My greatest life lesson was when I recently visited my father, a surgeon who has had Parkinson’s disease for nearly three decades. This man has been through repeated nightmares, yet still, his soul shines brighter than most people I’ve met in my lifetime. He has suffered endlessly, including a failed deep brain stimulation surgery that resulted in a brain hemorrhage, a propane gas grill fire, a near drowning where he temporarily lost his pulse, numerous seizures, an inability to walk, and recently- his inability to speak or eat regular foods. Nearly everything has been taken from him.
I asked him one crucial question. “Dad, what are your MIQs (most important questions)* in this lifetime? His answer was firm. He spoke with outstanding clarity and conviction:
“I want to work for a charitable organization in India and provide medical treatment to the poor free of charge.”
This struck me as the most beautiful, heartwarming thing another person could give humanity. This man had lost nearly everything near and dear to him — including his ability to walk, talk, and eat- yet he never lost the most important thing of all — his ability to love. No physical disease can take away your ability to love another human being or live a purpose-filled life by providing hope to others suffering.
This was the day my father taught me the most valuable life lesson. You must give. You must fill your heart with the joy of giving to others- only then is true fulfillment achieved in this lifetime.
Dad, I will never let go of your MIQs and will always have faith in your ability to overcome and achieve your most extraordinary destiny in this lifetime.
Thank you for being the most significant mentor in my life, now and always.
The 3 Most Important Questions (MIQs) is a powerful framework developed by Vishen Lakhiani, the CEO and founder of global transformational platform Mindvalley. To learn more, please visit the Mindvalley Website.