? SES: What's Your Story?

READ: On Thursday night my dad took me to an event that his church put on to help promote the sort of healthy men's culture that I was talking about a few weeks back. The speaker shared some powerful insights on the power of the stories we tell ourselves and the stories that we tell the world by the way we live. During the course of his talk, he shared the phenomenal story of Leon Fleisher.

Fleisher was a rising star classical pianist when he was struck by a case of focal dystonia that incapacitated the fingers of his right hand and made it impossible to continue playing. After pulling himself out of the dark depression that ensued, Fleisher chose to re-channel his passion for music into teaching, conducting, and performing pieces that had been written specifically for the left hand. He says that he never gave up the belief that his right hand would one day be restored, and some thirty years and numerous healing modalities later, Leon got his right hand back.

This story really hit home for me. My father, too, has lived the last fifteen years with dystonia in his neck. His recent return to motorcycling with me was made possible by a seemingly miraculous discovery that his neck stops twisting involuntarily when the steady pressure of a helmet is applied. He, too, has never given up hope or given in to a victimhood narrative and we're starting to see results.

Our personal journeys are unique and the battles we each fight are real. The stories we tell ourselves and others are very powerful. What stories are you telling? Are there any that might be due for some review or revision this week?

LISTEN: Here is a magnificent example of Fleisher playing a Ravel piece one-handed, Left Hand Concerto (Cadenza).

WATCH: And here is Fleisher telling his remarkable story in his own words from a PBS News Hour interview. 

Make this week magnificent!

-Adam