When your whole world changes in a single moment, how do you start again?

At 28, Dan MacQueen was living fast in London when he suddenly lost his vision on the tube. Within days, he was undergoing emergency brain surgery. A massive brain hemorrhage put him in a coma for four weeks—and when he woke up, nothing was the same. He had to relearn how to walk, talk, and even smile.

In this episode of The Life Shift, Dan shares what it means to face unimaginable setbacks, build resilience from scratch, and choose progress every day—especially on the hard ones.

About Dan MacQueen

Dan MacQueen is a brain hemorrhage survivor, resilience speaker, and mindset coach. After surviving two emergency brain surgeries and a devastating second setback, Dan now teaches others how to navigate change with grit, humor, and practical tools for becoming better than yesterday. His story has inspired audiences at Hootsuite, Spendesk, Headway West London, and more.

Website: https://www.macqueendan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macqueendan

Based in Vancouver, Canada

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What You'll Learn in This Episode:

- Why acceptance is the first step toward real recovery
- How perspective can shift even the most painful moments
- The 3 types of motivation Dan uses to keep going
- How to find meaning in your lowest moments
- What "better than yesterday" really looks like

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction
2:00 The life before the brain hemorrhage
7:00 Losing vision on the tube
9:00 Emergency surgery and coma
13:00 Rehab, setbacks, and mindset
18:00 Tooting Broadway and perspective shifts
28:00 Motivation: prove them right, prove them wrong, serve
35:00 Second setback and starting over again
47:00 The power of taking the next step
53:00 Dan's message to anyone starting over

If this story moved you, like and subscribe to support the show. Comment below with what part of Dan's story resonated most.

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