Three Simple Truths

Becoming Wiser Through Breast Cancer and Other Living Things

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Three Simple Truths Posted: 09 Feb 2016 07:15 PM PST So tomorrow I will be stopping by Cherry Hill East to talk to the girls’ basketball team about my experiences with Cancer. I will likely just tell them something similar to what I said to someone I was working with tonight. Life is supposed to be hard and we are not in charge of how life goes.  We cannot figure it all out in advance. The reasons for this are actually quite simple.  #1- Life is supposed to be hard. It is though our hardships that we are given opportunities to grow. If Life was easy all the time- we would stagnate and not develop to our full potential nor would we develop compassion for others.  #2- We are not in charge of how Life goes. Whether you believe in fate or the Lord, life is full of unexpected twists, turns and events. We are on this ride and do not get to choose much of it. Some of it, of course, but in comparison, not that much. However, we always do get to choose our response to each and everything that happens to us though. (after we become adults that is). That is the part that we are in charge of- We have the most control about our reaction to what life hands us and to the people in our world.  Each and everyone one of us chose how we treat ourselves and others, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Knowing that is much better than being in charge anyway. Surrendering to the truth that we are not in charge of how life goes is a blessing and the path to freedom. The self-inflicted pain and weight is much less when you recognize you cannot control others, places or things. It takes the burden off one's back striving for the impossible. We can only be in charge of ourselves.  #3-We cannot figure it all out in advance. Life is just too unpredictable and our best needs to be good enough each and every time we try to do something. No matter what the outcome is, we need to be satisfied with our efforts. We are merely human beings doing our best and cannot know what we do not know and cannot do what we cannot do. We are all stuck being limited. Some of us are limited in one way and some of us are limited in another way but we are all stuck being only human, therefore, limited.   There is no shame in being human. Being Wonderful is Good Enough. And so is taking each and every opportunity to improve what we can learn, what we can do and what we can give. Keeping an open mind and heart is part of the challenge before us every day. But is only through honesty and openness that we can learn and become our best.  Which, I believe, is our greatest purpose in being human anyway; To Become Our Best While Living. I accept that I am dealing with something hard so I can develop to my fuller potential.  My cancer is just one of many events that occurred in my life that was unexpected and unplanned.  I chose to be kind to myself and to others through this process whenever possible so I can be proud of myself. No one will suffer especially me because I surrendered to the ride and am letting it unfold - one minute at a time, one hour at a time, and one day at a time....... like most things in my life.  The Lord has given me everything I need to take this ride.  With faith, there is nothing more to know.   So how do you think high school students will take to this type of information? Over their heads right????