This is a true story about how to recover and thrive when life throws you a curveball.
Your life can change in a single heartbeat – for better or for worse.
I know because it happened to me.
I was a successful doctor, married with four children. I lived in the perfect home, in the perfect neighborhood. I thought I had it all. Then, one day, my life turned completely upside down.
A handful of years ago, on a snowy winter’s day, there was a frantic pounding on the door. When I answered, I saw my neighbor from across the street. He grabbed my baby from my arms, scooped up my four-year-old son and shouted, “Get out! Get out now!”
I threw on my coat, grabbed my handbag and followed him, not knowing why.
Once outside, I could see that the house next to mine was burning to the ground (I would later learn that my girlfriend had died in the fire).
My house was on fire too.
I stood on the sidewalk as the snow fell and watched my home burn to the ground. It felt like everything I’d ever worked for was disappearing before my eyes. My life changed forever that day.
Aside from material possessions, the fire took away a lot of what I knew. We moved five times with four young kids to try and find a rental home. Some friends were never to be seen again. Our savings diminished. For seven years we battled insurance claims. Then, in 2008, the stock market crashed. What little we had left was wiped out.
I slowly set about rebuilding my life. Just when I was starting to feel confident again, my husband was diagnosed with cancer.
By that point, I thought I knew my limit or breaking point. However, I reminded myself that, we do not grow stronger unless we have to. Think about your own life for a moment and you will see that is true. When we reach our limit, we have two options. We can either break or bend.
I was thankful that I still had a choice.
Restoring order and success to my life became my mission. I achieved all of my goals. I kept myself strong and healthy, found enjoyment in my work, wrote a book, coped with my husband’s cancer, raised my four amazing kids, and settled a landmark case with insurance companies.
In the end, I realized I had cobbled together a set of fantastic resources to help myself function better than ever. I wondered how many people were out there, just like me, who would benefit from the knowledge! Lets’ face it – we all need a lot of things in life in order to feel and be strong, successful and at peace.
At first, I simply recorded and wrote down everything I had experienced, which eventually led me to create the Akasha App.
I designed Akasha around five Elements – Fire, Earth, Water, Metal, and Wood. Each represents a fundamental human need.
Fire symbolizes Love and Desire. Earth is about finding Harmony and Balance. Water relates to Flow and Productivity. Metal is about Success and Accomplishment, and Wood explores Creativity and Innovation.
At its core, Akasha focuses on helping people heal their heart to achieve their goals, to help them recover and thrive.
After all – it only takes a single heartbeat for your life to change.
Tina Chadda, MD
Tina is a practicing psychiatrist who resides in Toronto, Canada. She is the founder of Akasha Meditation and the creator of the Akasha App. Take a look at this great app by going to:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/akasha-meditation/id1097962624?ls=1&mt=8
Google play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sdotmedia.akashaapp
Akasha is an evidence-based, Whole-Hearted Living app. It is the only app on the market that combines elements of positive practices, mindfulness, and meditation to naturally develop a user’s inner strength and change their lives.
