The Bright Side! 8-) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Love yourself, Love others, Love your Life. ~~~~~~~~~~ Vol. 2, Issue # 38 September 19, 2001 www.BrightSideCoaching.com ISSN: 1530-4334 ~~~~~~~~~~ Note from Beth Welcome Vicki's Story Soul Restoration Tip Contact Info ~~~~~~~~~~ Hello. The following issue of The Bright Side was prepared and ready to be distributed last week prior to the tragic attack on the United States. It's interesting to read it now -- one week later -- and see how the message still fits. I have nothing more to add to the many emails I know you have received -- other than to ask for your continued prayer for a hurting world. I have good news! I would like to share a wonderful website that helped me find peace in the midst of this crisis. There are no opinions or commentaries here -- just some moving photos from around the world. I strongly urge you to look at this website -- I believe it is critical to healing! Please take a look at http://www.worldtrade.com/thankyou/thankyou.htm. I thank all who have written and I am especially grateful for our subscribers in 36 countries from around the globe. Your support is priceless! Further, I am thrilled to have a large number of U.S. military personnel as subscribers -- you are loved and supported throughout the world! ~~~~~ WELCOME! Hello! Thanks for being here -- a warm welcome to each of you. It's so nice to share some time with you! THANK YOU for your thoughts and prayers as I continue to recover from surgery and also for my friend, Vicki. You may recall that last time I shared that we both needed your support. Your energy was most definitely felt and I am happy to report that I am doing well and Vicki had a clean bill of health when she went in for her cancer checkup. Today's issue of The Bright Side is a little different from usual. Different because I didn't write it! :-) Vicki did. Here she shares her story and I asked her to share the lessons that life is teaching her as a result of the cancer and the loss of her voice. You will be touched by her courage and honesty. The message here is that we will encounter life lessons. How we acknowledge and use the lessons will determine our experience. It's very important! With Love, Beth ~~~~~~~~~~ Vicki's Story by Vicki email: VEorio@aol.com To give you a little background, I am married to the right person the second time around. My children are on their own and, unfortunately, located in the Midwest which is much too far from Richmond, Virginia! I am the oldest of five children, and since the death of my parents, my siblings look to me to fulfill the parental role. I am/was a very successful health care consultant and life was good. Then cancer struck. Eighteen months ago my vocal cords, thyroid, and parathyroid glands were removed. I have a permanent hole in my throat (tracheotomy) through which I breathe. Thanks to modern medicine, I have some voice restoration using punctures, valves, filters, etc. The physical evidence of having had cancer is apparent when you look at me and when I talk to you. Needless to say, my world was turned upside down. All my old coping mechanisms didn't work because the rules had changed. My voice was essential to making a living and to how I defined myself. And it was gone. I was no longer the caregiver, the expert, the person in charge, I was the receiver and dependent. I was no longer in control. I had to learn to make lifestyle accommodations (e.g., no sense of smell. Heavens, but I did a number on cooking -- especially meats, much to the dismay of my poor husband! But now, I can kiss longer!) What are the life lessons I am learning as a result of this situation? I am learning that physical pain and associated healing are usually transitory when measured against the rest of your life experiences. I am learning that humor is always healing and the warmth of a purring cat on your lap can take away all cares. I am learning that no matter what we may say to others or ourselves, our physical self image is very important and does help define how we see ourselves. It could be a change in weight, a scar, a limp, or a disability but we must not confuse it with our inner self. I am learning that the loss of self-esteem is more crippling than any physical limitation. I am learning that when you question the purpose of your life, you must use every ounce of strength you can muster and reach out to others for help and reaffirmation of your worth. I am learning that mental health professionals exist for a reason! So use them when you hit the rough spots. I am learning that grieving does subside in due time. I am learning that prayer and love are powerful. I am learning that we have talents that have not been exercised in years. And when you add your hard-earned experience to the awakening of those talents, life can be exciting again! It would be wonderful if I could say that I am a new person full of understanding and love as a result of having cancer, but I am not. I am still learning. My list of priorities is ordered differently now, but there is nothing new on the list. My values are the same, I just work harder at some of them than I did before. My fears are the same, although some have changed position on my “panic” list. And life goes on. I am here for a reason even if I don't know what it is. And when you encounter someone in need, someone who is hurting, although they may not say it, they have this need: “Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” --Albert Camus ~~~~~~~~~~ Soul Restoration Tip Time is a very precious gift -- so precious that it is only given to us moment by moment. ~Amelia Barr Here is your challenge: each time that you encounter an obstacle or challenge, step back and ask this question: What is the lesson for me here? When we behave/believe in a way that allows us to grow, especially in the midst of pain, we make room for the catalyst that propels our lives forward. Keep asking that question and your answers will come. ~~~~~~~~~~ Wishing you peace in the storms of life, Beth Professional Life Coach /Writer / Human Being ~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Info Copyright 2001 Beth Burns Attribution required for distribution/duplication. Your email address is secure and will not be sold or used unethically. To subscribe to The Bright Side and Growth, please go to www.BrightSideCoaching.com/subscribe.htm ~~~~~~~~~~ Beth Burns is a Professional Life Coach -- partnering with motivated people on their personal and professional goals. Her mission is to teach people to love themselves and love their life! She offers two free email newsletters and can be visited on the web at www.BrightSideCoaching.com . She can also be reached by calling 678-938-0419 or by email Beth@BrightSideCoaching.com
