When cancer’s got you down, it’s how you get back up that matters.
Here are seven ways to do that:
1. Appreciate battles already won.
When you found out you had cancer, you tackled a reality that stuns even the strongest of people. That took a lot of courage. Diagnosis and initiating treatment is mind boggling and stressful! Wherever you are in your treatment, acknowledge that you’ve engaged a brutal enemy, and you’re still fighting. Be thankful. Think about any victories of any size you’ve had so far.
2. Focus on positive truths.
Cancer treatment is hard work. You’ve done everything you can and all that you know to do. Give yourself credit for the monumental effort you’ve already made. You’re a miracle in process.
3. Feed your determination.
What feeds your determination? The vision of being well? The hope of putting all this behind you? Determination dies without nourishment, and hope is the best organic fuel you can give it.
4. Celebrate the small steps.
Keep your ultimate dream strong, but don’t gloss over the small steps it takes to get there. Of course, you want to be totally cancer free and moving forward with life, but cancer treatment comprises lots of seemingly small increments that lead to survivorship. Every action, every decision, every detail is part of your healing.
5. View setbacks as detours.
Setbacks happen to everyone. Health related and circumstantial “stuff” seem to pile on when you’re in crisis, but understand that you are not lost. Nor is the journey futile. Path adjustments, whatever the size or nature, are part of your process. Focus on survivorship, and don’t give up!
6. Think offense.
Cancer is an aggressive enemy. When I heard my diagnosis, I remember forming fists and wanting to strike back. I was angry, and I’m still angry, for your sake and mine. It’s time for cancer to come down. It doesn’t deserve to win. You are part of an army. Every battle you wage contributes to your own victory and our common goal to make cancer a disease people used to get.
7. Get real with God.
During the first month with cancer, I had a tough time being honest with God. As a faith person, I believed in His power, but I was frustrated that I had this monster disease to fight. Maybe cancer, I thought, is nothing to all the faith giants in this world, but to me it was a big deal. Then one day I gave my soul permission to let everything out, raw and unfiltered, and I learned a lot about what was really going on inside of me. No surprise to God, of course, but, as a calming peace filled me, I got clarity and strength for the journey.
Copyright © Marianne McDonough 2017
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