How to live authentically.
Wellness isn’t a chore
Yes, the first time, I had it surgically removed and underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But seven years later, when it returned in my lungs, I chose no medical intervention. I don't claim to have all the answers because there's no simple equation here. A plus B doesn't always equal C in life. The thing people often get stuck on is the 'how-to.' They ask me questions, but all I can say is that it's about living in both the clouds and the dirt. The clouds represent letting every cell in my body know healing is possible, while the dirt is about doing the necessary everyday tasks.
Wellness for me isn’t a chore; it's figuring out how to live well. When I was unwell, I Googled wellness and what miraculous healings looked like. I deliberately focused my energy on where I wanted it to go, not on what I didn't want. So if people ask me what to do, I ask them one question; “Where are you focussing your energy?”
The power of thoughts
We all have dark thoughts. The odd bit of rumination. The trick is to learn the art of pulling yourself back when your thoughts drift to unhelpful places. It's not about berating yourself for wandering off track. Instead, it's about gently redirecting yourself, acknowledging your progress, and making it fun. I like to play tag with my thoughts. When I catch myself straying, I tap myself and say, "Caught you! Better than yesterday, you little fucker.” Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, "Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us." 100% I believe in this. Go on, next time you have a dark thought play tag with the wee beggar.
We’re all mortal
Take away two lessons.
The person with the answers is you.
You are mortal.
Stop obsessing over the past or the future and be intensely present. I want this realisation to hit you so hard that you end each day feeling that you’ve truly lived. Often we are so stuck in the past, running old stories over and over again. Or fretting over the future, telling ourselves stories that have not happened and may never.
It’s not a cancer thing, it’s a life thing.
Rules for life
I’ve distilled some of my living down to a few sentences. Ask yourself these questions.
If not now, then when?
If not you, then who?
Whether it’s your fault or not, it is your responsibility.
Go on, get living.