become an artist, turning to art as a vehicle for rediscovering his inner self.
Through his artwork, Dr. Yim is able to live out his childhood passion. When I asked what his proudest moments in life were, he shared that it’s not his medical achievements or even his art, but the ability to make the transition from doctor to artist because it has made him stronger, better and happier.
Like Dr. Yim, when I was diagnosed with cancer, it was a life changing moment for me. Initially it felt like a death sentence, but I’m glad we were both able to not resist what is, and instead embrace the change, turning our crisis into opportunity.
It’s all about shifting our perspective as Dr Yim mentions in the interview “Your mindset is your world, because we all perceive the world differently.”
It is up to us to choose the meaning we give to what is occuring. Change defines who we are, and how we engage with change defines who we become.
17 years on, Dr. Yim and I are both living in full expression of ourselves. I’m grateful to HSBC for bringing us together again and even more grateful for this life journey that I continue to be on as I live out my purpose.
I invite you to reflect on challenging moments you may be experiencing in your life journey.
How can you choose to respond differently?
With love and gratitude,
feisal
We control 2 things in life – the meaning we give, and how we respond.
For Dr Yim, he chose to embrace his Parkinson’s diagnosis, and found peace and renewed purpose in life through his second career as an artist.
I am grateful our paths have crossed 17 years later, and today we’re both living in full expression of ourselves. It was an honor and a privilege interviewing Dr. Yim for HSBC’s Embracing Change with Grace client event.
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“Realize that the conscious mind is in a battle with the subconscious mind.”
– Ray Dalio
“We all have a desire to be ourselves. When restricted, we find rogue ways to manifest them. It’s imperative to allow our authentic self to be fully expressed.”
– feisal alibhai
