| Family and friends, relieved that it's over are usually | | | | focus on eliminating what you don't want so there is |
| more than ready to get back to whatever normal | | | | more room for what you do want. |
| was before your diagnosis. Breast Cancer Walk | | | | A coaching tool called the wheel of life is the place to |
| Philadelphia But like all heroines who are forced to | | | | begin. Divide a circle into eight pie-shaped segments: |
| fight battles in unknown lands, you have returned | | | | friends and family; significant other/romance; fun and |
| from your journey changed. While the physical | | | | recreation; health, money; personal growth; physical |
| geography of your outside world hasn't changed, | | | | environment and career. Rank your satisfaction score |
| your interior landscape has. | | | | in each area on a scale of 1-10. Now with a snapshot |
| Because of your cancer experience, you now know | | | | of where you are today, and using a "realistic magic |
| as never before how precious life is. And it begs the | | | | wand," write down where you'd like to be in each of |
| question: how do you want to spend the rest of | | | | the areas you'd like to improve. The more detail, the |
| your life? If you're like many survivors, the answer is | | | | better. |
| "thoughtfully." Some of the women I work with | | | | Now write down all the things that are stressing you |
| following a cancer diagnosis turn their lives upside | | | | out in that area: be it your job, friends, family, your |
| down, while others discover that their lives are | | | | physical environment or even yourself. By writing |
| exactly as they want them. Still others adjust certain | | | | them down, you increase your awareness about |
| areas of their lives, to find more fulfillment. But | | | | what's irritating you. There are two ways to tackle |
| almost all of them, in my experience as a life, | | | | irritations; both will make you feel more empowered. |
| business and results coach, use their diagnosis as an | | | | You can determine the actions and requests needed |
| opportunity to examine their lives. They look at what | | | | to eliminate these irritants from your life. This can be |
| is working, what isn't and begin navigating the next | | | | as simple as telling the truth. Or you can accept the |
| stage of their heroine's journey. | | | | reality of the situation, let go of trying to control it, |
| What's behind all this? A cancer diagnosis, or any life | | | | or them, and focus on something more rewarding. |
| threatening illness is often re-orienting and can bring | | | | Another issue to look at is time. What are your |
| about a massive change of priorities. It raises | | | | personal time wasters? Long phone conversations, |
| questions about what really matters to the survivor, | | | | television or the Internet? Write a list of the activities |
| which may or may not be different than to the | | | | that eat into your time and promise yourself you |
| person they were b.c. (before cancer). A cancer | | | | won't indulge in them for more than an hour a day. |
| diagnosis, or any life threatening illness can: | | | | You will be amazed at how much free time you |
| -Raise questions about the meaning of life and tests | | | | suddenly have available. |
| the bonds of relationships. | | | | How strong are your boundaries in the area you'd like |
| -Bring an end to a phase of life. | | | | to see improvement in? If you're spending too much |
| Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here | | | | time doing things you don't want to do, it's probably |
| -Provide survivors with an opportunity to learn why | | | | time to drop "the disease to please," and raise some |
| they are here and what and who really matters. | | | | personal boundaries. If your boundaries are poorly |
| -Serve as a wakeup call to examine what has been | | | | defined, it's more likely that you'll attract people who |
| resisted and; | | | | think it's OK to expect or demand something from |
| -Give survivors permission to shift their priorities. | | | | you. Remember, we teach people how to treat us. |
| They may see the truth of what matters, who | | | | By being clear about your boundaries, you'll regain |
| matters, and what they have been doing with their | | | | control of your life and show others how much you |
| lives. | | | | value yourself. |
| Having asked these questions, what can survivors do | | | | Making these simple changes can create a life that |
| to enhance the quality of their lives and to live it | | | | looks and feels different and most importantly, suits |
| more authentically, on their terms? The first place to | | | | you better. Why is this important? Because, as I said |
| start is with your level of satisfaction with your life. | | | | at the beginning of this article, you now know as |
| Because this is an article and not a coaching session, I | | | | never before how precious life is. As the poet Mary |
| won't outline all of the steps you could take if you | | | | Oliver asks in one of her poems, "What do you plan |
| chose to make some adjustments. Instead, I'll will | | | | to do with this one wild and precious life? |