The Power of Awareness
Everyday is breast cancer awareness month for those of us who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. But for the moment, I want to give thanks for the month of October even though this is the month of February.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most of us are aware of this month’s cause and millions of breast cancer survivors and our loved ones are grateful that others before us have made it a mission to find the cure for breast cancer and to remind each other to practice self-care and to have our checkups and our mammograms. All acts of caring, compassion, kindness, and love, moment after moment, month after month, year after year, are making a difference within our lives.
After a woman has been diagnosed with breast cancer, she oftentimes views her life and herself differently. Many really do take time to breathe in the beauty and the smell of roses and the metaphor of appreciating more of life.
Sometimes we only become aware of what is really important when faced with a life-threatening disease: Perhaps that is the ultimate “awareness” lesson from breast cancer.
Perhaps there is an additional awareness issue of a different perspective to ponder. By being ‘wellaware’ of our thoughts and beliefs and actions about healing and wellness, we can then realize when we are making the best possible choices to be well.
The power of awareness comes in the present moment. What this means is that we can put our attention on anything and see it in a new light in any given moment. The more quiet and still we are while focusing on any one thing, the easier it becomes to connect with it and to understand it. When our lives are so full of busy-ness or intensely stressed that we forget to reflect and replenish, is when our lives become out of balance and we become detached or unaware to what we really need. Only a balanced lifestyle provides an environment for healing. It is only when we become aware how our life is out of balance, that we can do anything about it.
We each can do something about balance, even if it is one small step, while facing the challenges of breast cancer. It is also important to be aware what our beliefs about healing are. It is challenging for our bodies to heal when we do not believe we can. Our beliefs about healing from breast cancer may come from those in our immediate circle that voice ‘their beliefs’ to us (we all know someone that ‘awful-izes’ over and over the trauma from someone else’s cancer experience). But we do not have to own their beliefs, any one’s beliefs, including the beliefs of this article or this magazine. But do choose beliefs that produce the healing results you want now.
One way to invoke the power of awareness for your personal healing is to ask a few questions of yourself such as:
- Do I act like I believe I can become well?
- What ways do I uplift and strengthen and replenish my spirit?
- How do I empower my body?
- How often do I create opportunities for healing?
- How do I reach out to others to gain support and to give support?
- Who are the people I can reach out to when I need strength?
- How well do I listen to my intuition and to my body’s needs?
- What am I willing and not willing to do to become well?
The power of awareness is simple but profound for our healing quests because we build our tomorrow’s well-being based on our beliefs and the perspectives about our experiences of today. We can empower ourselves by opening our eyes, minds, and hearts by being wellaware that each day always brings each of us new hope, new possibilities, and the next step for our healing journey.