Andrew Davie, Guest of the Minute Mastery Episode 30Surviving a Brain Aneurysm: Andrew’s Journey of Resilience and Purpose
What if everything changed in an instant? What if one step, one breath, one strange moment was the beginning of a new life—not the one you planned, but one that shaped you in ways you never expected?
That’s what happened to Andrew.
In this deeply moving episode of The Minute Mastery Podcast, I sat down with Andrew, a mental health counselor, writer, and caregiver who survived a ruptured brain aneurysm and a subarachnoid hemorrhage. If you’ve never heard those terms before, just know this—it was a life-threatening event that forever changed how he experienced his body, emotions, time, and creativity.
From Lemons to Lemonade: Surviving a Brain Aneurysm
Andrew’s aneurysm happened while walking onto a plane. One moment he was on a jetway. The next, the floor shifted under him. There was no pain—just disorientation and collapse. Thanks to first responders, he was rushed to a hospital and survived. But surviving was just the beginning.
The first year was all about physical recovery. Learning to walk with a cane, wearing an eye patch for double vision, regaining balance—it was a journey. Today, he still has slight balance issues and visual adjustments, but he’s adapted. “It’s like being a bobblehead,” he says with humor and grace. “I just wait a second for things to settle.”
But what truly surprised him was the emotional shift. Joy didn’t feel the same. Emotional reactions were dulled. That, he admits, was the hardest part—relearning how to process life when your feelings don’t show up like they used to.
And yet, he pressed forward.
Surviving a Brain Aneurysm: Writing Through the Fog
Andrew has always been a writer. With a master’s in creative writing and a long history of storytelling, he had written screenplays, plays, and short fiction for years. But post-aneurysm, the question lingered—Can I still write?
So, he wrote a crime fiction novel. Not to publish it. Just to see if he could. And he did!
What emerged was not only a story, but a signal—his creative voice was still alive. He realized that creativity didn’t have to be about productivity or outcomes. It could simply be joy. “Writing is now about the process. If it gets read, great. If not, that’s okay too.”
That mindset shift is golden for all of us who create. Especially if we’re healing, grieving, or in transition.
On Grief, Caregiving & Emotional Strength
Four years after his aneurysm, Andrew became a caregiver to his mother, who was diagnosed with ALS. And strangely, the emotional numbness that was once frustrating became a strength. It helped him stay grounded during heartbreaking moments when his mom needed round-the-clock care.
“It allowed me to be present for the hard stuff without being emotionally overwhelmed,” he shared.
He moved back home to help—something he might not have been able to do if life had gone the way he originally imagined. It’s a reminder that sometimes the path we didn’t choose leads us exactly where we’re most needed.
The Story of Sitting in a Hole
Andrew now works as a mental health counselor, and his journey informs everything he does. He shared a powerful metaphor from his grief counseling training: Imagine someone is stuck in a hole. People come by and try to throw down solutions—food, tools, advice. But none of it helps. Then someone climbs down and just sits with them.
That, Andrew says, is the work. “Being present. Listening. Not fixing.” And having lived through trauma and caregiving, he does just that.
Time, Priorities & Letting Go of Pressure
When I asked Andrew how his brush with death changed his view on time, he gave an answer that stopped me in my tracks:
“I don’t feel like I need to accomplish anything anymore.”
Instead of chasing milestones, he’s focused on cultivating meaning. What brings fulfillment? What feels purposeful?
And sometimes, that means ignoring the to-do list and taking a nap. Or spending an hour with someone he loves. “Your body will tell you what it needs. Listen.”
As a time management coach, I talk often about productivity—but productivity without purpose is empty. Andrew’s story reminded me that time is not a race. It’s a relationship. And we get to choose how we show up in it.
How He Juggles It All
Andrew wears many hats: writer, counselor, podcaster, and volunteer. His secret? Awareness and alignment. He understands his energy, creates a routine that works for him, and reminds others that not everyone thrives with a rigid structure.
Some people need every hour scheduled. Others need flexibility. What matters is that you know what works for you—and you build from there.
Advice for Creatives in Crisis
If you’re going through trauma and wondering if you’ll ever write, create, or focus again, Andrew offers this:
- Healing is a spiral. You might revisit the same places, but you're still progressing.
- Progress isn’t always visible. Give it time.
- Practice creativity in all environments. Condition yourself to write anywhere, anytime—even in small bursts.
And as I always say: Rome wasn’t built in a day. But they kept laying bricks.
So if all you can do today is write one sentence, that’s a brick. Lay it. Tomorrow, add another.
Final Thoughts
Andrew’s story is one of resilience, reframing, and redefining success. He turned crisis into clarity, pain into presence, and loss into a different kind of legacy. He reminded me—and I hope he reminded you—that your time is precious. Your minutes matter. And fulfillment is often found not in the big leaps, but in the quiet moments of simply showing up. You can reach him through his website.
If this conversation moved you, please share it with someone who might need a reminder that healing, creativity, and purpose are still possible—even after everything changes.
Until next time, keep mastering your minutes.
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