Leave Your Mark in This World
Timeless relevance in a world where it’s hard to stand out
Paradise Lost was missing its mate, Paradise Regained, as blind John Milton saw Paradise in his darkness.
From the age of 12, John Milton dreamed of writing an epic story like Homer's Iliad. He believed he would and could. He trained himself in the works of the great writers throughout history, learned all the classical languages and dreamed of the epic he would one day write. Then, in his early 40s, he lost his eyesight. He lost all hope, believing that his dream had died with his blindness. He even wrote a sonnet, "On his blindness." Then, a flash of light arose in his heart; perhaps he could memorize his book and dictate it to his daughters to pen for him. In his blindness, he could imagine worlds beyond their mere physical appearance. He regained his belief that he could write something epic, something so transcendent that the world had never seen before.
Paradise Lost was his labour of love for the next 13 years. In his 10,000-word epic, he coined the term pandemonium. He combined his love of God, and the fall of man into a mesmerizing poem of epic proportions. He is one of my big role models, alongside Bach, Handel, Beethoven — who composed his last symphonies while deaf (listen to Symphony No. 5 and No. 9 full blast) and Helen Keller — though blind, deaf and mute from a young age who could see better than all of us (read a selection of her writings.)
In Your Weakness lies Your Strength
Most people believe their weakness is their weakness, but within your weakness lies your greatest strength. Thus it has been throughout all the ages.
Dr. Kevin Ham
Because I was bedridden with an autoimmune disease at age 14, I have always appreciated each day of health. This drove me to become a medical doctor. This past week, I was bedridden again from a itty bitty virus. It reminded me once again of just how weak and fragile I am. A little virus could wreak such havoc upon me in a short time.
The martial arts of Judo show us that another person's strength can be powerfully leveraged against them, and their weakness can be even more so. When I separated my left shoulder in Judo, I had to protect my left side a lot, so I attacked my opponent's left side, which was typically a person's weaker side. I won a lot of matches this way--as I was a right-handed fighter fighting like a left-handed person.
But when it comes to life, your deep desires and dreams arise from some essential deep need. Out of sickness, I sought health. Out of poverty (my parents were immigrants with very little), I sought to be wealthy. Out of weakness, I sought to be physically strong and fit. I've discovered that I can be in the top 1% through simple discipline, starting with just one sit-up per day.
What do you really desire deep down inside? Ask yourself why. It may be rooted in one of the six great fears of humankind:
Fear of poverty
Fear of loss of love
Fear of criticism
Fear of loss of health
Fear of old age
Fear of death.
(...Or maybe it is rooted in one of 7 great faiths--a topic for another time).
We tend to overcompensate for what we are weak in as we seek to complete ourselves. We want to be whole, holistic beings. But we all know that we each have an expiration date upon which we must return back to where we came from. And that which we fear the most is death, for upon that day, which we do not know, we cease to be. And so, deep down, we wish to leave our mark in the world so that we may live on.
We Exist Beyond This Present Time
That which is, will always be, forever and ever beyond the passage of time
Dr. Kevin Ham
We are blessed with life each day. And each day has enough of its own troubles and worries. We often wish that all the troublesome and hard things could forever go away and we just be left with the good. But we know that life teaches us that before joy there must be suffering. It is shown with the labour that birthed you, and so it is with every labour of love.
We must remind ourselves that what the world teaches us about success is not truly success. It is good to define what words truly mean to you. I used to think success meant fame, riches, high positions, titles, and awards. I have received many of these, but they have never fulfilled me for very long. But I am very fulfilled when I think of my loved ones and deep relationships. However, I also have a strong internal drive to accomplish my Magnum Opus. Like Milton wrote his Paradise Lost, his true Magnum Opus was Paradise Regained. Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is epic but not as much as his No. 9. And what of all the works that led up to these?
Success is doing what you were meant to do or believe you were meant to do.
Only you can define what this is. To know thyself is great work only you can do. Just as Milton displayed that even blindness could not prevent his Magnum Opus when he believed it was possible to accomplish his great works, even so, it is with faith and perseverance you do your Magnum Opus to transcend time. Do not let time, space, criticism or any other constraint prevent you. With faith comes miracles.
I want to say a huge thank you to those who reply to this newsletter and let me know your thoughts and heart. Thank you dearly.
Bet on You
Just a reminder:
You are such a unique individual. No one will truly understand you 100%. Seek to understand yourself as deeply as you can. That is your insight. That is your true power.
I had a realization last week. I told my daughter why I love hugging her so much, and it is because I do not recall being hugged by my parents. Lately, I have been hugging my father, but he still doesn't hug me back :). He is 89.
My daughter has freely hugged me since.
See your Magnum Opus, believe in your Magnum Opus, live your Magnum Opus and be your Magnum Opus.
Today’s Life Question:
What truly lights you up?
Dr. Kevin Ham
Lean into this 100%, over and over again.
Next week:
Why Fear of Failure is Preventing Your Success
Your failures are the stepping stones to your success.
Failures are only truly failures when you give up on your way.
See you next Thursday!
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