Recently, I learned that two people I cherish in my life have been diagnosed with serious stages of cancer. If this happens to someone you know, you will choose to view such news in your own way. Coping, accepting and seeking to understand are phases people will often go through. Healing begins with choosing new ways of thinking inside yourself.
I find it remarkable how the universe evolves to remind me of what I am really thinking inside and what I believe matters. For example, while recently participating in a training workshop with a group of women I have known for a few years, it was brought to my attention that many of them are actually cancer survivors or in remission now. Some volunteered their stories to the group. Others were talking amongst themselves during tea break. It was as if my mind was seeking answers and the universe was responding.
One sentiment that echoed from each woman was that the diagnosis of illness was a wake up call to take charge of her life in a different way. They shifted their attitudes from a focus on longevity to a focus on making the most of what time they had been given. It was a matter of taking responsibility for their state of mind and physical body or, acknowledging the cancer was a symptom of imbalance or how they had been living.
Many people will not recognize that the answers they seek are always within reach. They may attribute their state of mind, emotions, body or spirit to something other than the truth. If you do not recognize what you see or experience, you may attribute some experience to something other than what it is. Life is an exercise in self-definition. You learn from other people what you are really thinking but may not yet grasp or admit.