F - Focused Yet Flexible

                                                        

#AtoZChallenge

One of the things that cancer brings to everyone it has touched is -CHAOS! 

Your thoughts, emotions and relationships, all go through terrible chaotic phases. Bringing back order is not easy, but you can by focusing on one thing at a time. 

Go on prioritizing what your goal is for next month, next week, tomorrow, today, within an hour and ‘NOW’. The ‘now’ will usually require deep breaths and relaxation on priority before deciding what is to be done next. Focus on the immediate goal which will lead you towards a long term goal. Let surviving cancer and staying alive not be the focus or your goal. Let us move away from negative things to more positive things that fill our hearts with joy and enthusiasm. 

Focus is important, but considering you are fighting a tough battle, give yourself some flexibility. If you are too rigid with yourself and your goal when life is being hard on you, it is not fair. Being flexible shouldn’t be mistaken as being lazy, fickle minded, or lenient with the goals. It is about being adaptive to changes. 

For example - During treatment, you may decide to walk a certain distance everyday to regain your fitness level and stamina. But chemotherapy can be harsh and there are days when you feel you cannot do it. Your body gives in and refuses to listen to your focus or goals crap. It is then the time to forgive yourself and be flexible to change the plan for the day. Have faith in yourself to jump back when you can. There is no need to push yourself too hard either emotionally or physically. This is the time to be kind to yourself. 

One of the quotes that inspired me a great deal during my fight with cancer was “Focus on the outcome, not the obstacle”. My focus and goals had no place for the word cancer. They were shifted completely to something more alluring and positive.We get what we focus on- so we have to focus on what we want. Therefore cancer has to go out of focus. 

You may say I want to survive cancer, I want to kick cancer, I want to get rid of cancer or whatever makes you feel like a warrior, you still remain connected to cancer. Your goal and focus will have cancer attached to it. So, I felt I should completely develop a new vocabulary which had no place for the word cancer in it. I had cancer, but there was no reason that cancer should have me as well. I moved away from it….and so have I stayed with my goals and focus not connecting to it. 

I do talk about my fight with cancer, my survival and other things connected to it. This April I also celebrate my 25th year of survival and step into 26th. I cannot completely forget it because it makes sure I am reminded of its presence through the mastectomy. But then, it is not included in the inner sanctum of my mind. That is a place for my real goals and happiness.There I only focus on celebration for life I am living. That is the place where I develop Faith in my life.  Hence, I can be happy and jovial despite going through hard times.