Think Positive

I’ve always found comfort and peace in my religion, especially when I was lost.  When I was younger dealing with my parents’ divorce, God helped me believe in better times and gave me hope. Once again, the power of prayer and belief, gave me hope during cancer that everything will be better again after all this is over. My religion helped me better cope and accept what was happening to me and give me sense of purpose, peace and comfort.

In addition to prayer, I rely on other daily spiritual practices to over-come negative emotions: writing down what I’m grateful for, my dreams, my bucket list, taking a walk, listening to a book or podcast, meditating or taking breathing excercises, stretching, yoga, listening to music, playing piano, reading poetry, taking a bath, aroma therapy (tea, candles, essential oils).

Self talk can be powerful and positive when you are feeling down, especially when it is encouraging and uplifting. What you tell yourself will prophesy your outcome. Focus on the positive. Try to find a “bright side” or gaining something rather than loosing when you are feeling a negative reaction or self-doubt. For instance, tell yourself: “you are going through a lot right now, but it will not last long”, “this is just temporary inconvenience”, “I would rather go through this than my loved ones”, “it could be so much worse…” or “it’s unfair that cancer happened to me but it made me more resilient, appreciative and enjoy every day to the fullest.”    

Look around you…the most important and beautiful things in life you already have – your family, people that you love and they love you back, your friends, your pets, etc. Lean on the people that help you get through the tough times, have encouraging words to say, boost your mood and give you energy, those that are present and available for you. 

I remember the 2nd day after 5 chemo treatments when I was feeling bad physically, tired, emotionally upset and feeling hopeless that this feeling will never end, when a friend called me checking on me as usual.  But this time was different, she caught me when I was vulnerable and wasn’t being “strong”.  Her call meant more to me this time than ever.  We talked about nothing of importance, the “usual” but somehow it felt unforgettable.  Her call was perfectly timed when I needed someone to challenge my thoughts and cheer me up.

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Have you ever laughed so hard bringing you to tears when you couldn’t control yourself, couldn’t stop, continue laughing without a reason or not even remembering why you started laughing in the first place? This kind of laugh is the best…this kind of laugh is good for your health and good for your spirit. It makes me smile even thinking about it.  When I was young, I loved watching AFV (America’s Funniest Home Videos).  It was silly but funny.  When I feel down, AFV on YouTube is a great resource to deal with pain, stress and negative thoughts. Try Best Babies Laughing Videos or Laughing Fox on YouTube.  Their laugh is contagious. 

I found comfort and encouragment during my cancer journey in other people’s inspirational quotes.  These quotes gave me a different perspective on my own situation, hope and encouragement that everything will be ok at the end, relating to others and belonging to a community of people that are also dealing with their own struggles. Their words helped me see the bright side and gave me hope. 

We are very fortunate to live in a digital world, where so many other women are able to share their cancer journeys and survivor stories through social media.  Relating to someone and sharing the same struggles helps to endure this horrible disease together.