Cancer Rocks

How Do I Face Death?

The Journey Evolves:

 

• Through these blogs or writings, you witness a person who represents something all of us have to face. This journey continues to evolve; there are days when the house is bubbling with gayety and laughter and other days when you don’t hear very much at all

 

• Will television help relive the boredom? When I find an interest among the many channel selections; I consider my self lucky. When I find a show I like which keeps my interest, it helps give me purpose.

 

• Depending on my energy levels, reading becomes a best friend. If there is “concentration power,” reading really perks me up and helps me be part of a new conversation.

 

• At this particular time, what really is most helpful is being with people. People, acquaintances, or friends, those who will come, not for me to entertain, but for them to talk with me, I want to hear what’s happening to them. I still love being around people.

 

 

 

 

What Are Your Fears?

Questions arise regarding friends and family. What fears did I have or do you have?

Are you afraid of not existing any longer? We grow up in a culture built on fear and competition. If we accept and understand how much life changes, we can experience life through an optimistic lens.  That optimistic lens begins with having faith in a higher power. I call it G-O-D. In order to feel whole, confident, and at peace I needed to follow a faith that supported these beliefs. Judith Orloff, www.drjudithorloff.com/   in her book Dr. Judith Orloff’s Guide to Intuitive Healing, lays the foundation for having such a faith, We need this in order to grow beyond these common fears.

• Will the friends we have as children be those same close friends as we mature and encounter sickness and or loss of a job etc.?
• Will family members be willing or available to support us when we are down?
• How will family members react?
• Will family members remain close or will they turn away because they cannot face or cheer people who are going through a serious life challenge? We do not know how people will react. Depending on out expectations, we may form certain conclusions.

 

In my mind, there is a way to view the world. It seems to me there are three principles that apply, They are:

• Developing a positive self –esteem which stems from a sense of loving yourself, and the world from your heart focusing on love
• Developing a learning style that helps you focus on judgment free conclusions.
• Accepting what life brings and then acknowledges the resources you have to solve problems.
• Hear is a question that helps me remain positive. When someone asks “Do you have to have the correct answer and the last word to every thing? I answer with “no.” Listening with openness and a kind heart provides an opportunity to reduce feelings of stress and fear.

How Do You Approach Life or Death?

How do you approach life? Are you afraid of living or dying? Here is an approach that has served me throughout my life as an optimistic and positive person who can live through daily challenges. I have pancreatic cancer and have discovered that I have lived with an outlook that inspires people to realize life is beautiful and can be lived without a lot of fear. I want to share the gifts of living that make challenges easier to accept and to see conclusions that result out of love and kindness.

I begin each day by thanking God for returning my soul to me. I think of how I will make each day the most beautiful and positive. That means I will refrain from making judgments about people. My optimism is found in my ability to make the best every day has to offer.  These are points I think about as I write these posts on helping others find their gifts, their passions, their fears, and their abilities to see how we are all perfect as we are and how we are all one.

As we age, we do not have to fear those fears that come with aging. Tomorrow, I will post those fears.

Story Telling: Every Person's Guide To Telling Stories of Healing and Renewal

Do you have to be a professional "story teller" to tell impactful stories? No Indeed!

My friend and colleague Susan Trivers has graciously shared with me her simple step-by-step how to Guide to craft and tell stories that are remembered. Stories are magical and you can be part of the magic. They touch people's hearts, they inspire, they make you laugh and cry, and they create bonds and relationships that last a lifetime. Not only that they teach you what's important in life and open up doorways to a life of joy.

Follow Susans Guide and you will be able to tell fun stories and play story games right from my new book "Cancer and the Healing Power of Play." Go for it and have a good time.

Taking Fun Seriously

By Roz Trieber, MS, CHES

One of my favorite words is Fun.  Life has to be fun. Isn’t that what we really wish everyone when we send birthday and holiday greetings?   Our greetings convey a message for a healthy, happy, vibrant, life --- Every single day of our life.

What is Fun?

FUN is pure energy. It reflects a certain attitude and willingness to live.  Having fun means being amused, creating more opportunities to play, sing, and dance, doing what you love, and feeling the joy of living.  When we are experiencing fun, we are living in the moment, with a smile on our face, and a twinkle in our eyes.

Cancer: It Doesn’t Have to Hurt All of the Time

The time has come for me to share with you the opportunity to discover how much having fun, playing, and being spontaneous helps you regain balance in your life when you have cancer or any other chronic illnesses. My co-author, Izzy Gesell and I have finally completed our first e-book; “Cancer and the Healing Power of Play; A Prescription for Living Joyously with Presence, Acceptance, and Trust. We discovered a very talented graphic artist, Joni McPherson of McPherson Graphics, who read the manuscript and designed the exact artwork expressing the feelings we wanted this book to convey.  We are proud.

 

Izzy and I have had incredible fun writing and playing the games that you will find in this book as well as, learning how humor and fun have healing power. When chemotherapy is messing with your brain, and you feel depressed, or alone, participating in these experiential, no training needed, improv games, your spirits will be lifted, you'll feel fully alive, your healing power will be enhanced, and you will laugh.

 

Click on the book to the right and get your bonus gift and extended discounted price.

 

What Are Your Challenges?

Over the past year you have received periodic “Healing Ideas” and “HumorFusion” newsletters and read my tips and suggestions how to reduce stress and increase the quality of your life and up your humor quotient. Your continued support is much appreciated.

I need your assistance in helping me address your challenges so that I can send you practical, useful, and value added information to help you increase your health, happiness, humor habits, and enhance your ability to live joyously even in the face of adversity.

 

I would appreciate your participating in a 5 question survey to help me identify your needs.

Please click on the link below and take 5 minutes to answer the questions.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7y7sNyf6huHqVEfNcUpNIg_3d_3d

 

Thank you for your support and Have A Very Happy and Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Roz

Holiday Happiness

The economy is in the cellar and stress is at peak levels! Is it possible to experience, fun, happiness, and joy this season?

Lighten up, Loosen Up and Happiness shows UP!

Consider thinking of “Happiness” in terms of Psychological Wealth; a phrase coined by Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener in their book Happiness. This book puts the “How To” of achieving Happiness in easy, understandable terms backed up by evidenced-based research. Did you think happiness was all about having lots of money and no worries! Forget about it! Having lots of money and no worries will make you happy is a great big myth! Discover the truth about happiness.

Kindness Heals

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” __The Dalai Lama

How do you define kindness? Some say it is a sate of charitable behavior to other people. The Talmud claims “deeds of kindness are equal in weight to all the commandments," and in Buddhism, one of the ten perfections is Mettā, translated as “loving kindness.” It is a recognized value in many religions and cultures.

A Tribute to Randy Pausch

Although the news was inevitable, the passing of Carnegie Mellon Professor Dr. Randy Pausch was devastating news to me and especially the pancreatic cancer community of which I am a member. Even as he was dying, he gave hope to me and others struggling with this dreadful disease. Randy Pausch has left a profound legacy to the world.

Randy’s “Last Lecture” reinforces what all of us know and perhaps do not live. Our lives are perfect as they are if we have a positive attitude and follow our hearts and our values. “Enabling the dreams of others” was one of Randy’s principles. He wanted people to feel happy working with one another and to help each other be successful. He believed in bringing fun and joy into everyday living. Most of all he realized what was important in life and shared that with everyone in his family, students, and colleagues.

His legacy focused on seeing beauty and good in the world and interpreting many more things as positive. He said “let people finish their sentences.”  Listen more than you speak and let go of excessive judgment; principles that increase the joy in living.

You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life.
You make choices about life instead of reacting to it. 

Research demonstrates that something negative usually occurs in your life that motivates you to change your behavior or attitude. Do you have to have a life threatening event occur before you learn what is really important in life and how to balance living in a “busy world” with joy, fulfillment, peace, and fun? 

Randy; you and your legacy will live through us. Your spirit will live forever!

6 Great Tips Too Help You Successfully Manage Stress

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

6 Great Tips Too Help You Successfully Manage Stress

How do you say “Goodbye to Stress?” You don’t say “Goodbye” to stress; stress happens; it’s called LIFE!  What you do is learn to manage life’s challenges more effectively.  A Mayo Clinic Study determined the most common time for heart attacks to occur is Monday morning, the first day of the business week.  If you feel overwhelmed, under appreciated, unfulfilled, and can’t even think about taking a day off or even day dream for a minute, you need to kick your stress habits and change your results. It’s time for you to make Monday morning feel like Friday afternoon!

There are many ways to manage stress. Here are just a few habits you might like to trade in for your old stress producing habits.  These new habits can help you NOW! They have the potential to reduce tension, calm your mind, increase your sense of fulfillment, elevate your mood, and increase your “Happiness Quotient!”

Return of the Over Extended Native!

It’s been some time since I have posted on my blog.

Why is that you might ask? The answer is rather simple; over extended.

Yup, committing to too many tasks or simply stated saying “yes” too many times.

The bottom line is I want to share the lessons I have learned about creating a life of joy during my cancer journey.

Having cancer, any kind of cancer, can really turn tricks on your attitude, your purpose for living, your ability to laugh, or even find joy in the simplest things; like eating breakfast or watching the rain. Is it possible to be one of those people who said “cancer was the best thing that happened to me?”