Words are extremely powerful. Our inner dialogue at times determines how we feel or how we react to certain situations. Yet, we are our toughest critics fighting battles in our heads. Now, what kind of inner dialogue will you have if the doctor shares that you have colon cancer? I bet your conversation within will be challenging and at times, you’ll feel a sense of anxiousness and confusion. During that time, I started to utilize positive self-talk to express my thoughts with the sole purpose of overcoming this life-changing event.
Being diagnosed with cancer was a hard pill to swallow, especially since I was not ready to hear the news. When they told me, “You have a cancerous mass in your colon,” my first thought that crossed my mind was “OMG, did I just hear right? I must be delusional, there is no way I have colon cancer. How did this even happen?” I remembered that moment like it was yesterday. I was definitely in denial, even though the doctor was clear with the diagnosis.
When I was in the hospital, I recalled moments when I blamed myself for causing this illness. Deep down I knew that it was not my fault, but I couldn’t help myself feeling guilty about what was happening to me. When I started my strict liquid diet to conduct my colonoscopy, my inner conversation was a constant battle of telling myself, “I got this,” along with “Why me?”
I knew that I had to decide how I was going to respond to all the obstacles coming my way. That is when I realized that the words I told myself were going to make a difference. Alternating my inner dialogue and the words I was telling myself reciprocated my outlook towards colon cancer.
For this reason, I began listening to affirmations to create a positive mindset. Instead of saying, “This is all my fault,” I started to focus on health affirmations such as “I am healthy and whole,” “I have the ability to stay healthy and strong,”“I will have an abundance of perfect health” and “I am cancer free.” By utilizing positive self-talk, my anxiety and frustration diminished. I established a new journey in my life in which using powerful words and talking to myself positively changed the way I viewed my diagnosis. Now, I see it as a blessing.
I want to share a piece of writing that I used to read almost every day, which helped me start my journey in empowering internal dialogue. It is as follows:
I am so thankful to be in such wonderful health. My cells are duplicating in vibrant, healing ways in order to protect and support my body. My immune system is getting stronger every day as I eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. I am full of light, positive energy that allows me to see, hear, touch, taste and feel everything around me. Thank you, Universe, for giving me perfect health.
As you can see, using positive self-talk had a tremendous impact on how I perceived and countered this unexpected news. Always remember that you are your own cheerleader, and the words you tell yourself throughout the day will definitely impact your mood. Based on my personal experience, at times it was challenging, but not impossible.
Indeed, one of my favorite prayers I read consistently and made me feel happy and grateful consisted of the following:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for showing me that self-love and
acceptance are two important components to facing life challenges. You have given me the inner strength and courage to view my cancer as a blessing in disguise. Ithas made me that much stronger. I am grateful to be alive. FOREVER BLESSED!!!
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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