Awaken the Dragon Within: A Journey into Courage, Community, and Creative Fire
There are books that tell stories, and then there are books that become stories in our lives—stories that awaken something dormant, urging us to rise into the fullness of who we are meant to be. My dear friend and my eye doctor, Dr. Vi Tu Banh’s Twelve Elephants and a Dragon is one such book. It’s not merely a recounting of his extraordinary life; it is a sacred invitation to embark on our own hero’s journey.
In this beautifully woven narrative, Dr. Banh begins in Vietnam, a land of ancestral lineage and family bonds forged in the fire of resilience. From his earliest years, he was immersed in the marrow-deep teachings of his family: serve the greater good, think beyond the self, and find strength in unity. These are not abstract ideals but blueprints for thriving, especially when adversity strikes.
Dr. Banh’s family’s journey is both literal and archetypal, a migration not just across oceans but through the inner landscapes of fear, hope, and transformation. Their story reminds us that life is not about surviving—it is about becoming. And more profoundly, it reveals a truth we too often forget: within each of us lies a dormant dragon egg, waiting for the challenges of life to incubate it. When warmed by our courage and nurtured by our choices, this egg hatches, releasing a creative fire that not only lights our path but inspires others to find their own dragons within.
Dr. Banh’s story shines with the ethos of WE. As a young boy in Canada, he contributed to his family’s survival by taking on paper routes, shovelling snow, and collecting recyclables, every small act a sacred offering to the collective good. His siblings and parents, each with their own efforts, wove together a life from what little they had. In a world consumed by the worship of I, this story is a powerful reminder of the strength found in shared purpose and sacred interdependence.
And yet, this book is not only about hard work and resilience. It is a hymn to the human spirit’s capacity to retreat, reorient, and rediscover its inner compass when the way forward becomes unclear. Dr. Banh’s journey across the seas was not just a migration—it was a reckoning, a vision quest, a sacred pause that allowed his family to recalibrate and rise stronger.
This is a book that calls us to reflect on our own lives, to ask: What kind of world am I building? What dragons lie dormant in my heart, waiting to be born? Dr. Banh’s words remind us that life’s trials are not meant to diminish us but to summon our creative fire—to light the world for ourselves and for others.
And then, there is the tenderness. Dr. Banh writes of his first Canadian toque, its pom-pom bouncing proudly, a gift that warmed not just his ears but his spirit. He speaks of the kindness of strangers with pockets full of generosity and hearts full of love. He writes with reverence for the ordinary—the small acts of care that, when held in gratitude, become extraordinary.
This is not just a book; it is a compass for living, a map of becoming, and a mirror to the hero within us all. It challenges us to see the sacred in the ordinary, to measure success by what we give, and to awaken the creative fire within that connects us to a greater whole.
Call to Action
I invite you to read 12 Elephants and a Dragon not only to witness Dr. Banh’s incredible story but to discover the hidden gifts waiting to awaken in your own life. All proceeds from the book go to the local hospital in Uxbridge—a testament to the same spirit of service that permeates this story. By purchasing this book, you’re not only honouring the journey of one family but paying it forward to others in need.
Read this book. Let it move you, challenge you, and inspire you. And when you close its pages, ask yourself: Who am I becoming? What kind of world am I building? And how can I light the way for others?
Click below to get your copy and join the journey of becoming. Pay it forward, and let the fire begin.
Cosmic speed to that world, that way…
Laurie Anne King
