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890 words

Hey Reader,

Raise a drinking receptacle with me, for today we celebrate! I am cheersing the release of a new book called You Might Live Twice: A surgeon’s journey from stroke to self-mastery — a roadmap that may change your life too by Simon Kirby, MD.

I had the honour and delight of being Simon’s book coach and editor, and this one felt particularly special because he trusted me to help him bring his story to life. And his story is remarkable: he shouldn’t be here, and the only reason he is here is because he looked death and trauma right in the face and said, “Not now. Not like this.”

​You Might Live Twice is a beautiful blend of life-and-death drama (think your favourite hospital TV show, like New Amsterdam or The Pitt), philosophical thinking, warmth, and rigorously tested advice for starting all over again (even without the brainstem stroke).

Some of my favourite parts of this book are about the people in Simon’s life: his wife Vicki, who is truly extraordinary and refused to turn off his machine despite the odds; his friends, who helped him unexpected ways; the doctors who never gave up on him.

It’s a reminder that, although Simon himself is remarkable in his single-minded pursuit of recovery, that we’re not in this alone, and that we always have hope.

Even if everything feels doomed…

Even if it looks like you might lose everything…

Even if your future does not in any way resemble the plans you had for it…

Simon shows us that we are capable of the most incredible feats of recovery, adaptation, and the ability to pivot hard. And that none of this is accomplished in one giant leap, despite what superhero movies might like to show us.

The tiniest changes make all the difference. A shift in perspective, a sudden realisation that what we thought was important actually isn’t, and that when we truly decide who we want to be and where we want to go, we can make it happen.

Not all of us will have a near-death experience (hopefully!) but we all do have the opportunity to change the course of our lives — without having to relearn how to walk and talk.

But how?

​You Might Live Twice shows us the way.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• How a facial plastic surgeon survived a catastrophic stroke and discovered that recovery begins somewhere medicine rarely look: the spirit.
• Which way to turn when you realise conventional advice isn’t going to get the job done.
• How to use smart neuroplasticity to make the changes you want to make, built on neuroscience, adaptive thinking, and a willingness to really examine ourselves.
• The four pillars of spirit, mindset, movement, and diet that enabled Simon to rebuild his life from the ground up — and designed to be adapted by anyone facing reinvention, not just survivors of catastrophic illness or injury.
• Why it’s never too late to pick a new direction and run towards it.

There’s something in the air at the moment. I’m feeling it. Lots of my peers are feeling it. This urge to do something new, something different. To re-examine who we are and our place in a world that is increasingly unstable and frightening.

This book has come at the perfect time and I’m so proud to have been a part of it.

Simon’s philosophy is simple:

He came to me two years ago with his 20-year story, ready to share it with the world, and I’m so glad he did. He brought his step-by-step, never give up philosophy, and the perfect attitude for writing.

This book is special.

Everyone’s situation is different. But we all have choices: how we see ourselves, how we see the world, and what we decide to do with what we have.

​You Might Live Twice gives us all a framework to use, regardless of our circumstances.

And it’s a bloody good story.

You can find out all about Simon’s new book here.

And you can get a copy from bookshop.org, Amazon, Indigo, or request it from your local library.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed supporting Simon to write it.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

p.s. A personal note to Simon: I will forever treasure the sessions we spent together when you told me your story and your vision for your book. I thought then, and still think now, that you are truly remarkable, stubborn in the best way, and filled with so much hope for yourself and for humanity. I’m proud to call you a friend. Your generosity of spirit means you’ve created a beautiful book, and I hope it touches and changes many lives. It’s definitely changed mine.

p.p.s. If you’re ready to tell your story, and you’d like to do it with a writing partner and coach who’ll champion you every step of the way, I’m taking on one more client for the final part of this year, starting in November — so get in touch if you’d like to get started. Simon started with a VIP Day, then worked with me for 6 months to get the book written and edited.

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