One in 500 Million (May 17, 2026)
Today was a very special day indeed. I had the opportunity to sit down for a 2-hour breakfast with none other than Santiago Bravo. I’ve known this incredibly powerful international coach for six years. And today we had our first opportunity to sit face to face and break bread together here in Bogota, Columbia.
Bill and Santiago catch up on the meaning of life and everything
Santiago has been through quite a lot recently. He beat a rare cancer. How rare? As his doctor put it, “There is a one in 500 million chance of getting this cancer.” To put that in context, there are about 8 billion people on the planet and a total of 16 people (including Santiago) will ever get this form of cancer in their lifetime.
So I asked him, “Now do you believe how special you truly are?” I wasn’t being facetious. How many of us can say were one in 500 million about anything?
And yet, the truth goes much deeper than that. We’re actually one in 8 billion. No one has the precise life experience as you do. Each of us see only through our own experiences. We can not know what another person is thinking or experiencing. Sure, we can imagine, empathize and be curious, but only you know what you’re going through.
Acceptance, Uncertainty & Surrender
As you might imagine, two people can cover a lot of ground in two hours. For us, this began with digging into acceptance. Seeing life how it is, rather than how we want it to be. Santiago’s whole life has been turned upside down. Could this be exactly what he needed?
No one wants or seeks out cancer. And yet, having a life-threatening disease forces us to come face to face with our mortality. There’s no denying the very real possibility of death when it is staring you in the face. And even when you beat cancer, as Santiago has done, the question “what now?” is pervasive.
I shared one of my favorite quotes from Tony Robbins. “The quality of your life is directly proportional to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably live with.” Life on life’s terms. This is such a powerful and important lesson for us all. What does it mean to truly let go of your plans for your life and surrender to life’s incredible unfolding?
Neither Santiago nor I originally liked the word “surrender” as it was associated in our minds with:
Giving Up
Failure
Quitting
And yet, when I contemplated the true nature of surrender, I came up with a different meaning. For me, surrender means letting go of mental constructs of how life is “supposed” to be and accepting what is. My white water rafting metaphor works really well here. When I fight the current, I flip my boat over. Surrender is to allow the current of life take me where it wants me to go.
Where is that? I don’t know. Truly. This is the uncertainty I have come to accept and even embrace. When I hear a waterfall out in front of me, I’m smart enough to hire a local guide who’s been down this part of the river before me and can support me in my navigation. Otherwise, when I allow the river to take me, I experience deep calm and inner peace. Sometimes I float. Other times I paddle. But when I’m not fighting the river of life, I travel to some amazing and unexpected parts I could never have imagined on my own.
How you can help Santiago on his recovery journey
And so the conversation went. Santiago sharing his insights on how cancer has turned his life upside down … and all the blessings that has created in the process. Learning to live with uncertainty and the early stages of surrender. And how Biocentrism has helped him beat cancer as well as illuminate his path forward.
If you know Santiago at all, you know he’s the epitome of the word “Giver.” He rarely asks for anything from anyone. When he told his coaching group his story, they asked what he needed and then proactively built this GoFundMe campaign (thank you, Trixi and friends!) So far, it’s raised nearly $13k. But that’s only 22% of what’s needed. If you have already contributed and are part of that 22%, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If not, there’s still time and it means the world to Santiago and people like me in his community.
I enjoy seeing so many familiar names scroll across Santiago’s donner page. And if you donated anonymously, your contributions are equally appreciated and you know who you are. Thank you for contributing. I believe if the situation were reversed, we’d be eternally grateful for the community of outstanding support in our time of need.
