It's five o'clock in the morning
Have you ever felt Have you ever felt the goodness of God and he felt the newness of God and the stillness this morning I said he responded.
Welcome to the beautiful future podcast. My name is Sam Song, and today is January 22, 2023. And this is actually our very first chapter, I like to call it a chapter but guess in the podcast lingo. They call it an episode of our story together.
Now, this podcast is an invitation for you to journey with me through a season of great uncertainty and significant change. I'm imagining that you're listening and doing something at the same time. That's how I use the listen to podcast, whether you're on a hike, you know, or morning stroll, or you're commuting to work or waiting for your kids at school pickup. Wherever you are, and however you're listening, I want to say thank you.
A few weeks after receiving the news that I had cancer. In fact, that was August 19, 2022, I created a video for the community of creators that I am serving and leading. It was meant to be an update on the situation and an encouragement for my community.
But as I was watching and listening to it, and once again, it's been six months since then, it has served as a reminder and encouragement for me. It actually reminded me It helped me realize that this podcast is six months in the making.
It also reminded me of something that I saw my friend Mingo do, he actually writes notes to his future self. And so I guess that video was a note to my future self, which is myself today. And it's part of the origin story of this podcast. So I thought there's no better way to kick off a podcast. But to go back to the beginning of where the seed was planted, to be able to share this story as I navigate healing and recovering from cancer. So here it is.
Hello, friends, This is Sam, it's been a while since I made a video for us. But this video comes with an update on something that's going on in my life. And so I thought rather than writing I thought it might be good to just record a video to kind of bring you into the story. So August 2, 2022, I receive word, three sets of three words that really changed my life, and change pretty much all the things that have planned for our community. And for a lot of the things I was hoping to get done this year.
And those three words were you have cancer. And it's shocking. And it's surprising because on this video, you probably can see I am fairly young, and I am in good health. But there's something inside me that is life threatening. And so I have been undergoing a bunch of tests and a lot of doctor's appointments and starting to create a plan of how to take care of this and to become well once again.
So that's what's happening in my life. And I really had big hopes for what we were going to launch this month and next. But unfortunately, life has a way of throwing interruptions and disruptions into our plans. But it's okay, because now I have a different way of serving you. And I believe that, I can do that by bringing you into the story, into this journey that I will be going through. Now, it's going to be difficult. And it's gonna be hard. And it will probably last for or go until the end of this month, end of this year, or maybe beyond that. But as much as I can, I still want to serve you, I still want to encourage you, I still want to help you to continue to move towards creating that beautiful future by learning to live a beautiful life.
I'm going to choose to continue to live the beautiful life, moment to moment, day by day as I have them, and hope in hopes that it will give you inspiration and encouragement to do the same.
You know, one of the things that I'm learning is that, that I could really appreciate a single day. It's a gift, it's, it's something that I believe I've took for granted as much as I have been trying to live in the here and now. But as each day goes on, and it kind of looks the same, you kind of forget how precious each day is. And so one of the things that I've learned, and this is from a video that our dear friend sent me was approach each day that I have, as if it's my first day. And as if it's my last. And what that's been doing is helping me to really be grateful and, and really pay attention to the things that are beautiful that's all around me.
And the biggest kind of shift that's happened in my mindset, and in the way that I show up and approach life is this. You know, most of you guys know my childhood, it's been very difficult to be part of the immigrant family trying to establish a home in a brand new country. And so I was in the season and I had a mindset of scarcity, where everything was rare. We had to kind of scramble for everything, whether it's a home to live in, or food to eat, or, or any other necessities that continue to live our lives. And so scarcity was a big driver. And so I hoard it, I kept things, or sometimes I actually live recklessly, because I never knew what would what tomorrow will bring, right.
But then as I continue to grow and mature, and as I began to just understand deeply, more about a better way of living, I really adopted the abundant life, right, the abundant mindset, where you recognize that that we are loved. And God is with us. And he provides for us and he'll take care of us. And so I lived with this idea of the abundant mindset. Even as I looked around, when you start paying attention, you realize that there is a lot more than we need, right? And so I really just tried to help you and help myself to really live with a mindset of abundance, the John 10:10 life, right, the flourishing life, the abundant life.
But what has happened more recently is I moved from abundance to the enough, right. So moving from scarcity, to abundance to enough, I have all that I need in this moment. And I have all that I need today. Not more, not less, just enough, just what I need to continue to walk and continue to live, and continue to relate and make moments with my family, with my friends, and do the work that I feel I'm called to do.
And so I've stepped into a new mode of being, of understanding that there's enough. If today's only day I have that was enough. If I have 10-20 years ahead of me, that will be enough. But what I'm realizing is this beautiful word enough, helps me to be kind of like dependent on on the day to day, knowing that I'll have what I need.
And so what that really drives is gratitude, but also contentment. And so that's what I've been learning and this is just a longer video just to kind of bring you up to speed of what's going on.
Starting next week, you know, I began to have some surgeries and get prepared for the treatments. And as well as the upcoming surgery after I'm done with this treatment. And so the next three, four months will be quite a difficult month. But my hope is that I could make these videos once in a while if I have the energy to to kind of bring you into the story.
Now I'm also going to use Instagram. I have been trying to move away from social media for the last few years. But it looks like there is a purpose to this channel that I have on Instagram called The Story of Yellow.
And so one of the other things that I'm learning is that, that not only can I try to look for purpose, but I can create purpose. And so what I'm realizing is that sharing my journey, sharing my story, to help others or maybe going through your cancer journey, or others who are worried about the uncertainty of tomorrow and things like that by sharing my story, in a real authentic way, but also to inspire hope, and bring awareness and bring some encouragement gives this season of my life purpose.
And so that's what I'm going to try to do. Because my desire is to continue to have you approach life with a perspective, are you looking for the beauty in all things because if you look for it, you'll find it.
And already, every hug is more beautiful, every gaze is a little bit more beautiful. Every moment with my family is more beautiful. So. So in that sense, I'm finding him in the midst of uncertainty and fear, and mortality and suffering. That seems to be the journey that I have in front of me. And I hope this video was encouraging and inspiring, but also brought you in to a story that I'm sure will reveal God's goodness and faithfulness and love, not only for me, but for you as well.
That was recorded and shared six months ago. I'm so glad I got to share that with you today. If you want to see the full video, I'll include the link in the show notes. But hey, we did it. We completed our first chapter of the beautiful future podcast. So thanks again for joining with me. Feel free to invite others as we together answer the call to create the beautiful future by learning to live and lead the beautiful life with a beautiful one today. So remember, today is the day it is our first and it is our last. It's enough. And I'll talk to you again soon. Until then, grace and peace
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
