Ann Abrahamsen Tryptich - Pillar of Life at Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center

Ann Abrahamsen Tryptich’s Speech Sunday 25 July 2010.

I wish to thank Professors ZENG Yi-xin and LIU Meng-zhong and their staffs at the SYSU Cancer Centre for providing such a wonderful opportunity for me and for fellow artists to experience the richness of cultural collaboration in such a heartfelt project.

How wonderful to work with artists when we do not share a common tongue but we do share the common language of paint, colour and of feeling. At least by the end of our work, Zhun Qiang and Gui Sheng were both fluent in ‘Thumbs up!’ which means ‘Very good’ in many languages!

My thanks also to Peter Chen, Xiong Geng and Bei Jin-xin for providing translation when we needed to discuss more complex matters, and to photographer (Liang Junbin) for recording the creation.

Also my sincere thanks to Liao Wei Biao. On my first visit to his place of work, without knowing anything about me, he agreed to oversee this project, and to recruit two such gifted artists as Shuz Qiang and Gui Sheng to assist who so generously gave of their time and their talent.

Of course I was sad to leave before the project was finished but I knew it was in very good hands and I am with you all today in spirit, confident that my presence will be well represented by my husband to whom this work is dedicated.

For those of you who are curious as to why I included torn paper in the work, it serves two purposes.

Firstly the paper is DNA sequence read-out paper: the symbol of the code of life that is written in our genes. My husband pioneered research into this area in the hope of bringing understanding and with it healing to those with cancer. DNA is essential to all life and the vine I enclosed it in is symbolic of the connection of all living things.

Secondly, the blue torn paper is like our lives, when things change we can feel torn and ragged, but nevertheless our lives are what we create out of whatever is in front of us, no matter how challenging. We each have a part to play even if, at times, we do not understand what that part might be.

For those of us dealing with cancer, whether we have the disease or we are caring for someone who does, we know how therapy challenges the body and the spirit. When my husband contracted cancer our whole world changed. Things we thought were important fell away; other things became highly important. We used the cancer to set our relationship right and to heal our family and then to make priorities of what matters to us most; looking for ways to contribute to the world during the brief time that we have on planet earth.

It is the hope of the artists that our work will bring calm and comfort, a healing of spirit to those who come here hoping to be well again, or at least to gain some extended time. And that the dedicated doctors, nurses and support staff working here each day will feel the paintings warmth and remind themselves how much their contribution is valued. It is our privilege to contribute in this small way to help create a sense of hope in all those who come here, to contribute to the creation of a healing environment for those we love.

- Pillar of Life: Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center

Artists: Ann Abrahamsen Tryptich, Li Zhun Qiang and Li Gui Sheng

My Date With Destiny Mission Statement:

Original Version (1997-2009)

“I, Marc Dussault, see, hear, feel and know that my purpose in life is to continue to live my dream and empower others to do the same.”

That was pretty powerful EXCEPT that because I was LIVING MY DREAM, I did not change, modify, enhance or improve it… Also the second half… AND empowering others seems like an additional task, burden or responsibility…

So I changed it to:

My Date With Destiny Mission Statement:

New Version (2009- )

“I, Marc Dussault, see, hear, feel and know that my purpose in life is to live and expand my dream empowering others to live theirs.”

This is a MUCH more EXCITING destiny to have. It embraces GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT as well as INTEGRATES leading by example rather than making it a separate undertaking…

I am energised, excited and committed to this new destiny even MORE than the previous one!

Watch this space to see what happens!

It needs no introduction other than it ‘came to me automatically’… How freaky is that?!?!

Thanks Sandy!

So get to it! Create your vision and new destiny!

If you are technologically challenged, you can collect photos from magazines and create a ‘dream book’ of images…

Whatever you do, BELIEVE this stuff works – because it does!

I am competing at my first World Masters Championships – a thought I manifested YEARS AGO. I can remember the day – that’ll be a post of its own. For now, share with me another ‘dream come true’ for me.

Celebrate it with me, for me AND FOR YOU – pick a dream that is just as audacious as this one was for me…

Pick one that you’d be thrilled to have.

For me, competing at this top level is truly a dream come true. It’s a goal that has kept me focused, fit and healthy for the past several years. I feel at least 10 years younger, stronger and healthier than my birth certificate reflects.

I’m 45 and can wear the same pants I wore 20 years ago. Not many men my age can say that. As we age, it’s a struggle to keep the weight down and stay fit. Having a goal like this has been MORE than enough to keep me disciplined.

Of course the NEXT GOAL is to WIN games and at some point a division or plate…

First the dream, then the reality!

I’m off to play my first match… Wish me luck!

Onward and upward!

Dr Marc Dussault

Australia’s #1 Exponential Growth Strategist

P.S.

We get what we focus on – the more you focus, the more your chances of getting ‘it’.

You need to do it from a place of authenticity, honesty and integrity. Don’t force it… As Deepak Chopra states:

“Release yourself from the expectation of the outcome so you can tap into a discontinuity gap in the universe to instantly synchronise with a non-local correlation that will trigger a quantum leap of creativity and innovation to help you manifest infinite knowledge and boundless possibilities enabling a conspiracy of improbabilities that create your ultimate destiny.”

It’s available for FREE as a PDF on the Internet although I would recommend you go out and actually buy the book – it’s a source of inspiration that I am sure you’ll agree is worth the investment.

Anyway, today’s topic is about manifesting outcomes and results that you seemingly have no control over.

Today is the day BEFORE the start of the 2008 World Masters Squash Championships and I’ve been here in beautiful Christchurch for the past 2 days to acclimatise myself to the time zone, weather and surroundings.

I know that 2-hour time zones are quite hard for me to adapt to. I’ve been around-the-world more than 10 times and found that the 6 to 8 hour time zones are easier on me than the 2-3 hour ones for some reason.

The point of today’s blog is that I needed to get on the court today and selectively chose to go to the club where I am playing my first match tomorrow. That way I know how long it takes to drive there and I can have a mental image of the courts, changing room, etc. so that I can feel more comfortable tomorrow since it won’t be ‘new’ to me.

I also chose to go WHILE the parade of nations and opening ceremonies took place to increase my chances of getting on the court to have a hit. Yesterday, at another club where the tournament is being hosted, I was told all the courts are booked non-stop until the tournament kicks off on Monday.

When I got to the club – no one was there!

The front door was open, but not a single person was there. They left the door unlocked by mistake…

So I had the whole club to myself to get on EACH court and have a hit to see what the walls, floor and tin are like…

Even I was amazed to have been able to manifest such an outcome!

I was a little concerned about the temperature since it’s cooler here than in Sydney at this time of year, but as it works out, I play on an air conditioned court and that’s more or less equivalent to the conditions in the club which will bet a lot warmer when all the players and spectators are there.

The great thing is that I got to have my hit. The great news is that I was hitting well, confident and relaxed.

Wish me luck tomorrow – I believe in luck! I want all the luck I can get!!!

Onward and upward!
Dr Marc Dussault

Australia’s #1 Exponential Growth Strategist

P.S.

This blog is not all about me, it’s about my personal experiences – this week my squash competition – and how they can relate to you.

I could have just as easily accepted what the person told me yesterday and NOT gone to the squash club this afternoon. I woud have ‘worried’ about things for nothing – now I feel confident and relaxed.

That’s important when you compete – to be in ‘peak state’.

In your life, your business, it’s the same thing – MANIFEST your results by being convinced they can happen and MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

I know, I know you think this is surreal and impossible – that’s why it won’t work for you.

You have to start SMALL and work your way up…

Baby steps.

I tell people to start with parking spaces. The next time you go shopping, manifest a GREAT parking spot. Even if you don’t know where you will be shopping. THINK POSITIVE and see what happens.

When I was teaching organisational behaviour to MBA students, I challenged all 35 students to get a BETTER parking spot than me – the result: I parked the closest to the front door of the building EACH and EVERY week for 12 weeks in a row. It became the ‘introduction’ to each class as everyone compared to my spot…

The stronger the belief, the better the outcome!