Blog Post
The "X" Factor
Kelly Anderson • Jan 13, 2020
Steve’s personal X Factor has me thinking about invisible connections, unseen forces,
and faith in things that can’t be easily explained by our accepted and logical ways of knowing.
X Factor Photo By Kelly Anderson
How about you? What is the superpower combination that makes up your personal X Factor?
Your great mistake, your great mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone.
Your greatest mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone.
Excerpt from the poem ‘Everything is Waiting for You’ by David Whyte
In November of 2012, shortly after his diagnosis of stage four stomach cancer, my friend Steve Andrews identified something special he had going for him in his battle against the disease. He believed he had the X Factor in his corner. He described this as the superpower combination of prayer, positive thinking, and his network of family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, colleagues, and even people he didn’t know.
Steve often wrote about this X Factor in his CaringBridge posts, which are the foundation of the book No One Fights Alone. He said, “My X Factor does not show up on a statistic sheet. And cancer has never seen an X Factor like the one I’ve got. It’s my personal X Factor that gives me hope every day when I wake up in the morning” (p. 21). During his twenty-five month fight for life, he shared stories of the countless ways this X Factor gave him encouragement and strength.
I’ve recently been thinking quite a bit about Steve and his X Factor. This combination of prayer, positive thought, and an expansive network of people is such an intangible thing. Yet, it was a powerful weapon in Steve’s battle. Although he didn’t beat the cancer, he lived significantly longer than his medical prognosis, and he made the most out of every single minute of every single day. He’s been gone for five years now and the influence of his X Factor is still very present - inspiring me, his family, friends, and everyone who hears his story.
Steve’s personal X Factor has me thinking about invisible connections, unseen forces, and faith in things that can’t be easily explained by our accepted and logical ways of knowing. And it has me thinking about my own personal X Factor.
These mysterious connections and forces are frequent topics in science fiction and fantasy. The fictional world of Star Wars comes immediately to my mind. In the Star Wars films, the Jedi trained to access the Force - an invisible source of power. This sounds like a pretty awesome X Factor. But, while science fiction is a fun way to explore these connections and forces, it isn’t the only way. Steve’s X Factor was neither science fiction nor fantasy. Steve’s personal X Factor was very real.
The belief in invisible connections, unseen forces, and faith in things that can’t be easily explained is present throughout our world. Prayer is a known and accepted way to connect to a Higher Power and is an integral part of many religions and spiritual practices. Ancient wisdom from indigenous people also speaks of these connections. In Dancing the Dream, Jamie Sams shared teachings from her Seneca Elders which describe a lost sense of human oneness and of being interrelated and one with the natural world and all of life (p. 27).
Even science has found evidence of connections which challenge common understanding. For me, some of the most mind-blowing information comes from quantum theory. Work in this field suggests that the universe is governed by more than mechanical rules, that it is highly interconnected - with everything potentially influencing everything else. The universe is viewed as holistic and dynamic. Margaret Wheatley summarized it for us non-physicists by saying “In the quantum world, relationship is the key determiner of everything...unseen connections between what were previously thought to be separate entities are the fundamental ingredient of all creation” (Leadership and the New Science, p. 11.) I think this reveals important clues to Steve’s X Factor.
I’ve barely grazed the surface of these ideas, and I don’t begin to fully understand the true power behind the X Factor. The approaches to exploring this phenomenon are big and complex. However, like Steve, I have faith in the invisible connections and unseen forces of prayer, positive thinking, and a community of supportive people - and I’m working to name the elements of my own X Factor - my path to profound living.
How about you? What is the superpower combination that makes up your personal X Factor?
Recommended Resources
Everything is Waiting for You
poem by David Whyte (shared through OnBeing.org)
No One Fights Alone: The Steve-O Stories
by Kelly Anderson with Steve and Julene Andrews (also available to read for free at https://n1fa.pressbooks.com/)
Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World
by Margaret Wheatley
Note About the X Factor Image
Shortly after his diagnosis, a co-worker gave Steve an X tree ornament. It became a symbol of his X Factor.
Cover Photo
X Factor
by Kelly Anderson
I’m working to name the elements of my own X Factor - my path to profound living.
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