A New Universe
The enchanting music of Enya played from the bedroom nearby. The beautiful sound of water dripping into the soothing, hot bath was intoxicating. It was my first bath since I had my lung removed, the sensation was a heavenly experience. The water was a cocktail of skin nourishing concoctions and detoxing medicine. The dim light of the room was romancing my soul, I could feel my spirit begin to rejuvenate. I ran my fingertip along the surface of my palm, the texture was exquisite. These are the moments I take myself back to as I sit here thinking about the past.
There was a time when these sensations were a distant memory, after chemotherapy my fingertips were numb, and tingled with the sharpness of needles. When I slid my finger across the surface of my palm the sensations were delayed, lacking the sweetness of touch. My feet were like rubber shoes and burned like they were being licked with fire.
These haunting reminders were the lingering ghosts of chemotherapy. There are no small prices to pay when it comes to life. Everything we do, every choice we make comes at a cost. Every hardship we face pays for our ticket to ride the train of the human experience. Our horrors are gifts, they are tools, they serve as a reminder of the places we have been, and the challenges we have overcome.
Any traumatic event in our life is akin to the death of one universe and the birth of another. When I was diagnosed with cancer I was not strong enough to be an advocate for my own health. I was so weak of mind and body I entrusted my oncology team to do the best for me. After realizing my oncologist’s understanding of my cancer was far from what I needed, it opened another universe.
This universe was overwhelming, it spawned so many questions and put me in a state of awe. It was truly an awesome experience. It opened my eyes and made me realize that though I was facing a terrible road I had an opportunity. I had a chance to live my purpose, to help others and to make the most of their moments.
I wanted to invest myself to a cause, and after some reflection I decided to fundraise for a cancer organization dear to my heart. I created a charity event called the Dungeon Crawl for the cure for the Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN). The event was a competitive Dungeons and Dragons game, and it was an incredible success.
Running the event opened my eyes. It revealed to me that my ideas were fascinating to others, and they wanted more. I was going to immediately create another and push my creative power to heights beyond my imagination, but I decided to focus on something bigger.
That is when the building blocks for my spa were drawn from the ether. I named her Jennifer Brand, and she was formed from every heart break and hardship I was forced to face. Her life force was fueled by the power of Han’s words, he was a man who made the most of every moment and gave greatness to everyone he shook hands with. Her body was forged from hard work, and her spirit was fueled with fire roaring inside my furnace. She was the answer to my all-encompassing question, what is my legacy and how do I leave the world better than I found it? I was placed on this earth to achieve something great, to transform the world, and help others live their purpose. Jennifer Brand became my vehicle to reach my destination.
I researched and explored every detail. It was a daunting task, I spent hours every day for an entire year building my business plan. I analyzed the industry searching for trends and directions, observed the behaviors of other businesses, and sought out a mentor. I constructed a model of leadership, operation, and approach designed to maximize a massage therapist’s ability to live their purpose and achieve their dreams.
I grinded, gave up my hobbies, time with friends and the pursuit of happiness to push as hard as I could. Every day I lived with a singular purpose; it was to create something that would forever transform our industry. I wanted to cut out the disease and rot and replace it with something pure and good, so others could live a life I would never know. Deep in my soul I knew our industry was heading toward terrible times, and our dark age was about to begin. Jennifer Brand was my magical key to guide others to a home of peace and tranquility.
I turned to my past and infused the whole of my existence into my purpose.
