Cancer Truth Note: #307
Your gifts, much like your habits, are often invisible to you. What seems obvious or easy for you may be HARD for someone else.
There are the gifts of a circumstance and there are the natural talents you possess, also gifts.
Have you ever had a situation where the right decision was completely obvious to you? Or that you moved forward in a situation without any hesitation because, well of course, taking the actions you took were what everyone would do… only to find out that someone else found you amazing for taking the action you did, while they were stuck with no idea how to move forward?
I attended a single support group. We went around the room, told our stories and that was about it. Some people had been telling their stories for months. Some of the stories had a nugget of what had changed for them during the past month. Most didn’t.
After the meeting a lady approached me and with a note of desperation for the answer she asked, “How did you go back to work so soon after your surgery? I have been out for 3-months and I don’t know what to do.”
At that moment, I was a cancer survivor seeking support, I was not a board certified health and wellness coach, I was not a physical trainer, I was not a certified lymphedema therapist. At that moment I was stunned by the question, because it never occurred to me not to get back to work as soon as I was able to.
Not only was the lady asking the question not going back to work, she was not moving forward with her treatment. So I recommended she call our doctors office and make an appointment, then not leave there without a plan. One step to take action on.
After some space from the conversation I realized taking action and moving forward despite the challenges I am navigating is one of my gifts. I am also better equipped to answer the question when someone asks it because I recognize that it is not “normal” for everyone.
Can you think about a way you are in the world, or a task or set of tasks you are amazing at that people marvel at? Drop it in the comments.
Continue the conversation in the facebook group Surviving is JUST the Beginning or follow me on Instagram.
Additional Truths
Cancer Truth Notes: #365
Cancer Truth Note: #365 Seven years ago today I finished chemo. Then I learned that treatment is not the end of the journey. Surviving is JUST the beginning. I really thought, “GREAT. I am done with this part. I should be back to full strength in 3 weeks and be fine...
Cancer Truth Notes: #364
Cancer Truth Note: #364 Remember depression, anxiety, fear of recurrence, and other mental health challenges are common side effects for cancer survivors. These may show up more strongly as the days get shorter and colder here in the northern hemisphere. If you are...
Cancer Truth Notes: #363
Cancer Truth Note: #363 We don’t always see the impacts cancer treatments are having on us clearly, but most of the time if something is off you know it. Maybe tasks that were easy are now harder to process. Maybe your memory is not working like it used to. Maybe you...