That statement is 10000% true. I would not be who I am if I did not have cancer back in 2007.
Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely sucked while I had cancer and the subsequent aftermath of having to go through the treatments. I mean totally sucked monkey balls. Cancer is very sad to me, as I have seen it take many people that I have known and loved. It is one of the most horrible diseases a person can have. If you survive it though, I think you owe it to the world to let your light shine. You definitely owe it to yourself.
When shit happens to us that we don’t like, we have two choices: 1) to become bitter and hateful or 2) to find the good that comes from it (albeit very difficult to find sometimes…I know).
2 Bible verses come to mind when I write this…
Phillipians 4:8 says, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
It all comes from choices. How am I going to react? I mean, I HAD my whole life planned….but it wasn’t what God planned for me. I had to accept that…and I could be pissed about it and let it ruin the rest of my life or I could fight knowing that something good would come out of it.
I also very strongly believe that your attitude strongly determines your “healing factor” and that if you think positive, you will indeed heal faster and stronger. The opposite is also true. What we put into the world for sure effects our outcome.
I chose to change my life. It is what came after it that made everything so wonderful.
The first changes…I started taking care of myself. Watching what I eat (nothing from a box!!), how much I eat, quality of food became important. I stopped drinking pop (as us Buffalonians say). I eat mostly a very alkaline diet. 99% no shit food and no processed food unless not given a choice. I stopped smoking (yeah I smoked when I was young…which is hard to believe right now…and I will share that story one day about how I prayed that my cigarette would taste like crap…and then one day it did…and I have not smoked since!). I started working out…specifically hiking to start…which has become a huge passion of mine.
An amazing thing started to happen…I FELT and looked way better. Younger. I tell people that I feel better now in my 40’s then I did when I was in my 20-30s! It’s true. For so many years, I ate what I wanted and basically didn’t do shit for exercise…and I was an “old person”. Lord knows what my old age would have been like if I would have kept on this path. Yuck.
Part 2…I started LIVING. I mean really living. I appreciated everything. I saw the good in everything and miracles everywhere. I had joy. I stopped working crazy-ass hours (like, I used to work every day) and started taking breaks to go on vacation. I realized that there would never be a “good time” to go on vacation in my industry…so I just started going. I found out that the world didn’t end because Jennifer took a week off 🙂 I saved money, but not too too much…and then have spent the shit out of the rest. I have it set up where I will be comfortable when I retire, but have also guaranteed that I can do what I want with my CURRENT time here and have fun and do good with it! I realized that the more you give away, the more God blesses you…and then you give away more…and then God continues to bless you. What a great circle that is!!
So there you go. That is my story on that. I chose not to be afraid and somehow I just knew that everything was going to be ok. I trusted God. He helped me figure it out. He took a horrible thing and showed me how to use it for good to change my path in life…the one that He intended me to be on.
Yay!
3 powerful songs I want to share with you today…they are on a playlist of mine called, “Songs that get me through shit”…I giggle as I type that this morning. I do indeed have that playlist that I made…and they have gotten me through some serious shit.
Anyway, they are amazing and so powerful… You can click on the links to listen and watch! If you are going through something tough…these songs will help you. Promise 🙂
First: Lauren Daigle… Trust in You
Second: Ryan Stevenson… In the Eye of the Storm
Third: Matt Redman…10,000 Reasons
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