Breast Cancer Reimagined

Finding Hope in Your Breast Cancer Journey

• Shannon • Season 1 • Episode 10

Share episode

Send us a text

Summary

In this episode of Breast Cancer Reimagined, host Shannon D. Silva shares her personal journey of hope as a two-time breast cancer survivor. She discusses the importance of cultivating hope during challenging times, using the inspiring story of Jane Morcheski, known as Nightbird, as a focal point. The episode explores the character strength of hope, its vital role in emotional resilience, mental health, and coping strategies, and offers practical advice on how to nurture hope in everyday life through the 'Three Good Things' practice. Shannon emphasizes that hope is not just wishful thinking but an active choice that can lead to a more fulfilling life, even amidst suffering.

Takeaways

Hope is your guiding light throughout this process.

  • You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy.
  • Hope isn't just wishing; it's about future-mindedness, optimism, goal direction, and believing in your agency.
  • Hope fosters a sense of inner strength, enabling you to cope with uncertainties.
  • Hope is linked to reducing anxiety and depression.
  • The Three Good Things practice helps to shift your focus to the positive.
  • Nightbird's story is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest night, hope can shine.
  • Hope helps us find meaning and purpose, even in difficult times.
  • Even after her death, Nightbird's legacy of hope lives on.
  • We can cultivate the character strength of hope by nurturing it in our everyday lives.


Three Good Things Activity

  1. Daily Reflection: Each day, before bed (or anytime that works for you), take a few minutes to reflect on your day.
  2. Identify Three Good Things: Think of three good things that happened that day. They don't have to be huge. They can be small and simple. Maybe it was a beautiful sunset, a kind word from a friend, a moment of feeling a little stronger, a moment of laughter, a delicious cup of tea – anything positive, no matter how small.
  3. Write Them Down: Jot them down in a journal, or simply mentally list them. For each good thing, ask yourself: 'Why was this good? What made this positive?


List of 24 Character Strengths

VIA Survey

Nightbirde AGT Performance 

Please let us know how we can support you by completing the Breast Cancer Reimagined - Listener Survey

Breast Cancer Reimagined Facebook Group 

Speaker 1:

The story you tell yourself about your breast cancer journey shapes your entire experience, whether you've been recently diagnosed or are in the midst of treatment. Breast Cancer Reimagined is your podcast for writing this new chapter of your life. Hi, I'm Shannon, your host, and I'm so glad you're here. As a proud two-time breast cancer survivor, I'm on a mission to help women like you reimagine how you navigate your breast cancer journey by helping you shift your mindset, activate your strengths and uncover deeper meaning in your journey. I'm creating future episodes to address your unique challenges, but I need your input. What are your biggest questions or struggles when it comes to your journey? Share them with me by completing the Google form that's linked in the show notes. Your voice matters and together we can create something truly powerful. I can't wait to hear from you. Hello, hello, welcome back to Breast Cancer Reimagined. Hi, I'm Shannon, your host, a proud two-time breast cancer survivor, and I am so glad you are here. Welcome to episode 10.

Speaker 1:

We are talking about the character, strength of hope, finding hope in your breast cancer journey. I'll start by sharing my story of hope and starting this podcast. You should start a podcast. I remember when my friend D said that to me. I remember that moment. It was like a light bulb went off. I was filled with hope and I said yes. And then, over the next few months, I created the vision for this podcast to help you reimagine how you navigate breast cancer by shifting your mindset, activating your strengths and uncovering deeper meaning in your journey, and my hope was that this podcast would be a guiding light for you.

Speaker 1:

I felt excited and optimistic about this adventure. My zest was oozing out and I also felt really nervous and I felt challenged by all of the things that I needed to learn. There was so much I didn't know about equipment, about writing episodes, recording them. What software do I use? Editing I thought editing was going to be a nightmare and then figuring out how to market the podcast. It all felt so overwhelming at times and I also had a lot of doubts. I had thoughts like starting a podcast is too hard, it's too much work. Women may not resonate with my message. I have no idea how to promote my podcast. I might get bad reviews. I might not be good at this at all.

Speaker 1:

In the past, those nagging thoughts would have slowed me down, or they may have just stopped me in my tracks, because I used to think that being self-confident that it meant the absence of any self-doubt. So if I felt self-doubt, it must mean that I'm not confident. But this time I had a different thought. My perspective had shifted. It was like wait a minute. Of course I'm feeling a little nervous. Of course I'm feeling a little unsure. I've never done this before. Of course it's going to be awkward. Of course I'm feeling a little unsure. I've never done this before. Of course it's going to be awkward. Of course I'm going to make mistakes. I'm learning something new, and that's when I realized that being self-confident is taking action, even when you feel self-doubt. So what did I do? Well, I took action. So what did I do? Well, I took action. Instead of trying to know everything up front, I adopted the approach of learning by doing, figuring things out along the way. I set goals for myself. I made decisions instead of swirling in confusion. I purchased a podcast-launched toolkit. I researched podcasting software. I listened to other podcasts for inspiration and finally, I created my project plan, and now I have 10 podcast episodes Woo-hoo.

Speaker 1:

Hope was my guiding light throughout this process, and it's the same hope I want to share with you in this episode. Hope was also a guiding light for a truly remarkable woman who touched hearts all around the world with her music, her spirit and her unwavering message of hope Jane Morcheski. You may know her as Nightbird. She performed her original song it's Okay on America's Got Talent. Her song and her story of battling cancer, while maintaining a positive outlook, led Simon Cowell to give her the coveted golden buzzer. The link to her performance is in the show notes and I will say tissue warning Every time I watch it I just I cry. I'm just so touched by her story. She faced unimaginable hardship. She faced unimaginable hardship, battling cancer relentlessly. Yet she radiated a light that was impossible to ignore. How did she do it?

Speaker 1:

Today we'll explore Nightbird through the lens of one of our most powerful inner resources the character strength of hope. We'll define what hope truly means. We'll talk about why it's so vital, and then we'll uncover how Nightbird embodied it so powerfully. And then we'll explore how you can cultivate this strength in your breast cancer journey. So just take a quick moment to think about what hope means to you right now in your journey. Is it hope for a specific treatment outcome or hope for feeling better today? Take a breath and just acknowledge what your personal hopes are. Thank you. Now we can start by understanding what we really mean by hope. Hope is not just wishful thinking or blind optimism. According to the VIA Institute on Character, the character strength of hope is made up of four key elements. I'll share each element and then I'll give you an example based on Nightbird's journey.

Speaker 1:

So number one future-mindedness. Hope is about having a positive vision of the future. It's actively looking forward and believing that things can get better, even when things are tough right now. And so when we think of Nightbird, even with facing her third bout of metastatic breast cancer and having a 2% chance of survival, nightbird didn't lose sight of the future. She said 2% is better than 0%. She dreamed of singing again, of sharing her music, of connecting with people. She famously said you can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy. That's future-mindedness in action choosing joy and purpose in the present while still facing a difficult future.

Speaker 1:

Element number two optimism. It's about believing in positive outcomes. It's not about ignoring challenges. It's more about maintaining a fundamental belief that good things are still possible. And Nightbird, she radiated joy and positivity, even while battling immense physical pain and uncertainty. Her smile, her laughter, her spirit. They were beacons of optimism. They were beacons of optimism. She chose to focus on the beauty and goodness in life, despite her circumstances. She wasn't denying her pain, but she was actively choosing to cultivate joy alongside it.

Speaker 1:

The third element is goal-directedness. Hope isn't passive, it's active. It involves having goals and a sense of direction even when the path is unclear. It's about moving towards something you value. For Nightbird, her goal was clear to share her music and her message of hope with the world. This purpose drove her Even when she had to withdraw from America's Got Talent for health reasons. She continued to create music, write songs and connect with her fans online. Her goal gave her strength and direction. Her goal gave her strength and direction. And the fourth element agency and pathways thinking. Hope combines believing in your own ability to act. That's the agency piece and seeing different routes to get there. That's the pathways piece. It's not just wishing but believing you can find ways forward. And despite her illness limiting her physically, nightbird found countless pathways to share her hope. Through her songs, her lyrics, her interviews, her social media presence, she found ways to connect with millions and spread her message. She demonstrated incredible agency, using every avenue available to her to pursue her goal and share her light.

Speaker 1:

Nightbird's story is so moving because it wasn't about a life free from suffering. It was about a life lived fully, purposefully and joyfully, even within suffering. That's the power of hope in action. What aspect of Nightbird's story of hope resonates most deeply with you right now?

Speaker 1:

Now we'll transition to the why of hope. Why is hope worth cultivating? And we're going to explore three key reasons. Number one emotional resilience. Hope fosters a sense of inner strength enabling you to cope with the uncertainties of treatment and the potential for recurrence. Number two improved mental health. Hope is linked to reducing anxiety and depression. Hope is linked to reducing anxiety and depression. By maintaining a hopeful outlook, you can better manage the emotional tolls of breast cancer. And number three enhanced coping mechanisms. Hope fuels a proactive approach to treatment. It encourages you to actively participate in your care, seek information and explore available resources. No-transcript. How has hope played a role in managing your emotions and mental health during your breast cancer journey? Okay, we've talked about what hope is and why it's important to cultivate it, so now we'll explore how we can cultivate more hope in our lives, drawing inspiration from Nightbird.

Speaker 1:

Here is a simple, powerful practice called Three Good Things and the purpose of this practice is to help you boost positive emotions, thoughts and behaviors to improve well-being. You can think of it as a daily activity that can rewire your brain to notice and appreciate the good, even when things are challenging. There are three steps. Here goes Step number one daily reflection, so each day before bed, or you can pick any time that works for you, but each day take a few minutes to reflect on your day. And then step two is to identify three good things. So think of three good things that happened that day. They don't have to be huge, they can be small and simple. Maybe it was a beautiful sunset, a kind word from a friend, a moment of feeling a little stronger, a moment of laughter, a delicious cup of tea Anything positive, no matter how small. Delicious cup of tea, anything positive, no matter how small. And then step number three is to write them down, jot them down in a journal or simply mentally list them. For each good thing, ask yourself why was this good and what made this positive? Asking those questions can really help you to savor those good things and to help you just reflect on how they made a difference in your life. So just imagine Nightbird doing this practice, even on her toughest days she might have listed, I felt the sunshine on my face. I wrote a new line for a song. I connected with the fan online.

Speaker 1:

Even throughout illness, there are always glimmers of good. The three good things. Practice done consistently helps to shift your focus to the positive, and it trains your brain to notice goodness and cultivates a more hopeful outlook over time. It's a small but mighty way to build your hope strength. Build your hope strength.

Speaker 1:

Now, as we close out this episode, let's quickly summarize three key takeaways from Nightbird's powerful legacy of hope and how we can apply it to our own lives. Number one hope isn't just wishing. It's about future-mindedness, optimism, goal direction and believing in your agency. Number two hope is about believing in positive outcomes, not ignoring challenges but maintaining a fundamental belief that good things are still possible. And number three hope helps us find meaning and purpose Even in difficult times. It allows us to see beyond the immediate struggle and connect to what truly matters to us in life, giving us something to strive for.

Speaker 1:

Nightbird passed away on February 19, 2022, at the age of 31. Even after her death, her music is still being shared and her legacy of hope lives on. Her life is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest night, hope can shine. Let's carry her legacy forward of choosing hope by nurturing our inner strength and by reimagining our journeys with courage and light. Her story always just touches me Like Nightbird. We can cultivate the character strength of hope. Start with the three good things, practice and consciously choose to look for and nurture hope in your everyday life. If this episode resonated with you, hit, follow and share it with someone who might need to hear this today, and join our Breast Cancer Reimagined podcast Facebook group so we can support each other. The link is in the show notes. Next time, in episode 11, we're diving into how to be mentally strong as you go through your breast cancer journey. Don't forget to subscribe. I'll talk with you in the next episode. Thank you for joining.