"Words to Thrive By" by Mary Anne Dorward

I’m a five time cancer survivor.

When I first heard The Big C Word, “CANCER ,” my very first thought was DEATH. If the moment I heard, “I’m so sorry. You have cancer,”  had been written out as an irrefutable mathematical equation, it would have been C =D or “Cancer equals Death.”

However, now I’m thinking that cancer is one of the best things to ever happen to me. Why?

Now I’m Listening.

Well, honestly, I wasn’t really listening to my body or my heart, both of which were screaming for my attention and love. Now I’m listening.

Cancer = Communication.

Cancer has also given me the permission I needed to communicate in ways I never would have before, both with myself and with others. In fact, cancer has completely transformed my life.

So for me, the C = D equation has changed to  C = C: Cancer = Communication.

Here are just three examples of how cancer has provided an incredible opportunity for communication and also has completely transformed my life:

1) Listen to Yourself

I’m finally listening to my body, and I no longer allow toxic people, food, ideas, or belief systems into my life.

2) Explore Your Many Options

Over the past three years, I’ve researched and learned everything I could about cancer and what causes it. As a result, in my treatment choices, I’ve done my best to combine not only the best of both the Western and Eastern medicine traditions, but also the best of the naturopathic medicine and even explored the raw-food movement, as well.

Now is the Best Time in the History Of The World to Have Cancer

What I know now for sure is that if you have to have cancer, now is the best time in the history of the world to have it! Not only has the technology improved dramatically, there are also so many wonderful treatment options now that we all have to choose from!

And I know from my own experience, with God’s grace we are each more than capable of completely healing ourselves!

3) Best of All is Your Journey of Healing From within.

I have a new relationship of Love, Compassion, Kindness, and Joy within myself that was never there before. I am now truly a Joy Ambassador everywhere I go. So, how in the world does a person become a Joy Ambassador for cancer?

In Joy We Abide

Well, every day I say to myself, over and over and over again:

“There is only one life. That life is God’s life. That life is perfect. That life is my life now. I am a Joy Ambassador and choose to learn all my lessons through Joy. From Joy, I was born. In Joy, I abide, and to Joy, I shall return.”

I take this inner Joy everywhere I go now.  Each day, I try to embrace everyone and everything I encounter with this same Joy. And it’s a funny thing. Everywhere I go, people innately respond to this Joy with an appreciative smile, a word of thanks or perhaps even a tear of gratitude for a moment to talk with someone who truly “Understands” what they have been going through.

Listen to Your Own Wisdom

“I” am not “my cancer.” I am a spiritual being who has had several physical experiences of cancer.

I’m so convinced that God is so totally in charge of my life, I have now completely released my fear of death.

I’m listening to myself and my own wisdom for the first time in my life, instead of listening to a hundred other people ahead of my own gut instinct. And now as a result, finally, after all these years, I totally trust myself.

Live in Gratitude

I live in peace and joy.
I am grateful.
And God is the Wholeness I am.

Get Support

If you are a cancer survivor, I know we can all benefit from your experience. What is the best piece of advice or support you were given during the time you had cancer?