It all circles back to love: How self-love inspires healing

It All Circles Back to LOVE.   The Power of Style: how fashion and healing intersectL

As patients, we have a tendency to feel like victims. I know that’s how I felt at first. After hearing a cancer diagnosis, we feel so powerless, as if everything is out of our control. 

But, whether we are victims or not, it doesn’t matter. Our power is in choosing the attitude we want to embrace. Once you commit to that choice, you open up to the healing powers we all have inside of us. 

Instinct kicked in when I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. Since then, I’ve been processing all the lessons I learned, trying to go deeper into the meaning of it all, wanting to understand the choices I made that saved my life. I realized I didn’t want to suffer, but rather celebrate the journey I was about to undertake. 

My advice for anyone who is recently diagnosed, ask yourself the question, How do you want to experience cancer? How do you want to experience chemo? Because it’s not up to cancer, or chemo, it’s up to you. I believe we can create the happy endings we desire with love and gratitude as our swords. Walking step by step, day by day, doing our best to enjoy the ride will make the ride that much better. And just so we’re clear, death IS the end for all of us. Cancer is only part of this whole entire journey. So, wouldn’t you want to walk towards the end living in gratitude and peace, enjoying the ride you were given?  

When I started chemo, I wanted to be as happy, joyful, and at peace as I could. In order to do that, I had to believe cancer was a vehicle to reach my end goals, a life full of happiness, peace, and joy. 

Who would have thought that decision would guide me into past trauma that needed healing? I see it all now as I continue to process. I had lost track of who I was, and cancer was a wake up call. Cancer was the journey back to me, to what life is all about … LOVE.