There is a show on HBO starring Laura Linney called “The Big C.” It’s about a woman and living her life after being told she has melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. Cancer is often referred to as “The Big C.” You know a lot of people still whisper the word “cancer.”
I prefer addressing the “The Big C” on a high note. Let’s just agree right now to focus on the CAN in cancer (for now, a little “c”) instead of CANNOT.
Here is my “Big C” Checklist:
You Can Cope with Cancer, or any Challenge in your life with Courage, or Choose to Cry and Confine yourself.
You Can accept the fact that you live with, or have faced down cancer, and you Can use the experience to Change aspects of your life to take better Care of yourself.
You Can use the Challenge to explore your Creative side and Channel your energies to a more Constructive and balanced approach to living your life.
You Can learn to be more Candid with people and with yourself and to Cancel out things that are not good for you and avoid people who have a “Can’t do” attitude. Choose to do things that bring joy to your life and to the lives of others.
You Can also focus less on your problems and focus more on how you Can make a difference for others. You Can Care more.
You Can learn to find ways to Control the Challenge and take Command of the situation. “C” -above all- is for Courage.
I looked up the the word “Can” in the dictionary. The first definition is “Knows how to.” The second: “Is able or enable to” and the third: “Feels free to”
To know how to. To be able. To feel free. You CAN do it!
It’s pretty interesting that the mainstream media has changed the way it looks at this recently dont you think? What once seemed like a never discussed issue has become more prevelant. It’s that time to chagnge our stance on this though.
I remember when “cancer” was always said in a hushed whisper. People would look away from you or look at you with pity.
I still felt the need to hide my diagnosis and treatment from clients and work colleagues for fear they would turn away from me and I would be penniless. While I faced treatment with courage my finally having the courage to come out of the cancer closet and share my experience to help inspire others was a big C step (in the right direction) for me.