Let It Make You Stronger

I watch my share of reality TV shows when I can, but they've got to be good to hold my interest. This season I've enjoyed watching the American Idol auditions; primarily because of their choice of judges. They give constructive criticism, but in a respectful way. This week they chose their top 30. 30 performers were relieved and elated and excited, while the rest were let down gently. One performer was clearly distraught and overwhelmed and heart broken, but as he came out to join his family Ryan Seacrest said, "Let it make you stronger." 5 simple words = 1 powerful message.

We all experience highs and lows, good times and bad. Many of us have felt grief or misfortune or illness. There are many things in our lives that we have absolutely no control over, yet the one thing we can control has the power to change  a lot. Our attitude and how we choose to deal with life ultimately shows our strengths and our character. We have the ability, even when feeling defeated, to take something positive from a situation. This year I am an 8 year cancer survivor. My treatment took a year of my life that I can never get back, but it was also a year that taught me to dig deep and not give up. I discovered I had more fight in me than I ever dreamed, I rethought a lot of my priorities, my goals, and my dreams. I took a lot of positives away from the experience.

 

Last weekend I gave my first public talk for the American Cancer Society as a 'Voice of Hope'. 8 years ago I never would have seen myself as a public speaker, not to mention having the passion that I do to share my story. If just one person heard something special that day and became proactive with their own health - then everything was worth it.

 

What's something you've overcome or experienced that made you stronger?

The Battle Over Pink

October isn't just the 10th month on the calendar, it's also the month where amidst all the orange, yellow & reds of autumn you'll see a sea of pink. October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness month. You'll hear about a number of fundraising walks being sponsored, like the one I was in last weekend. You'll see an endless variety of 'pink' items on the shelves that supposedly donate a portion of sales to breast cancer research. I'd like to think it's true that funds are being raised that support ground breaking research, create community awareness, and support programs that directly assist current cancer patients going through treatments. But there are times I wonder just how much of the profits of the commercial items ranging from water bottles & mugs to socks and t-shirts actually go where they're supposed to and what that actual percentage is. Just how much money are all of these companies making at the expense of breast cancer or any other cause for that fact? I would hope that some companies aren't just jumping on the pink band wagon knowing that if they donate even the smallest percentage to the cause that they'll be able to rake in some big profits during the highly publicized month. Don't get me wrong, as a 7 year breast cancer survivor I am truly grateful for every single dollar that gets raised in hopes that a cure can be discovered before my daughter or anyone else's daughter is affected.

 

If you have $25 to donate and want your $25 to have the most impact then you need to ask yourself an important question. Where exactly do you want to make a difference? Has there been a specific program you've seen in action that touched your heart? Do you have a relative or a friend who benefited from Meals on Wheels? If so, why not donate directly to their program? Do you know someone who received immediate care and support at a shelter? Then why not make a direct donation to them? There are so many great organizations out there that do exactly what they say they're going to do that I think it's great when they can get some support.

 

I chose to walk in a recent Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk because it's organized by the American Cancer Society and I've personally benefited from programs that they continue to offer. I knew where my donation and those of my supporters was going. I'll admit that I've purchased a pink ribbon t-shirt or two during the last 7 years and that's o.k. I just think that in a day and age when commercialism and making a profit are as predictable as the sun rising and setting each day, we need to all be responsible and be careful. 

 

Do you have a charity you feel strongly about? If you do and ever have an upcoming event you'd like to get the word out for - let me know. I have no problem sharing good information with my readers.

How do you use your time?

This has been an unusually busy week for me. I've spent time at work, I was video taped for a public service announcement for the American Cancer Society, I've trained for a Making Strides walk this weekend, I took my daughter to dinner last night, I've cleaned house, I've run errands, I'm at the library blogging, and I almost forgot ... earlier today I mended an injured decorative pillow for my couch.

 

Time is something that flies by too quickly, as well as being a commodity that I seem to run short on. If I could only figure out how to add an extra hour or two to my day or better yet, make time stand still or at least slow down I'd be a happy camper. Somehow I don't think any of these options are likely.

 

How do you fill your time? Time isn't just the hours and seconds that fill up our days - it's the area of our lives where we try to fit in as much as we can. On any given day we'll try to carve out some 'work time', some 'play time', some 'family time', some 'quiet time', perhaps some 'nap  time', a 'meal time', some 'relaxation time', some 'exercise time', a little 'me time', some 'God time', and hopefully some 'quality time'.

 

No matter what you're doing it's important to be on time and hopefully not a waste of time. It's also important to create a balance. No matter how we attempt to allocate our time we're always going to run short. So, what do we do to get the most out of our time? We set priorities and we make choices. Sometimes we may need to give up a little time in one area of our lives to make room for something else we feel is more important. The priorities and choices will undoubtedly change on a daily basis and that's o.k. We can't possibly do it all. For me it's hard to give up my lists. Sometimes I'm so busy I find out that I'm human ... imagine that. I find out that I don't have a flashy red & blue super hero costume in my closet with a shiny golden belt. Guess my bubble has now burst. I'm not Wonder Woman. Some days I look around and see what's been put on my plate for the day and I realize something is going to have give. The house may not get cleaned for a few days or I may not have time to run for groceries after work so we change our priorities and I pick up a carryout pizza. Guess what? When that happens the world does not stop rotating and lightning does not strike. The only thing that changes is my priorities. Isn't it amazing that while we don't have the ability to stop or slow down time, we do have the power to make of it what we choose.

 

How do you manage to budget your time? Better yet, if you had an extra hour in your day or even your week ... what would you do with it?