The Life You Have Imagined
In the last newsletter, we explored The Two Forces Behind Your Health and Well-Being - Zheng Qi (Righteous Qi) and Xie Qi (Evil Qi). Zheng Qi protects and supports our vitality, while Xie Qi taxes our mind and body.
Our personal beliefs inhabit both forces. They can create miracles, and they can pull us into a downward spiral.
I believe in miracles; in the power of human creativity, imagination, and our capacity to adapt.
Self-cultivation is part of my lifelong journey. If that resonates with you, read on.
Mind to Matter
Human beings love stories - from the adventures of childhood books to the curated lives of social media influencers. We want to be consumed by stories, or to live inside one.
Sometimes that happens in the mind, as we're transported into another world. Sometimes it happens in real life, after the seeds of our thoughts have taken root.
Actions turn thoughts into matter, conspiring with the mysterious forces of the universe. Some people call it being in the right place at the right time.
Growing up in a low-income household in Hong Kong, I never imagined that within three years of immigrating to the US at age 17, I would land a paid internship on Wall Street in New York City, and a full-time job offer in 2009, even before I graduated college. In 2015, I walked away from that career to become a full-time personal trainer, and in 2018, a board-certified, licensed acupuncturist. My life trajectory kept changing — because my mind never stopped expanding.
I always imagined getting out of that small apartment. I always imagined living a life my parents hadn't been able to. That is how powerful the mind is.
At least, that is my belief. I believe in miracles.
Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
Newborn babies are pure light. In Chinese Medicine, newborn babies are understoof to be full of Yang Qi. They are constantly growing, yet rooted by the life essentials: to breathe, to eat, to sleep.
Young children are imaginative, curious, and open to new ideas - flexible both physically and mentally. The double-edged sword is that they are also easily molded and conditioned by adults, parents, teachers, peers, and media.
Belief systems begin to form before a child has developed their own discernment. They need guidance, and they need the experience of life itself.
Life is a school - one that invites us to experience and grow, not to pass exams or seek external validation. Yet somewhere along the way, most of us forgot this. We got lured by the illusions of the world.
The mind closed off. The body stiffened. We lost our sense of childlike wonder.
How to Stretch Your Imagination Muscle: Be Radically Honest
Every real breakthrough comes with at least some sweat and tears. The forces behind it can take the form of anger, frustration, or restlessness. But beneath the surface, something quieter has already shifted - the mind has decided it wants a different reality.
Perhaps the current reality has become too painful, too dull, or simply unacceptable. We desire something more, and so the imaginative muscle must be stretched.
Sometimes a catalyst arrives gently; a conversation with a friend, a traveling experience, a quiet moment of realization. Other times, the message is less subtle, the universe can deliver hard blows in the areas of our health, wealth, family, or home. Either way, an invitation is extended.
Even when the invitation is loud and clear, change is not guaranteed. It is a path we choose, built on decisions we make. Some people remain very comfortable being uncomfortable, because the fear of change outweighs everything else.
What most often stands between us and the good we want in life is ourselves - our old stories and out-dated beliefs.
When we become radically honest with ourselves and our reality, sustainable and radical change becomes possible.
May the mysterious forces in the universe be with you. Live the life you have imagined.