How Cancer Changed My Life and How It Can Change Yours

“Caring about others, running the risk of feeling,
and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.”
Rabbi Harold Kushner

As a cancer survivor speaker, it’s always a tremendous honor whenever I’m asked to do a keynote on cancer. It’s a little nudge to remember to be grateful for even the smallest day-to-day occurences. Like waking up and seeing the sun rise over the mountains almost every morning. This may surprise many of you, but it is often a positive, uplifting, and even humorous experience to hear the stories of cancer survivors when hundreds of you are gathered in a room sharing your experiences. And yes, you DO have to have a sense of humor!

On June 1 of this year, I gave a keynote on cancer in Joliet, Illinois. 350 people were in attendance. Audience members were mostly cancer survivors, patients, their friends and families, as well as caregivers in healthcare. After sharing my own story (I’ve been cancer free and going strong for over 17 years!), I asked them what they had learned from a cancer diagnosis and how it changed their lives. They placed their stories in a basket we passed around which I would later read to the audience. But there were many who also shared their story out loud, standing, in front of the whole audience.

Some cancer survivors shared very personal stories of courage. Others shared stories that practically had us laughing on the floor. And some who were family members of cancer survivors shared how it strengthened relationships. Still others described, with tears welling in their eyes, how it’s given them a new appreciation for nature.

I’ve kept copies of what people have written in terms of how, as cancer survivors, they turned a negative into a positive. I’ve also kept a list of what healthcare workers say they’ve learned. The next time you’re tempted to sweat the small stuff, here are some comments to help you keep everything in perspective:

• “Life is too special and sometimes too short to worry about the small stuff. We need to have a passion for life. Working in oncology and having a cancer survivor mother to share my life with is truly a blessing! This disease is preventable! Get screened and get treatment if necessary!”

• “My wife is a cancer survivor, and I am now deeply aware of how the birds sing and the flowers bloom.”

• “I got a colonoscopy and had polyps in my late 20’s. I now know that I am not indestructible.”

• “As the wife of a cancer survivor, I find that my sense of what life is all about has changed. My treatment of others (my husband, children, and other people in my life) has become more loving.”

• “Increased awareness of life’s potential to change suddenly. I’m reconnected with family members not seen for a long time. As a colon cancer survivor, it caused my family members to all get a colonoscopy.”

Even as a stage zero cancer survivor, I can tell you that the things we think are so pressing…often aren’t. Life’s about enjoying sunrises, sunsets, friends, family, our beloved pets, and being grateful for our health. Something many of us take for granted. Two great gifts were given to me as a cancer survivor. I found my passion and purpose as a motivational business speaker. And, more importantly, I rarely sweat the small stuff.

Live, love, laugh…
Colleen Seward Ryan

For information on Colleen’s keynotes on cancer and life balance visit www.ColleenSpeaks.com/topics.htm