Stop! Cancer Is Not Your Life; Just A Chapter

Read this title again and again till it actually sets in with you.

Cancer is just a chapter, not your whole story. It's so powerful when you say it out loud and then write it down. It's amazing how we need to convince ourselves that the statement above is true. We all have different stories, different cancers, and treatment plans, but the one thing that we all do have in common is how do we move on after?

We fought, we won, we are managing.......now what?

I am not going to lie or sugarcoat my story but for me, it was a rough road. The recovery after treatment was up and down with so many side effects. When I finally started feeling like my old self then I was knocked down again with another medical issue. I was going crazy and had enough.

All I wanted was to be back on my treatment plan because at least then I knew what was going to happen. It was routine and I had learned how to cope. Now I was on my own with no chemo nurse giving me advice or my oncologist wanting to refer me to another doctor it was all so much.

All I wanted was to be my old self and to do the things I used to do. I couldn't and it frustrated me so much. Two years later and after reading about grief is when I actually realized that I needed to grieve my old self.

Sounds weird, right? But it is not. I needed to close the chapter on this part of my life and I was ready to turn the page to start writing my next chapter with health, joy, peace, and gratitude. In order to do that I wrote a letter to my old self about what I had done and what I had accomplished. Sounds morbid, but I guess it was like writing my obituary. I then read it aloud and acknowledged everything and felt amazed at all I had accomplished and I held onto that feeling and then I burned the letter.

I watched it burn and as it was burning I was still holding onto all those positive feelings and a sense of accomplishment from reading my obituary. The letter burned and my chapter had closed.

Now I took a new piece of paper and made a list. A list of all the things that I want to do. Then I prioritize them. Just by doing this list made me feel excited and gave me a sense of gratitude that I am able to make a list and to start checking off one item at a time. I have a purpose and a new desire to live and things that I want to do and I no longer feel bogged down with my past trauma of cancer and I am ready and feel alive to start my next life as New Linda which is a new version that I am still learning about. I just switched my perspective from old to new and I am looking forward to what is coming.

If you feel like me and are stuck in your cancer journey please try what has helped me and let me know if it works for you. I want you to know that it is just a chapter in your life and not your whole story. The hardest part is to move on and it is not easy and we all work on different timelines so maybe you moved on right after or maybe you are like me and it took a few years.

Whatever it is just know that you are a rockstar and a Cancer Ninja and together we can do this!

NINJA = Power

P.S.

If you are ready to move forward and need help organizing your thoughts and wanting a plan of action then check out my Clarity Tool Worksheet. This tool will help you get to where you want to go one goal at a time.

(located on the Freebies Tab on www.cancerninja.us)

Example:

Refer to the worksheet and here is a goal that I am working on right now

It can be used for simple goals or multiple goals. This is the Framework to get you going so you can start to accomplish your goals and dreams.

1. For me, I have been struggling with my weight and my body not feeling good.

(My Truth)

2. My look back has not achieved anything. I did try and then fell off my bandwagon.

(I Need Support)

3. This goal is important for me to feel better about myself and to have the energy that I once had to be able to be more active with my family and to go on adventures feeling confident.

(Important Why)

4. I have the capabilities to achieve my goal but yes I do need a support team to help me along the way for accountability and guidance.

(Reality)

5. My action step is that I need to hire a wellness coach for my support team to help me get to where I want to go.

(Action Step)

- This will be completed within 10 days

#lifeaftercancer #findingtheninjawithin #cancerninja