Public speaker, writer, consultant and ordinary family guy!
In all contexts, I consider myself to be a normal forty something guy, living a pretty normal life. I am married and have two beautiful children. I have also devoted much time to my career as an environmental consultant. In February 2014, my normal life as I knew it was rocked when I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a form of terminal blood cancer. At first I was thoroughly disempowered by my diagnosis. However, with much will, determination and support I found a way to empower myself from this position of adversity.
Now I live in my ‘new normal’. In this space, I feel inspired to share what I have learnt relating to Wellness, Empowerment and Deliberate Living. I use my story to inspire those around me to be the best they can be. I connect with people through my writing, public presentations and leading by example being active in my community. I share stories about my cancer journey, both the challenges and the triumphs, and relate these to how I have used nutrition, exercise, meditation, gratitude and goal setting to derive a purposeful life for myself. It is my intention that these stories inspire others to consider the precious value of their own life, and follow my steps towards living deliberately.
I really don’t know how long I am going to be present on this world. However, I do know that I am going to fight hard to stay here, I am going to do meaningful things that inspire myself and others to be their best, and I am going to have a great time doing it!!
A little bit relating to my cancer diagnosis
It was a normal Tuesday night in February 2014. Only three weeks earlier I had celebrated my 40th birthday. According to my numerical age, I was over the hill. However, I was feeling fantastic, and didn’t feel as though I was over the hill. I felt like I was heading up and only getting better. Getting more mature mentally, still physically in good condition, and everything around me was playing out nicely. I was happy. I was content.
A month later, I sent the following text to close friends and family:
From that point on, my life changed so significantly that I had to establish a “New Normal”.