It’s strange, how in a single brief moment in time, with only a few words spoken, one’s life can change so completely. Suddenly all you know, trust and rely upon, Yavi Madurai plummeted into the depths of the unknown.
This is precisely what happened to self- professed 33 year old, “control freak”, Yavi Madurai.
On the 14th of November 2003, at 15h02, her doctor uttered those words, “It’s breast cancer”. As life around her continued on as normal, the earth still spinning on its axis, people still going about their daily lives, hers came to a painful, grinding halt.
Hopes, dreams and wishes seemed far away now – especially those of becoming a mother.
What followed in the next two weeks, she can only describe as a “Brown Blur” – A surreal experience of living in the limbo between brown medical buildings, carrying brown envelopes containing test results.
Soon this muted hue seemed to seep into every aspect of her life, staining her days with sorrow. But a bright reprieve was to soon emerge from the depths of this monochromatic existence, coming in the form of another cancer patient.
Yavi Madurai is grateful for every new day and loves getting up in the morning. “I feel alive and know that I am now living in the moment” story acted as a catalyst for Yavi, triggering a metamorphosis within her. And like the seasons bring about the change from caterpillar to butterfly, so the new Yavi was born.
Previously her life had been lived in the fast lane, ambitious, driven and always on the go. She never stopped to appreciate the beauty contained within the tiny moments between life.
But now, Yavi had been presented with the precious gift of choice. It was as if her cancer said, “hey listen, wake up, value it”.
She began to view the world through different lenses, counting her blessings for the things she had previously taken for granted.
She decided that her greatest weapon against cancer would be a positive attitude. Even through the physical and psychological devastation of a partial mastectomy and the aggressive courses of chemotherapy and radiation, her positivity was unwavering.
Yavi Madurai soon discovered the undeniable, yet inexplicable power of the mind-body-connection, as her new attitude began to have a marked effect on her recovery.
But perhaps Yavi Madurai is grateful for every new day and loves getting up in the morning. “I feel alive and know that I am now living in the moment” greatest gift came from the “Moments in Time” project, which made her see her cancer as a gift from God. This knowledge allowed her to find profound meaning, in what was once a seemingly senseless struggle.
Cancer was no longer a burden under which she stumbled and faltered. Rather, it was a second chance at life.
And then, as if by some act of universal synchronicity, Yavi was granted her greatest wish, giving birth to a beautiful baby girl in October, breast cancer month.
This survivor had come full circle, from fighting for her life, to giving new life.
She believes that her cancer not only prepared her for the challenges of motherhood, but also gave her a priceless heirloom, a legacy that could be passed onto her daughter; the fundamental values she learnt, that so wholly transformed her life.
Today, Yavi Madurai is grateful for every new day and loves getting up in the morning. “I feel alive and know that I am now living in the moment”
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Conn Bertish an iconic internationally awarded creative director, artist, big wave surfer, Fear Factor winner, husband and father of two young children, was handed the toughest brief he had ever seen.
Conn was diagnosed with a severe and extremely rare form of brain cancer.
So rare in fact, that the data available for the behaviour (and the reaction to certain treatments) of the cancer was depressingly hard to find.
Whilst the traditional cancer treatments (like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation) were prescribed, Conn Bertish – Motivational Speaker felt that there was something missing.
It was as if the most important part of the solution was left out of the brief.
Where was he in the solution?
Surely he could do more than just ‘be strong’?
He solved challenges for a living, so surely he could play a role here?
He could try to understand the problem and then creatively become a part of the solution.
After all, the challenge was happening in his body.
Conn’s Cancer Brief:
Conn Bertish knew how to work with tough briefs. He immediately set in motion the biggest creative project of his life.
He began the process of using his imagination to immerse himself into his bout with cancer.
He went straight to the first things he always relied on – his pen, his paper and his playful, problem solving attitude.
He began toying with cancer, studying the helpless people around him creating visual representations of what he was going through; documenting his experience with conceptual thinking and storytelling.
He used his imagination to create a drawn-series of pen-on-paper metaphors that helped him to visualize his tumour and the treatments with intent.
He then took this thinking into everyday life and the world around him.
It became a game; a daily routine.
Conn Bertish had found a playful, debunking way to interact with his cancer. See his cancer. Imagine beating his cancer.
All of a sudden, he had a role in his own survival.
Conn Bertish was able to imagine the effects that different treatments would have on the tumour cells.
Creative thinking helped Conn Bertish – Motivational Speaker to link his mind to his body in a way that augmented all of his treatments, his resilience and his immune system, ultimately increasing his chances of survival.
As somebody whose life was built around creativity and the power of conceptual thought, Conn was used to working with metaphors.
He knew the value in bringing in seemingly insurmountable problems into context.
It was in his nature to deal with the usually invisible.
After beating cancer in 2013, Conn has been urged by doctors, oncologists, neurologists and professors of science to share this way of thinking; to use his experience as a gateway for others to enter the world of his playful visual approach (dubbed Dojo Thinking).
The result is the Cancer Dojo. A digital platform and mobile application that will enable people to engage with their cancer in a new and powerful way. It is, in many medical opinions, way ahead of its time.
Its goal is to help people to unlock the powerful effects of Dojo Thinking; to alter the way in which they deal with their disease.
The app is a space where people can grow, learn and share skills and tools to boost their immune systems and actively participate in their unique bouts with cancer.
It’s a space where people can keep each other company and send each other help.
It’s a dojo, where creative people from all over the world will work alongside doctors and oncologists to find new ways to change the way we interact with the disease.
Cancer Donjo launched a Thundafund; crowd-funding campaign on the 20th of April 2015 and they need supporters, contributors and partners to help to bring this empowering platform to life.
Conn has also authored a book on ‘Cancer & Creativity’ which details his adventures, creative techniques and discoveries through cancer
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