leukemia life lessons
what 2022 and a cancer diagnosis taught me
For as long as I can remember, I've always been the kind of person who gets emotional at the start of a new year. Like many people, I love to reflect on the good and bad from the previous year and set intentions for what I want to accomplish next. I prefer intentions over resolutions. And writing them out is usually paired with the creation of a vision board.
But I've realized that in order to write 2023 intentions, I must first reflect on the lessons I learned in 2022. (Spoiler alert: 2022 had more life lessons than ever before.)
If you fall more in love with your partner during the most challenging time of your life, never let them go.
Failing at something means you tried.
You should never have to "find out who your friends are" if you choose them wisely.
Celebrating other people is a privilege.
So is the ability to exercise.
So is the ability to work.
What you give your energy to is a choice.
Whether you think you can or can't, either way, you're right.
Be kind whenever possible. (Pro tip: it's always possible.)
You'll get more out of finding silver linings than trying to figure out why something happened to you.
No one can judge your art if you never put it out.
And caring about what people have to say about your art will prevent you from creating greatness.
Take the PTO. Book the flight. Document every second of it.
Never be afraid to tell a loved one when you're struggling mentally. It’s okay to fall apart.
Your friends are just as much of family as your blood relatives.
If you're lucky enough, your coworkers can become your best friends.
You know your body better than anyone else because you're living in it. If you think something is off, stop at nothing to get answers.
Don't spend all of your time in the present waiting for the future.
Stop talking about all the things you want to accomplish and start taking steps to make them happen.
You can never tell people you love them too often.
One day your story will be someone else's survival guide.
Cancer starts the battle, but the survivor finishes it.
I have a lot more to expand on with each of these, but maybe I should take my own advice on #18 and finally start writing my book...what do you think? ;)
For those that have been following my journey, I can happily say I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Collectively, I have 40 more days of chemo spread out between now and March 31st, with my next round starting on January 9th. While I can't say it ever gets any easier physically, it is beginning to get a bit easier mentally. And I'm ready for every lesson I'll learn in 2023.
Cheers to the life lessons of 2022 and all of the life lessons to come this year. Most importantly, cheers to my friends and family. I wouldn't be here without you.
With love & gratitude,
