If you or someone you love has been
diagnosed with cancer, you are walking through one of life's
darker valleys. I don't believe it's a coincidence that you
have found your way to my website. As you've probably
already guessed, you won't find statistics or conventional
medical advice here. What you will find is a new way to
think about the journey you are on.
I approach the unwelcome visitor called
cancer from two different, yet intertwined perspectives.
First, I am a clinical psychologist with nearly three
decades of experience helping people like you receive the
gift of spiritual, emotional, and often physical healing.
Second, I myself am a breast cancer survivor--so this is a
deeply personal issue for me.
My hope is that I can help you face the
biggest obstacle head-on: fear. As I know all too well, a
cancer diagnosis is terrifying, mostly because it brings up
the possibility of death. My research and my own life
experiences have enabled me to know that death itself is
only a myth. Once we know this--truly know it in our heart
and soul--most fear will melt away.
I also know that in the 25 years I have
worked with cancer patients, relatively few have died from
this disease. Many more have survived--and with an improved
quality of life. Why is this? There are many reasons, but I
believe their perspectives and attitudes regarding their
situations had a huge impact on their healing. My patients
chose to view cancer as a wake-up call for life.
Most of us get so caught up in the daily
trials, tribulations, and tasks of life that we fail to
notice that joy has slipped away. In fact, a deteriorated
quality of life can contribute to the development of
diseases like
cancer. But in the instant we receive the diagnosis, we
suddenly (or perhaps not so suddenly) find ourselves
noticing the "craziness" and the trade-offs we've been
making in order to pursue what we thought was essential. Our
perspective changes. Choosing to perceive cancer as a gift
shifts us energetically to a place where healing is more
likely to occur.
Whether you're the
patient or the
caregiver,
cancer enables you to become conscious of what you
intuitively know to be healthy, meaningful, and good for
you. And if you gravitate toward and focus on those things,
I promise, you will make substantial changes in your life.
Yes, there is a very real possibility that you or your loved
one could experience physical healing. Spiritual healing--a
restoring of the vibration of inner harmony, balance, and
peace within you, for your soul and your spirit--is a
guarantee. In fact, the good news about being diagnosed with
cancer is that it often becomes the catalyst for "growing"
your soul and your spirit--all of which enables you to feel
more whole and at peace.
Finally, be aware that the Chinese symbol
for crisis, difficulty, struggle, and challenge is the same
symbol used for
opportunity. This is where you and your
loved ones get to choose: Are you victims or victors? Will
you view cancer as a curse or as a gift? My goal is to help
you make choices that help you reclaim the tremendous power
you've forgotten you have--and to remind you of how
extraordinary you really are.
Susan Apollon
If you love someone who is struggling with cancer,
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