We can’t expect life to go smoothly, but sometimes we look at others and think – it’s not fair; why do some people seem to have it easy? When faced with obstacles, do we make it harder for ourselves when we allow thoughts to run through our minds, potentially triggering us to feel like a victim?
It’s hard to consider this when you’re given a cancer diagnosis.
When I got the diagnosis in early 2021, it was a day I remember vividly. It was the kind of day no one ever wants to experience, and my reaction was even more compelling because I had lost my dad to cancer when I was only 10.
After the initial shock, succumbing to a bit of self-pity and a cry and then faced the diagnosis with courage. I needed to call on years of training to flip my mindset.
Here are my mindset tips that helped me take an obstacle and turn it into an opportunity.
Flip mindset Tip 1 – Ask these two questions
- What is the situation trying to show me?
- What good can come from this situation?
When I assessed my life before finding the lump, I had wanted to spend more time in my passion business but believed I could never leave my day job; always thinking they could never cope without me.
However, it was now necessary to take sick leave for an extended time on short notice. Using the two questions I mentioned above, I believe I created this blimp in my life so the universe could direct me to the path I need to walk.
After the 6-weeks of radiation treatment had finished, the radiation clinic staff told me that the symptoms and radiation burn would worsen over the next two weeks. Guess what? For the next five days, it did. I had to revert to using painkillers until I flipped my mindset. On several occasions throughout my cancer journey, if I felt myself falling into feeling sorry for myself due to pain, I would refer to Mindset Flip – Tip 2.
Flip mindset Tip 2 – Don’t buy into the stories of others. Create your own story.
This flip encourages you to act by using natural methods like hypnosis audio to help deal with symptoms. For example, I listened to a pain management hypnosis audio that I had recorded and started performing an energy healing on the burn.
After using Tip 2, I found that the pain was now bearable, and I could get through the day without taking painkillers. At my follow-up visit to see the radiation therapy nurse, she said, “I’m impressed; the improvement in the burns and wounds are great. Keep doing whatever you’re doing.”
When we believe certain things cause us not to feel good, this holds us back and keeps us stuck in the effects of a belief that is limiting A limiting belief example is – “Life is bloody hard.” If we believe that, then guess what? That outcome is what we will get. At the start of my cancer experience, I recognised I had some limiting beliefs, such as, “I won’t survive this.” Cemented by losing my father to cancer early in my life.
Another limitation I put on myself before my cancer operation was my unrealistic expectation of recovery. I expected to do all the social activities my head wanted me to do, and of course, my body wasn’t yet up to any socialising. Ever the optimist, I expected to brush myself off and get on with life as if nothing had changed without giving my body time to catch up and recover.
That unrealistic expectation triggered emotional pain, and I fell into a short slump post the operation. I had thought, “I should be normal by now. I’m stupid.” Rather than being kind and compassionate towards my body and allowing gentle recovery time. Who was I kidding? – I had part of my collarbone and two muscles from my neck removed. My “unrealistic expectations” didn’t allow for any recovery time.
I reached out to a colleague to help me get the soul learnings from these two limitations. Getting the support, I needed allowed me to flip my mindset quickly, and I could again deal with everything happening.
Flip Mindset Tip 3 – Look at your beliefs. Are they Limiting and causing emotional pain and keeping you stuck?
You might ask:
- How do I discover what is holding me back?
- How do I know if my thoughts are limiting belief?
Step one would be to analyse the thoughts based on your beliefs and expectations. Get curious, and ask yourself, is this thought or belief helpful? If not – What can I think instead?
If you are still challenged by limiting beliefs and think you might need help to flip your mindset, reach out; I’ve been there.
Freedom from Limiting beliefs is within your reach.
Do you know what kind of beliefs you have adopted and how they are blocking your success?
Take the free No Regrets Quiz to reveal what’s stopping you from having the life you want and how to let it go
Karyn is a qualified CPA Accountant with an extensive corporate career and many therapeutic qualifications. As an Empowerment Coach, Karyn founded Goodnessmealternative, finding her passion for empowering women to overcome the beliefs that hold them back from finding balance in life and feeling peace in their hearts and mind. Karyn is also the co-author of the 10x multi-award-winning book Eating Secrets, which helps women to love and accept themselves.
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