I have breast cancer - that is a fact. No wishing it away or wanting it to be different is going to change that fact and so I accept, without judgement, that this cancer journey is part of my life's path.
To some, this may be a big leap of thought, and hey I get it. Over 20 years ago, I had a different view. I once looked upon something like cancer as a curse, as a tragic event in one's life. I would have asked, "Why ME?" and yet, today, I welcome the journey that lies before me. Acceptance is not my automatic state by any means. It's a practice and since my cancer diagnosis, it's been a daily practice. It's something I work on A LOT.
If you know my partner David, you'd know that it would be almost impossible to avoid any exploration of consciousness, mindfulness, cultural conditioning and self-awareness. Rarely a day goes by that there isn't a teachable moment or an alternate perspective offered. That is what happens when you live with someone who, for more than 25 years, has been focused on self-discovery and awareness and is also a Deepak Chopra-certified Meditation Instructor. What a lucky girl I am to have David in my life as my own mindset maven.
What I know to be true - by being able to accept what is, my mind is not overcome with just negative thoughts. I have an increased capacity to re-frame my experience into a more positive one and that is exactly what I am going to do - find the joy in the nooks and crannnies, focus on all the good bits along the way and be grateful that this cancer is not my death-sentence, it's just a bump in the road.
No matter what tomorrow will bring (I have my treatment plan meeting with my surgeon), I know for sure:
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I am strong, brave and courageous
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I am loved beyond measure
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I am surrounded by the most incredible love-humans
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I can choose my inner state
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I can do this!
