Following the Steemit music event, apart from an amazing performance with @edward-ong, (thank you @perennial for inviting me to the talk) and connecting with some new people who have their talk and sharing on the block chain technology, Colbert @ninjaboon, Jason from @buzz.lightyear, I woke up the next day thinking about what I spoken of the night before.
It is both amazing even for myself and how while I talk about overcoming Life odds, where it is because it is so, that I am also given a chance in my life to engage in the things I always loved doing: writing, music, and connecting with people. (Video for your viewing pleasure at the end ;)
While we could all simply speak about overcoming over own challenges, and overcoming our "odds", the one challenge I have when talking about my overcoming an incurable condition is how to replicate this seemingly "impossible" feat.
You see the thing is, there are already many other inspirational cancer survivors out there who have already "done" it. So I am really not the only one. Believe me when I say I have been scoffed down and asked what I have to offer on the table as yet another cancer survivor given there already tons of others doint it.
While what I didn't appreciate is that it felt like the whole ordeal of struggle and pain I went through wasn't acknowledged..(LOL) however that is a good point to highlight to the rest of us. It just means that overcoming the deadly "C" word (cancer) isn't impossible.
However, truth is, it takes a certain kind of breed, mental mindset, and a certain way of thinking to make this happen.
I would even go so far as to say, to make anything, happen.
The Uncontrollables: The Unknown
I would first like to point out the Uncontrollables.
There are still some things out there which no human can predict.
There are still certain unforeseen circumstances which we can't control; -one of which is no one really knows when they might die, or what might happen tomorrow.
There is still the Unknown.
Yet as bleak as this sounds, there is still the part where we still do have some form of control over.
The Controllables
And that controllable factor, is ourselves. Our mind. Our emotions. Our habits. Our peculiarities. The good, and the bad.
Understanding YOU
The only ever factor that we humans can control is us, and ourselves.
Knowing and understanding ourselves involves us having an understanding of our personal strengths and weaknesses. It involves an honest account of the bad and the good.
It requires us looking at our emotions, even the darker emotions. Especially the darker, heavier emotions and feelings.
It requires courage to look at those dark aspects of ourselves so as to overcome it.
Why It is Important
Why is this important in the context of overcoming a personal life challenge in any form?
It is because you need actual facts and information about how you are as a person to know how you can truly cope. Otherwise, you are just blundering around in the dark, flailing your arms around helplessly in a sea of confusion and snorting up water into your nostrils.
But we have all been there, haven't we? We all have had our fair share of feeling like we are drowning and feeling completely helpless in a face of challenges which we would rather not face.
What we might not realize however is with a degree of understanding of our limitations, and how much we can take before we break, in that we are better able to deal with shits when it happen.
With knowing ourselves, we can then choose to take on board certain mindsets, perspectives and a way of thinking which can help us, rather than not.
So I'd like to share below what I have shared in my talk, adding a few additional, useful pointers.
The Mindset I Use In Overcoming Leukemia
- Thoughts Become Things.
There are tons of success stories out there which if you do some research on, you would find many individuals out there have make incredible things happen in their lives simply through this form of thinking.
This individuals know that they can make things happen on some level, and as they believe and know so, it manifests.
- What You Believe In, You Get.
When you think of a thought over and over again, over time it becomes a natural way of thinking, and that becomes belief. And a belief generally governs how we all conduct ourselves in our daily affairs.
After I was diagnosed in hospital, a mentor/teacher of mine muscle tested me to find out how much I believed in my being able to recover from this drastic diagnosis.
I tested at 70%. Though not 100%, but it is good enough for me.
I believe that it is truly because I have a 70% belief on my recovery despite having no physical evidence at that point, was what eventual lead to miraculous outcomes and solutions to assist in my recovery.
Your Life Happenings Show Where Your Beliefs Are
Observe your Life and see what's showing up. They indicate where you are at with your own personal beliefs.
For example:
If you have been having a multiple challenges with relationships one after, maybe you need to look a little closer to see if you have a basic thinking in that relationships are difficult.
If you think money is hard to come by, maybe that manifests in financial hardships.. Or if you think it is hard to lose weight,… you get the drill.
Point is, if I chose to believe that it is difficult to "battle" leukemia… I highly doubt I would be here writing this today.
- Whatever My Mind Can Conceive and Believe, I Can Achieve.
A quote by Napoleon Hill - this is the biggest one for me and totally applicable in the easier life challenges I face after that.
It means that if my mind can think of recovering from an incurable condition, that it means I can do it.
It means if my mind can desire and think of wanting to be, do , and have a certain thing in my life, whether it means a career goal, a slim, toned body, a wonderful beautiful, healthy relationship, then I can have it.
Period.
No "ifs", "buts" or "maybe".
I can. That's it. Plain and simple. And I know of many people who have done it, so why not you?
So what can your mind conceive?
Have a think, and know that whatever you think of, or wish to be, do and have, you possess the abilities within yourself to be able to achieve it.
Now go out there and do it.
https://youtu.be/-AQhCYGvT2A
Video credited to Colbert @ninjaboon. Due to the sharing of video over whatsapp and then to youtube, quality isn't the best, but hope you guys will enjoy anyway :) Uber hats off to Edward @edward-ong. With a last minute preparation, this young man is wonderfully talented and it is a total pleasure working with him.
The song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran, going out to all of you.
J x