We focus so much on how much cancer has taken from us that we forget to notice what we've also gained along the way.
Something I gained that I'm so grateful for is that it has strengthened my spirituality - my connection to a Higher Power.
Prior to this, let's just say I wasn't the most spiritual person.
My mother is a devout Catholic and me and my siblings grew up going to church every Sunday, saying grace at every meal and end the day with a nightly prayer.
When I was young, I was taught that if you pray to God - tell him what you want, he will answer your prayer.
I soon found out that it wasn't true. I prayed for what I wanted, and quite often I didn't get what I prayed for.
As a kid, I didn't vibe with God, it all felt a little flat, a little cumbersome, a chore, and just daily "rituals" that I followed.
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So even though I grew up in a religious household, I never saw the benefits so I stopped going to church, and stopped talking to God.
It all changed when I had cancer. Suddenly I realised that spirituality was able to fill a void that I didn't know existed in my life.
So here's a few of my spiritual learnings that I want to share with you.
1) There’s an Afterlife
I believe there's an after life and our life doesn't end when we die. If we're spiritual beings having a human experience, then whether or not we beat cancer should AND shouldn't be the most important thing. If we can hold those two beliefs simultaneously it can really take the pressure off to get things "right" in our journey.
2) Shifting Your Focus to What You Want
The human being focuses on the negative, we focus on what we DON'T want and believing what we can do is limited. When we communicate to God what we desire, we get clear on what we want. And so prayer is a beautiful example of the power of intention. Believing in God - something that we can't see or touch allows us to practice to believe in things that we can't see YET. When we're able to focus on our desires and have unwavering faith, then the things we want will manifest naturally in our lives. And so spirituality helps us how to have faith.
3) Letting Go is the Secret Sauce to An Easy Life
I believe in taking massive action to get the results we want. But we'll soon reach a breaking point where nothing we will ever do is enough. This is very important when it's hard to determine if we've succeeded, for example preventing a recurrence. And so the missing part of taking massive action is to THEN let go of the results. The art of letting go to a higher power is the secret sauce that most people forget to do. It creates a lot of unneccesary anxiety and stress in our lives when we hit a roadblock and realise that our personal power can only get us so far. We're not in this alone, we're supported by God and he will take over after you show up and done your part.
4) The Goal of Life is to Grow & Evolve
If we are children of God, then God wants us to grow and evolve as a human being. So when I pray, I no longer ask God to grant me the results like he's a genie in the sky granting three wishes, I ask for the virtue, the internal resources, to help me in the journey of getting the results. For example, strength, courage, conviction, wisdom etc. Or I pray for guidance when I'm confused in making a decision. When I'm clear that I'm here to grow and evolve then I'm more focused on the journey, the experience, the growth rather than being attached to the outcome.
5) Underneath All That Fear, All You’ll Find is Love
God is love and god heals fear with love. Fear is where our biggest growth lies. So don't runaway from fear, go towards the fear. And under all that fear, what you'll find is unconditional love.
And so my friend, as you can see cancer has given me a lot in terms of my spirituality!
• Embracing my spiritual side allowed me make sense when my logical brain couldn't make sense of things.
• Embracing my spiritual side allowed me to ease the pressure off myself to create results because I felt supported by a higher power
• Embracing my spirituality helped me to cultivate faith - believing in things that I cannot see
• Embracing my spirituality gave me courage to look beneath my fears and found unconditional love instead
I hope that helps and let me know in the comments down below what you've gained from your journey of healing from cancer? Remember to PIN this for later!
All my love,
Trifina Sofian
Life Coach to Cancer Survivors
PS: If you’re struggling to thrive in your cancer healing journey then I have an announcement for you. I’m taking bookings for 1:1 coaching clients (limited spots available). This is the mindset coaching and training you need to go from depressed, fearful and overwhelmed to focused, energised and expanded! I will share with you step-by-step exactly how to take charge of your body, mind and spirit during cancer treatment and transitioning to your new normal. Secure your spot today! CLICK HERE