CANCER STORY: Success & Hard Truth

The problem with our society is that we enjoy being ignorant
~ Wilfred Gaban

Seek out information for yourself

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step. So seeking correct information is the essential first step towards helping yourself.

Dr. Ken Murray of the University of South California said: Poor knowledge and misguided expectations lead to a lot of bad decisions.

Dr. Barbara Joseph (in My Healing from Breast Cancer) wrote: We need to gather information at the same time … respect our intuition in each decision we face. We can partake of the wisdom gathered by the women who have gone before us.

Practise what you learn

To know is knowledge, but knowledge without practice is no use! There is no point knowing if you do not want to practise what you have learnt. To practise means to change. Most people find it very hard to make changes. They like to keep old habits, live the same lifestyle and keep doing the same things.

Stay on with those changes

One of the questions we posed to our cancer survivors was: If today we say to you: Go and eat whatever you like. Will you go back to your old diet and ways? Without hesitation and with much conviction, one patient replied: I will die if I go back to my previous lifestyle. No, no way would I go back to my previous lifestyle anymore. I am now happy and I would only want to change if it is for the better but please don’t ask me to revert to my old lifestyle. I would never do that. Indeed, it makes a lot of sense to continue doing what you have done that made you well. Why do you stop and revert to the old ways that made you sick in the first instance?

Be An Empowered Patient

So, start being an empowered person by first understanding yourself and your problem. I wonder if we can learn from what the ancient Chinese said below?

 Books are like medicine. Being well read can cure foolishness.
 Most people want to examine past cases and failures in order to know the things to act upon and refrain from.
 One who knows the present but not the past is blind.
 One who is humble despite knowing is truly knowledgeable.
 A real mistake is committed when one refuses to correct one’s mistake.

To be empowered needs input and effort on your part. You cannot be empowered if you want to leave your fate in the hands of other people. Realize that it is your life. And your life is in your hands! Others can only help or experiment on you but ultimately you are the one who bears all the consequences – good or bad.

The road to health is the road of knowledge,
Knowing ignorance is strength, Ignoring knowledge is sickness ~ Chinese Wisdom