Blogs

Last week we looked at a list of new (healthy) ways of thinking for Amber, cancer survivor and purpose-searcher.

Amber came from a long family of practical people. Although she wanted to study art in college, her family told her that it was impractical and that she could pursue that after she earned a practical degree. She trained to be a teacher because it was a great career for a working mother and had a pension. Upon graduation, she married her college sweetheart, became pregnant and was an elementary school teacher with summers off ~ all very PRACTICAL.

She was proud of her accomplishments and her decisions because she “did all the right things.” Her family was proud of her. She incorporated her love for art into her daily curriculum, but found it to be less and less as teaching became more and more focused on standardized test scores. The passion on the kids’ faces as they painted or colored or created made Amber proud, at least for the week. On weekends when they went walking around the shops in their neighborhood, however, she was filled with a deep pain whenever she saw artists proudly displaying their creations.

Her cancer was a wake-up call to finally listen to the pain and the jealousy that was building up inside of her. What were these emotions trying to convey? It was a time to reflect and discover just what Amber wanted her life to say about who and what she was and felt inside. Yes, she enjoyed teaching but it just did not fulfill her. Her cancer forced her to retire and reevaluate.

Armed with her new (healthy) ways of thinking list, she was able to transform her life. Next week find out how! (And it involved risk, and was not PRACTICAL but she is truly happy.)

To your fulfillment,

Cara