Finding Strength
- As 2020 comes to a close, we are looking back on reasons to be grateful and keep perspective.
- Cancer survivors share with the SurvivorNet community how they keep a positive attitude: Through gratitude and perspective.
- These survivors provide us with so much hope.
Petra Conti is a Kidney Cancer Survivor & World Class Ballerina
Graceful dancer Petra Conti urges focusing on positive emotions like love and hope. She tells SurvivorNet, “These are months of hardship for everyone… yet it's during times like these that compassion, love, hope and positivity keep us afloat.”
Read MoreAppreciate the little things and the small victories… “This is the time to look at what we have and who we are and appreciate the little things and the small victories. Now is the time to share what we have with who is less fortunate… Now is the time for unity, understanding and mutual support. In a world of turmoil humanity keeps us alive.” "When I Die, You'll Have So Many Girlfriends" Ballerina Petra Conti Says She And Her Husband Joked Their Way Through CancerDonna Cleland is an Ovarian Cancer Survivor from Tennessee
Donna Cleland tells SurvivorNet how important gratitude is to her, saying, “Every night make a point to be grateful for what was good in your day and plan something for the next day. Appreciate the people you love, you may run out of time sooner than you think!”
'Be Grateful For The Good Things' Ovarian Cancer Survivor Donna Cleland's Story
Lauren Mae Hutson is a Young Lymphoma Survivor with an Infectious Personality
While cancer may have sidelined Lauren Mae Huton’s college plans, she viewed the change as an opportunity to look at it in a positive way. Hutson tells SurivorNet, “There are moments in life that test your strength and shift your perspective.”
Even in the midst of a storm, I think we all can appreciate the small victories in life.
“Cancer is one of those things. In a world full of chaos, I am still able to find the positives in every day. Things I used to take for granted, I am beyond grateful for now. Even in the midst of a storm, I think we all can appreciate the small victories in life."
Dave Dubin is a Colon Cancer Survivor & Lynch Syndrome Advocate
Dave Dubin knows how important it is to not sweat the small stuff. He tells SurvivorNet, “Seeing and listening to the negativity and frustration in the world is easy to understand and just as easy to fall into.
I prefer to pack as much positivity into a day as I can
“I don't feel ‘lucky’ to have had cancer, but I will say that surviving cancer, or surviving a similar shock to the system, can put things into perspective. Passing my mutation to my children can be a devastating scenario. My family and I don't sweat the small stuff, and there's a lot of small stuff in this world….Every day can be a gift, and I prefer to pack as much positivity into a day as I can.”
"Spit, Grit, and a Whole Lot of Duct Tape" Dave Dubin's Cancer Story
Dean Hall is a Leukemia & Lymphoma Survivor from Oregon
Distance swimmer and cancer survivor Dean Hall spends a lot of time in the water, so he knows the importance of going with the flow. Hall tells SurvivorNet, “The best way to fight cancer was not to fight at all. The way to heal was to live so fully and love so completely that I squeezed the most out of every day.”
I squeezed the most out of every day.
“When I found the courage to love my life wounded, weary, ‘warts and all’ is when I started to win, heal, recover, and celebrate the life I have now!”
View this post on Instagram
Anna DeMers is an Ovarian Cancer Survivor
Anna DeMers tells SurvivorNet, “Our world is full of challenges and these days it seems that there is more anger, negativity, and hate. In order to maintain my own personal health and happiness, I try to choose to be happy and grateful. It is not always easy but I start every day with gratitude.”
I start every day with gratitude.
“Some days are easier than others and some days I can only find one thing I’m grateful for, like enough good food to eat, or even the choice of what clothes to wear that day. But gratitude even in the smallest amount shifts how I feel, and shifts how I look at my life and what is around me. I believe that even though we may not be able to ‘do’ things to change our world, we can still be a change in the world. Gratitude changes us, and it changes the energy and therefore changes the world.”
"Cancer Changes Everything" Anna DeMers' Ovarian Cancer Survivor Story
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.