The experience of developing the Think About Your Life website
has taught me the importance of two things.
1) I need to regularly share dreams with everyone in my network
- once a dream is shared it is more likely to happen!
2) Patience and discipline are necessary to achieve the
dream.
The dream for this month is developing partnerships in order to
reach as many people as we can on a journey with cancer to find
resilience and hope by using the website. Working together in
partnership with cancer support organizations, cancer centers, and
individuals is the way forward! Below there is a story of how one
mother used the website and is planning to share it with
others!
Patience and discipline are two aspects of my personality where
I struggle. Ideas are easy, it is the follow through that is
difficult. My hope is to share progress towards the dreams and
vision of success for the website through this blog!
Learning from stories…
This
example was developed by a mom thinking about her teenage son. She
used the Hopes and Fears tool to consider issues for the future her
son may deal with as the survivor of childhood cancer.
This mom is now has the opportunity to share the
Thinkaboutyourlife website with a support group for children that
have survived cancer and their families! I look forward to sharing
the learning from this experience.
I recently had a chat with a woman about her experience with
cancer. She is in the new normal stage of her journey and looking
to figure out what is next in her life. While she was going through
treatment she quit a job that she didn't like - it took her cancer
experience to help her understand she can take time to find a job
that is satisfying and gratifying. So, often we hear stories of
cancer empowering people to make a change; to find more meaning in
life and to give back to others. She is still searching for the
paying job that fits with her vision of success for her life. I
suggested she look at the dream section on the website to help her
figure out her next steps. I look forward to sharing her story in
future blogs!
We have also learned that the tools on the website help
people with long term chronic illness. Jane graciously offered her
example of thinking about her good days and bad days, hopes &
fears and what's working/what's not working
for dealing with colitis.
Amanda George
