The Blueprint and the Brushstrokes
Chapter 2
Introduction
Welcome back, it’s Patrick Nolan here leading you into another thought provoking insight.
This week’s ChapterKey™ release takes us into the heart of your foundation.
It’s called The Blueprint and the Brushstrokes, and it’s all about tracing your path back to the beginning, not just biologically, but emotionally, ancestrally, and energetically. It asks the hard but essential questions:
What did I inherit?
What did I add?
And how do I rewrite what comes next?
This chapter isn’t theory. It’s your chance to begin mapping what made you… and start reclaiming the pen.
I’ll step back now and as always let’s have the author himself, Paul Cobbin lead us through chapter two.
Chapter 2
By: Paul Cobbin
The Blueprint and the Brushstrokes
A diagnosis is not just a medical label, it is an invitation to begin a new foundation for yourself, one of alignment, where self-awareness and intentional action converge.
Before we can chart a course forward, we must understand where we stand and what brought us here. Setting your foundation stone is where your journey begins allowing you to take your first step into an empowered future.
This chapter is about grounding yourself in the interplay of genetics, epigenetics, and legacy, using this understanding as a launchpad for transformation.
When I was first handed my CAD diagnosis, I assumed my genes had sealed my fate. A number of my ancestors had suffered from heart issues, so it seemed logical I would suffer from Coronary issues too.
You see, from conception we carry our genetic blueprint with us as a unique code passed down through generations. This blueprint acts as an instruction manual for your body, shaping characteristics like your height, hair color, and predisposition to certain conditions. However, as scientific approaches like Kashif Khan’s The DNA Way reveals, your genes are not a rigid script but a guide to be adapted as best you can.
For example, while my genetic blueprint included thin straight ‘mouse-brown’ hair, my daughters were born with an entirely new blueprint taking some traits from me and others from my wife. One daughter has my wife’s tight middle eastern curls and black hair while the other has thin straight hair from me but my wife’s jet black colour. In each case, their genetic blueprint is uniquely theirs. They’ve got their own individual styles, but the foundational genetics from us are theirs for life.
Think of your genetics as the foundation of a house. It sets the structure, but the design, decorations, and maintenance depend on your choices and the forces that act upon it. Your genes may predispose you to vulnerabilities, but they are also a roadmap to your strengths. Understanding my blueprint empowered me to take intentional actions, mitigating risks and amplifying resilience.
While we inherit our genetic blueprint, our lifestyle or brushstrokes influence how those genes are expressed. Viewing the conditions from this perspective meant I wasn’t doomed - I had power over my future. By shifting my mindset and implementing functional health integration, I saw tangible improvements that began defying my prognosis. This realisation sparked my interest in functional genomics, leading me to explore how targeted lifestyle and environmental changes could optimise my genetic potential. I wasn’t just surviving - I was actively rewriting my genetic destiny with science as my ally.
After my prostate cancer entered into remission, I thought the war against chronic conditions was over. I overhauled my diet, exercised more, and focused on getting my body in order. But then my battle with CAD and CSVD diagnosis arrived on two fronts. Now I was fighting two conditions and it forced me to look beyond just the physical. I needed a new strategy and that’s when I decided to return to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for a deeper understanding than western medicine had to offer. In returning to TCM I learnt the key to survival wasn’t just nutrition and movement, it was about preserving Jing, the vital energy that sustains us.
In TCM, Jing is the foundational life force, and I had been burning through mine at an unsustainable rate for years. Stress, overwork, and neglecting mindfulness had drained me more than I realized. Addressing the condition meant more than just diet and exercise; it required an overhaul of how I lived. Only when I began preserving Jing in my mind, body, and soul did I see true progress.
A tough lesson from that experience pointed me to the fact that your choices today don’t just impact you, they ripple outward to future generations. Epigenetics shows that lifestyle choices, stress management, and reduced inflammation can positively influence the genetic expression passed down to your children and grandchildren.
This generational perspective mirrors the Chinese concept of Jing, where preserving vitality ensures a healthier legacy. This journey is not only a personal journey, it’s a contribution to the health of those who come after you.
Let me elaborate on this point a little further because the majority of this book is about you not them.
For years, alcohol was a staple in my social life. I was a high-functioning alcoholic, a term that made it easy to dismiss the damage I was doing. My wife and I drank daily. It was nothing for us to come home from work, have a whiskey or two before dinner then finish the evening with a bottle of wine between us. It was deeply ingrained in our routine. But when I was preparing for my radical prostatectomy surgery, it became clear that something had to change.
The turning point came when we listened to Alcohol Lied to Me by Craig Beck. By the end of the book, we both decided to quit cold turkey. Overnight, a lifetime of habits was abandoned. The results were staggering, our mornings were clearer, our energy levels surged, and my body responded positively almost immediately. But beyond the physical benefits, the most profound impact was the echo on our family.
Our adult children and their partners began consuming less as well. By breaking the cycle, we were setting a new precedent for future generations, proving that change was possible at any stage in life.
Laying The Foundation Stone
About ten months into my CAD diagnosis my heart health crashed from 68% to 42% in less than three weeks(as defined by my smart watch; see the preface). It was obvious my current approach needed more, I wasn’t sure what but I had to take drastic action or I was done for.
My existing approach wasn’t enough. I had to dig deeper and I’m not just talking about treatment, but into who I was and what needed to change. I reflected on everything that had led me to this moment, all the relentless stress, the poor sleep, the constant drive to push through without listening to my body and my genetic blueprint. It was then I realized, surviving wasn’t just about medication or exercise; it was about rebuilding the very foundation of my well-being.
Out of necessity to identify the root cause, I developed the Foundation Stone as a mental, physical and emotional account of my past. It wasn’t just about accounting for the lifestyle choices that got me here, it was about identifying every contributing factor to my health decline. I mapped out everything: stressors, lifestyle choices, habits, nutrition, and spiritual well-being. I felt a bit like the mad scientist in ‘Back To The Future’, with digital notes everywhere and in the end I had this huge mind map of the Blueprint and the Brushstrokes that had led me to this point.
By assembling this comprehensive view with the assistance of my mental health professional, I was able to move beyond just managing symptoms and start building a pathway to real recovery.
The Foundation Stone of my genetic blueprint allowed me to introspectively dive into the brushstrokes of life and the power of epigenetics. This combination of my blueprint and the brushstrokes allowed me to build on the Foundation Stone of my past to guide my future towards a resilient and empowered diagnosis.
Let’s reflect on how I laid the Foundation Stone for my future and how you can begin to do the same for yours.
In essence, the Foundation Stone represents the starting point for alignment, where self-awareness and intentional action converge.
For a moment, think of the concept of building a house. First you need to set strong foundations engineered from an understanding of the strata lying beneath the building. We can’t change much about the strata or ground underneath, but if we know its constituents we can create a suitable foundation to support a building of any height.
By understanding your genetic blueprint, embracing the power of epigenetics, and reflecting on the Forces shaping your life, you’ve taken the first step toward alignment of the past with your steps into the future. This foundation will support the actions and reflections you build upon it in the coming chapters of your own Alignment Pathway.
Genetics as the Blueprint
The Oxford dictionary defines Genetics as the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.
Perhaps you already have an understanding of your inherited traits in simple terms, but have you ever mapped out the medical and lifestyle history of your ancestors to see what historical hints you can uncover to describe the core base of your inherited Foundation Stone because the traits we inherit run deep.
Epigenetics: The Brushstrokes of Life
Epigenetics is the study of how external Forces influence gene expression and takes this understanding further. While your DNA sequence remains constant, the way your genes are “switched on” or “switched off” depends on factors like diet, stress, environment, and lifestyle.
Positive Brushstrokes: Tailored nutrition, regular movement, and stress reduction enhance gene expression, promoting vitality.
Negative Brushstrokes: Chronic stress, poor diet, and environmental toxins activate genes linked to inflammation and chronic disease.
Imagine epigenetics as the brushstrokes on your genetic canvas. Each choice adds color and texture, shaping the picture of your health. By aligning your Elements, that is, Mind, Body, and Soul with these Forces, you can influence your gene expression for better outcomes.
Practical Alignment: For example, if your genes indicate a predisposition to slower detoxification, you can support your Body with liver-friendly foods, hydration, and toxin reduction. These small choices compound over time, altering your health trajectory.
The Concept of Jing: Life’s Essence
In traditional Chinese medicine, Jing represents the core vitality you inherit from your parents. Like epigenetics, Jing acknowledges the interplay of inheritance and lifestyle. It is finite but can be preserved and nurtured through balanced living, mindfulness, and restorative practices.
Depletion: Stress, overwork, and poor habits can drain Jing prematurely.
Preservation: Intentional choices, like prioritizing rest and nourishment to maintain your vitality.
This philosophy aligns seamlessly with modern epigenetics, emphasizing that while your inheritance matters, your daily actions hold transformative power.
Our genes may be the blueprint, but the brushstrokes are ours to constantly redefine. Understanding your genetic blueprint is the beginning of insight. But insight without application is only potential. In the next chapter, we’ll explore how to transform that potential into aligned, daily action through one decision, one pattern, and one habit at a time.
Key Insight
Your genetics may influence your starting point, but they do not define your endpoint. The choices you make on a daily basis hold the brush that paints the rest of your health story.
Practical Reflections
Explore mapping your Genetic and Epigenetic Landscape, where you can identify key lifestyle factors currently impacting you and visualize steps toward Dynamic Harmony in the future.
Before we leave for the next chapter, take a moment to reflect:
What genetic blueprints have contributed to your current diagnosis?
What lifestyle brushstrokes have had a potential impact on your current diagnosis?
How can you begin using this understanding to shape your health story?
Fama Sidebar: The Navigator’s Insight
Your genetic blueprint is the canvas, but your choices hold the brush. As you lay the foundation stone of your empowered diagnosis, think about one intentional action you can take today. Each step you take builds toward balance, resilience, and a legacy of health. Remember, every brushstroke matters.
Closing Notes
Patrick back again.
As you just read, this chapter marks a turning point.
You’re not simply reacting to a diagnosis, you’re actively engaging with it. And that means looking both backward and forward with clarity. It means understanding the canvas and choosing your next brushstroke with intention.
Before we go, make sure you download the free Reflections Notepad if you haven’t already. It’s designed to help you reflect on chapters just like this.
Download it here: https://decodeyourdiagnosis.com/the-reflections-notepad
And if you’ve been following along with the ChapterKey™ series I’ve got some great news. The entire ChapterKey First Edition release of Decode your Diagnosis will continue all the way through to the final chapter for free subscribers of the Decode Your Diagnosis Substack.
However, if you would like a deeper engagement to mix with other Titans just like you, the Titans Arena waiting list is now open. By joining the waiting list you’ll receive early access, live events, and a lot more opportunity to decode your diagnosis exclusively to members of the Inner Ring.
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Keep decoding and we’ll see you again Tuesday in Rings of Resilience™.
With you in this always,
Patrick