Healthy Survivorship is always a work in progress. If that aphorism discourages you because it means you can never finish, let me suggest a different way to think of it.
One constant in life is that nothing stays the same. For patients, “Every day, obstacles get in the way of obtaining good care or living as fully as possible. Stubborn old obstacles. New ones as I change or as my circumstances change.” [Healing Hope, p. 71]
I know how discouraging obstacles can be when trying to get on with life. The aphorism may help. Why? Expecting difficult tasks to be difficult helps you move forward. Otherwise, you might get side-tracked (or paralyzed) by your surprise, confusion, disappointment, sadness, anger or loss of confidence.
Also, if you think of the pursuit of Healthy Survivorship as like climbing a never-ending staircase, “Each time [you] take proper action, [you’ve] strengthened [your] muscles for the action. And…[you] now enjoy a wider view that helps [you] next time. “ In other words, each step you take toward Healthy Survivorship helps make you stronger and wiser.
Try shifting your focus from the “work” to the “progress.” At its core, your efforts as a Healthy Survivor are defined by…(drum roll)…progress! In whatever circumstances you find yourself today, as a Healthy Survivor your striving helps make your situation better, helps you do things better and helps you experience life better.
Illustration by Emma Mathes, from Healing Hope
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