“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently,” Maya Angelou once said.
This quote exemplifies how I view and defeat life challenges. I believe that it takes courage to face the hard lessons life throws at us. It is a matter of our choices that determines the outcomes we all face when unexpected events occur. In this blog, I will share with you how courage helped me face and conquer an event that changed my life indelibly, being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Now, courage can be interpreted in many different ways depending on how someone views his/her life circumstances. In my personal experience, courage meant doing whatever it took to be cancer-free. As scared as I was, I knew that conquering this illness was my number one priority. I wanted to set an example for my family that no matter what happened during my treatment, I was going to fight until the end. With this mindset, I learned to follow my heart no matter how difficult it would be.
One of my biggest remedies during that time was practicing a technique we all know as journaling. Reflecting on my most intimate thoughts and writing them down in a notebook helped me comprehend everything I was going through. There were moments when I would cry inconsolably because my feelings got the best of me. I remember falling asleep feeling anxious, nervous, and at times, sad due to the simple fact that I knew my family was just as concerned about me. Yet, courage helped me be consistent in expressing myself through writing. Journaling has been a part of my routine since, which has had a tremendous impact on my life for the better.
Moreover, Andrew Kap, who wrote “The Last Law of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need to Read: The Missing Key to Finally Tapping into the Universe and Manifesting Your Desires,” played an important role in how I journaled.
He helped me realize that writing what I wanted in my life was the best way to manifest to the universe what I truly desired, which was to stay cancer-free. One of the journal prompts I wrote during that time included the following:
Thank you, Universe, for providing me with perfect health. This gives me the opportunity to do all of the things that bring me so much joy. I love the fact that my body reacts in such luminous, radiant ways when I take my medication. I am so happy and grateful for my health because I get to engage with all the people I love and adore.
Other writing pieces that helped me to stay healthy and whole consisted of the following:
Thank you for my body defenses, my healing scars and my strong immune system.
I am so happy and grateful now that I have gained weight, have strong legs and arms and have radiant, positive energy.
I am grateful for my beating heart, my lungs to breathe and my life.
I am so thankful now that I am well, keeping my body hydrated and eating healthy, nutritious food.
I am so happy and grateful for being CANCER-FREE!!
As you can see, writing in my notebook helped me stay focused on my health optimistically. I hope that reading this blog inspires you to be courageous because I know that you are more than capable of handling any challenge that comes your way. Indeed, one of the prayers that gave me comfort throughout this journey was as follows:
Dear God,
Today, I ask that you continue to give me the courage and strength to keep moving forward. I need your guidance and protection with the sole purpose of serving my community to the best of my abilities. I ask that you provide me with the resources and tools that I need in order to advocate and help those around me. Thank you for allowing me to have a positive impact on my friends and family. FOREVER BLESSED!!!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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