2025... LET'S FUCKING GO!
Thoughts on the power of Vision and the latest update
Back in April of last year, I wrote some words on the value of hope for a patient on this kind of journey. That hope only continued to grow as I not only progressed through treatment but also watched as science took leaps forward. Something I neglected to talk about then was the vision I formed and the power it gave.
In my professional world, the power of having a clear vision for a company is discussed at length as a key artefact, but I deployed this in a very personal way. When I came through brain surgery and sat with my children I told them that not only would I win this fight, but when I did we’d take a ski holiday together.
I snowboard, they’ve both been skiing, but we’d never all been in the mountains together. That became my vision for completion of treatment. Not only was it a powerful shared goal we all believed in, it was something I could break into meaningful steps for action. To achieve this on the back of a year of some seriously brutal treatment would mean I had to put the work in to maintain some level of fitness right through. Doing that would in turn help my body process the toxins from chemo and help keep my mental health in better shape too.
Last month, we brought this vision to life. We all pulled together and made things happen, spending a brilliant week in Kappl, Austria. Very much a family effort and I think the right result for us all after such a tough year!
Having returned a couple weeks ago, just been in for the latest MRI. Results show no further action is needed on behalf of the medics, but we’ll retain scans every few months and make sure that stays the case. Very much cleared to get on with living, so the next thing is to really accelerate my new startup, Rodeo. We’ll be welcoming the first investors soon, some long time friends & supporters and also a couple of customers who like what we’re doing so much they actually want to invest! Closing note on that topic, I know there are some investors who read my updates occasionally. I believe investors have a strong preferences for “Founders who can thrive in adversity” so if that’s you: I think you’ve heard enough, I’ll be expecting to hear from you!
Outside this, I’ll be working on a few talks for conferences too, especially on the topic of personal resilience. A dear friend christened me the Tough Chap To Kill, and I plan on channelling that TCTK energy for quite some time.
For the other brains patients out there: I know there’s more than a few of you reading. Let’s draw that strength together and stand tall. We are resilience, forged in struggle. We carry scars that tell stories, not weaknesses. We turn setbacks into fuel, and when life deals it’s worst, we answer with our best.
This is TCTK energy. Share it with someone else who needs the fuel. Let’s Fucking Go!