nikithewellnesswarrior

Getting a third breast cancer diagnosis was not in my 2024 bingo card. Nor was needing to go through chemotherapy for the first time

Life really do be giving us challenges sometimes huh?

I’m a big believer in the way we approach challenges significantly affect the journey. Challenges, difficulties and hardships in life are inevitable. The sooner we accept this as a normal part of life, the sooner we can learn to make our journey through them smoother

Not only was my diagnosis devastating and terrifying, it also came at a time when life was already changing. I was getting ready to move my daughter into college and move out of my apartment where I lived for 19 years. Not that the news “you have cancer again” can come at a good time, but it can certainly come at the worst time. Ana this was kind of it

If life has taught me anything, it was that my mindset, my resilience, my problem solving skills can help me through this really sh*tty time

Here is the big lesson in all of this:

1: feel your feelings. It’s ok to be scared, angry, sad or anything else you’re feeling. They’re valid and you’re allowed to feel them

2: ask for, and accepted help & support. I would have been completely lost without the love and support of my family and friends. You don’t have to go through difficult times alone. Rely on the people who want to help you. There is no shame in needing help

3: take things one step at a time. When things get overwhelming, take a few deep breaths, make a plan and tackle that fu**er one step at a time. I promise it makes all the difference

4: you will grow. We don’t always ask for the life lessons we get, but it’s important to take the opportunity to grow from them. Pay attention to how you react and respond in certain situations. What did you like about it? What could you have done differently? How can you grow from this experience? Everything in life has the ability to teach us something about ourselves if we’re willing to learn

I hope that this can help someone who might be struggling right now. You are not alone. Don’t give up. You are loved

What you focus your energy on becomes your reality. What you water grows. Remember that when you want to change your habits, your reality, your life

I can easily focus on all the unfortunate things that happened. Diagnosed with cancer 3 times in a span of 11 years. I can easily focus on the fact that I have no hair, that I’m undergoing chemo, that I had to put a lot of thins on pause…that some things I’ll never be able to do again

And yet I feel gratitude and my heart is full. It hasn’t been an easy life (even aside from cancer), but it’s been a beautiful life so far

And I think that’s the whole point. For us to learn and understand that sometimes things are difficult and unfair and at times downright cruel. We have to acknowledge and allow things to suck sometimes but we also have to redirect our energy on the things that’s are good and beautiful. On the things that ARE working out

As we do, as we change the way we choose to look at things, life starts to look more beautiful and precious and good. LIFE IS GOOD

Self care can be much more challenging during difficult times yet it’s during those times that it’s more important than ever

I’m not doing ok at all mentally or emotionally right now. The looming PET scan and the results are consuming a lot of my energy

It’s important to practice some form of self-care so I don’t fall apart

A couple of things I didn’t include in the slide:

➡️🚶🏻‍♀️getting some movement in outdoors-right now that’s usually just a walk

➡️ working with my clients-it gives me a sense of normalcy and it’s such an important feeling to have right now

Please remember that it’s ok not to be ok. Allowing those feelings to move though you rather than suppressing them or trying to ignore them is an important part of healing and coping

Hang in there. You’re not alone 🤍

🎀 ❤️ ❤️