How Brian Tracy’s Voice Helped Me During My Mother’s Battle For Life

I started listening to titles on Audible in the latter half of 2022.

The first title I listened to intently was 'The New Market Wizards' by Jack D. Schwager. At the time, I had 8–9 unread titles in my library, all trading-related and non-fiction.

Tragedy struck in January 2023 when my mother suffered a sudden cardiac arrest five days after knee transplant surgery at a hospital in New Delhi. At that unfortunate hour, she was still in the hospital, where she was revived on time, and placed in the ICU under artificial ventilation and life-saving drugs.

At the time of her cardiac arrest, I was in Dehradun, about 300 km away from her. It was almost half-past eight on the night of January 15 when I got the news. Within a couple of hours, I left for her hospital by road and reached New Delhi in the early hours of the next day. When I saw her for the first time after this dreadful event, I felt hopeful she would be weaned off in a day or two. Her parameters were improving, and clinically, she didn’t look too bad. Having been her doctor for the past 20 years, I had a good sense of her inner state relative to her outward appearance.

She was kept under sedation due to mechanical ventilation, so when I met her, she was unresponsive. After speaking with her medical team and assessing the situation, my worries eased a bit, and I had a cup of coffee. Her memories played on a loop in my mind — her healthy days in her youth, our recent interactions, the days we had spent together, and much more. I had never seen her in such a state before, and it was heart-shattering to see her surrounded by tubes and machines, lying unconscious in the cold, stony ICU. It was hard to believe what had happened, but I was thankful to the Almighty that she had been saved in time. I was certain she would be out of danger soon, and that belief kept the spring in my steps intact.

That day, I opened my Audible app and started listening to 'The Entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley' by John McLaughlin. I had launched my YouTube channel just two weeks earlier (on January 1, 2023) and had already uploaded six videos. The channel aimed to simplify complex medical topics in Hindi. I think I was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug at that time, which influenced my choice of the title.

As days passed, new complications arose. Every time my hope was shaken, I cried, then recollected myself. It became a vicious, predictable cycle. A tracheostomy was planned, as it was deemed she would need prolonged ventilation. Everything around me felt increasingly bleak and dark. During these tough days, I turned to motivational listening on Audible.

I started 'Million Dollar Habits' by Brian Tracy. At first, I couldn’t focus on the content or the speaker. I was lost in my own loud, jumbled, and sad thoughts. The audiobook merely provided a faint but constant current of reassurance. Gradually, as the noise in my mind quieted, I noticed the calm, composed voice of the speaker. It felt like an elder offering wisdom and hope. Intrigued, I started paying attention to his words, eventually becoming fully immersed. I finished the rest of the book almost in one sitting and felt calmer, recharged, and sorted. This marked the beginning of my love for Audible.

In the following days, I listened to more of Brian Tracy’s audiobooks. His voice became my anchor during moments of chaos, nervousness, or worry. Even when I didn’t focus on the content, hearing his calm, composed tone gave me the feeling that a wise elder was guiding and consoling me. I relistened to his books repeatedly. Much like staying indoors with the air conditioning to avoid summer heat, I turned to his voice for solace.

When I speak of gaining self-esteem, it’s important to note that I was not regarded as wise by the absolute majority of my biological family. Their behavior reflected this bluntly, leaving me craving validation and writhing in self-doubt. Anyone who offered me validation became my favorite. Listening to Brian Tracy felt like spending time with a senior family member who trusted me, believed in me, and gave me valuable advice.

As I delved deeper into motivational content, I also explored Jim Rohn. I liked his energetic voice and animated diction, though it contrasted with Brian Tracy’s calm and soothing tone. Over time, as my mother’s condition worsened, my Audible sessions became less frequent. Perhaps I had reached a plateau with motivational content, or perhaps a subconscious realization of her dire state was setting in — something I neither imagined nor was prepared for. My mother endured many struggles before succumbing to her illnesses on the night of March 27, 2023.

On the 13th day after a family member’s passing, a grand ritual is conducted. For my mother, it was organized in our native village, where I participated. Everyone from the extended family gathered, religious rituals were performed, and a Brahman Bhojan was organized. On my way back to Dehradun, I started listening to Wayne Dyer on my elder brother’s recommendation. I found his voice warm, friendly, and reminiscent of a next-door neighbor—enjoying the act of reading and trying his best to connect with the listener. However, Brian Tracy remains my favorite for his calm, composed voice, which continues to provide reassurance and wisdom. Even now, I sometimes listen to him — not for the content of his books mainly, but for the soothing quality of his voice and his reassuring, wise tone.