"You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live.”
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Meet #superwarrior. . Wg Cdr Praveen Mishra ...His story is not just motivation to all of us but makes you realize how our day to day choices are important to us.
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I was about 33 years old and a well to do career officer more into work and less into play, when life decided to present a mid course correction to my easy and comfortable life....
I was a Navigation instructor in the Indian Air Force training young cadets in Hyderabad and already posted to one of the well known flying units as supervisor when my medical examination revealed an abnormal blood report, on confirmation which was found to be CML (Chronic Myeloid leukemia) in chronic phase.
The doctor gave me a heartfelt couscelling and went on to read out the statistics of survival of different age groups, ethnicity, etc....
The world has almost collapsed on me, my career, my dreams and yes on my health too...
It was as if a very interesting movie had come to an end right in the interval....
There was not going to be any me, if I didn't do something which was radically different from statistics to become a true outlier....
I took a brutally honest look and equally honest feedback from my near and dear ones....with these questions...
1. Did I live my previous 33 years well.
2. Did I cultivate joy, health, happiness or even peace in anything I did.
3. Did I really seek positivity in work, people places and events.
4. Did I nourish myself enough.
5. Did l love myself enough.
To tell you the truth, answers to most of these problems were really uncomfortable and often alarming to the extent that I really thought.... How could I do that to myself. How could I forget this.... Oh My God....etc..etc were the usual exclamation....
I began to realize that I actually jacked my DNA because of my foolish life choices. Heartless living, sedentary habits, eating for tongue, meeting unhappy people in order to push my career goals, not seeing beauty in my kids, wife, parents friends and most importantly mother nature....
The simple logic was that if my DNA was hacked down, well it can also be jacked up by turning the choices, lifestyles and thoughts upside down....
Taking full responsibility of each of the 50 trillion cells of my body....I wholeheartedly apologised to each one of them for the pain caused....then I went ahead to set goals and achieve them....
1. Remembered my life from childhood till date and Prayed for those who were not so good to me. This released all the feeling of resentment. I still do it daily at 2100 everyday.
2. Vowed to take in the purest and the best into myself through all five senses. This meant, eat the best, look at the best, think the best and do the best, in short be the best you can be...
3. I conciously decided to keep away from anger, fear greed and negativity. This meant friends with absolutely selfless interests, no rat race, no boss pleasing, no back biting, no grudges. Friends believe you me, the lightness this attitude bestows upon us is so amazing that I actually feel like a teenager even at 43.... It's like puberty is yet to set in, Pun intended.
Well the day these changes percolated in me being, my life became magical. And as they say rest is History....
Today...
1. I can love people who hate me.
2. I can run for over 20 km just for fun while maintaining my smile and peace.
3. Comfortably cycle for over 100 km at any time of day.
And most importantly I have an army of friends oozing with positivity and beauty and health always ready to diffuse a bit into me....
To name one would be like injustice to all others. Hence I take this opportunity to thank my very dear friend Praveen Sapkal Bhai my namesake for having provided me this opportunity to share my journey from..
1. Haemoglobin of 8.5 to Cycling ride of Manali to Leh.
2. Running from 1.5 km to 42 km.
3. From a mundane swimmer to a Triathlete with state ranking....
Kudos to everyone who has been a part of this fabulous journey...
To conclude on this occasion of cancer day....
I have very crisp advise for all who wish to fight this crazy health anomaly...
Cancer thrives on our fear and vanishes in absence of it...So become indisputably fearless, indisputably strong, indisputably loving in your own eyes....
Cancer will die of starvation....you can take my word for it.....
So once again all the best to all my brothers and sister who are on the same journey as mine....live, love, laugh, run, ride and become a crazy kid...the wild child that God made us....
Lots of love, laughter and happiness to all of you....
Regards,
Wg Cdr Praveen Mishra
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#superathlete? #cancer? #cancersurvior? #motivation? #inspiration? #lifestyle