Life is short — there’s no time for stress

When the doctors told me at 38, with three young children and going through a divorce, that I had a 50/50 chance of survival, I had no idea the extent of my instinct for survival and my choice for life no matter what I heard.

At the time of the diagnosis, my business was and still is teaching people how to maintain inner peace no matter what surrounds them, and here I was, facing two of the top stressors at the same time: cancer and divorce. In less than two years, I experienced a divorce, a double mastectomy, 16 chemos, an additional year of chemo, six weeks of daily radiation, 12 surgeries and a staph infection that almost took my life. I say this without any sense of victimization because this was truly a schoolhouse of opportunity to practice and apply what I had been teaching and learning about for 20 years.

I remember surveying the scars on my chest where my breasts used to be, and saying out loud, “Wow, I am earning my PhD in suffering, which will give me the ability to connect to the hearts of humanity through vulnerability.” When you remember that you have the God-given ability to shift your perception of any situation that unfolds before you, the portal of healing and opportunity for growth opens up before your eyes.

After speaking engagements, people will approach me and share pieces from their dark night of the soul experiences in life. Oftentimes, they will start out by saying, “Well, this is nothing compared to what you have been through.”

I respond by reminding them: Be present to the lessons and learning opportunities in the midst of your perceived threatening situation. Don’t miss the invitation to move beyond your limitations; No two human hearts beat the same. Comparisons occur only when people forget their worth, uniqueness and capability; Use your unique challenge to reconnect to what you value most in this life. You will begin to see what is non-essential and what is essential in light of this choice and inner peace will return.

Be a seeker of rainbows no matter what surrounds you, and you will see them appear in the most unlikely situations. Here in Colorado, we have seen plenty rainbows appear after horrific storms. The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is located by your brain stem and is responsible for tuning into whatever it is you are focusing on.

I made the choice for life and love no matter what surrounded me. I am now celebrating my 6th Cancer Conqueror year of life.  By your thoughts, you form your choices, and by your choices, you form your life. Choose wisely. You are not the victim in life unless you choose to be.

New Release: A Cancer Conqueror’s Mindset; in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please use discount code CCC14. Explore my programs and use the code OPENOW to receive a 50 percent discount for the month of October.