Article Summary:
An article on breast cancer with the thought-provoking perspective that even breast cancer can have some positive effects on your life.
These "Positives" are gleaned from being in contact with hundreds of breast cancer survivors. When these ten elements become part of the survivor's focus for daily living, their live is enhanced and also my be prolonged.
Being a thriver means taking responsibility for one's life. By transforming and integrating body, mind and spirit using these principles, people move from surviving, to THRIVING. They recover gracefully, and heal.
Most of us know someone who has been touched by the cancer experience. Sharing these tips with them could help them thrive because attitude greatly affects healing potential. Maintaining a positive outlook can be challenging. You can help them by remembering these facts, living them, and pointing them out to survivors in a compassionate way at the appropriate time.
1. The preciousness of life can be seen everywhere
Many survivors who have become “thrivers”, wake up some time after surgery, realizing how precious life is. This realization stays with them. From then on, most moments become filled with appreciation for the small things in life, the beauty of nature, animals, people, ideas, sounds.
2. You are not a victim
The choice is whether to believe you are a victim, or a victor. Just being born, being alive now, is cause for celebration. Choices empower us. The choice to see things outside of the perception of victimhood, is freedom.
3. You have inner strength and courage
Thrivers discover a part of themselves they may not have accessed before. They find the courage to make wise decisions and to heal, despite the odds. They find that willingness and intention carry them through the rough spots.
4. You can "battle" breast cancer, and win
Most women do! With the right lifestyle changes, holistic healing techniques, wise decisions, support and determination, breast cancer, especially when found in its early stages, is powerless over you.
5. Acceptance is a doorway to healing
Fighting against anything, consumes vast amounts of energy - depleting your body of the resources it needs to heal. There is a balance between acceptance and denial, a midpoint, which when initiated, produces a state of well-being that positively affects healing and recovery.
6. Your heart opens to be able to receive from others
Many women with breast cancer are excellent givers. They've been giving to others their entire life. Now they learn to receive gifts and love and kindness from others. It's often a challenge at first, to ask for, or receive help. It gets easier with practice, and the rewards are amazing.
7. You get to choose how you want to spend your time
The “to do” list diminishes as the value of every moment increases. Things that seemed essential suddenly take on a new perspective. Time is made for the really important things - being with things and places you love, sleeping, spending leisurely time with friends, deepening your spiritual practice, even going back to school.
8. You may be compelled to try new hobbies, even a new career
Since life is now a gem with many interesting facets to discover, explorations of interests that were previously just dreams, ideas or yearnings, are unearthed and explored. Often this leads to new careers. (It did for me. I went from being a school administrator to being the breast cancer recovery coach).
9. Who you are, is not how you look
Since your body may change significantly from surgeries and medications, you feel motivated to find your inner beauty. Often with the help of support groups, deeper spiritual work, and private coaching or counseling, you begin to recognize your inner beauty and get in touch with your Essence. Some women then move “from ego to Essence”.
10. Death is not an end, but an aspect of the cycle of life
Exploring the principles of life, the evolutionary truths, helps bring solace and understanding. Although loss my be experienced, the understanding that life is a continuing process, allows acceptance to bring peace to all situations.
Dr. Talia Miller, M.Ed., D.S.S., Holistic Breast Cancer Coach, is a speaker, published author, trainer, and a long-term breast cancer survivor. Her phenomenal program, From Survivor to Thriver The Breakthrough Program for Beating Breast Cancer helps women use their body-mind-spirit connection to heal from breast cancer and prevent breast cancer recurrence. She works by phone, with survivors throughout the world. She coaches survivors to become thrivers! Visit her website www.breastcancer coach.com.
Read all advice by Talia Miller, M.Ed., D.S.S.; Find more Women's Health experts
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