Breast Cancer Reimagined

Unlock Your Mental Toughness

• Shannon • Season 1 • Episode 11

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Summary

In this episode of Breast Cancer Reimagined, host Shannon D. Silva shares her personal journey of navigating breast cancer and the importance of mental toughness. Through a story about learning to ride a Boosted Board, she explores how vulnerability can reveal strength. The episode emphasizes the significance of character strengths, particularly those related to wisdom, in building resilience during challenging times. Listeners are encouraged to engage in practical activities to enhance their mental toughness and reflect on their experiences.

Key Takeaways

  • Moments of vulnerability can reveal our greatest strengths.
  • Mental toughness is about resilience, not perfection.
  • Embracing challenges is essential for growth.
  • Taking control of your care empowers you.
  • Staying committed to goals helps navigate tough times.
  • Believing in yourself is crucial for coping.
  • Character strengths support mental toughness.
  • Creativity helps find solutions to challenges.
  • Curiosity drives informed decision-making.
  • Perspective allows us to see the bigger picture.


Activities 

1 - Wisdom Strength Reflection Journal

  1. Pick One wisdom Strength to Focus on: Creativity, Curiosity, Judgment, Love of Learning, or Perspective.
  2. Recall a Challenge – Think of a time you used this strength to solve a problem or learn something new.
  3. Describe the Experience
    1. What happened?
    2. How did you use the strength?
    3. What did you learn?
  4. Repeat this process for each of the wisdom Strengths, reflecting on different experiences.
  5. Bonus: Look for Patterns – Which strengths felt natural? Which ones stretched you? How can you use them more?

This activity is great if you want to:

  • Become more aware of your own strengths.
  • Identify concrete examples of your men.

2 - Set an Intention for Growth: 

  1. Choose one wisdom strength (Creativity, Curiosity, Judgment, Love of Learning, or Perspective) that you want to use to boost your mental toughness right now. 
  2. For the upcoming week, commit to a simple, intentional action to apply that strength more often.

Not sure which strength to focus on? These questions will help:

🔹Feeling stuck? How can creativity help you brainstorm new solutions? Creativity

🔹Facing a problem? What questions can you ask to learn more? Curiosity

🔹Making a choice? How can you weigh your options more carefully? Judgment

🔹Want to grow? What new ideas can you explore? Love of Learning

🔹Feeling down? How can you step back and see the bigger picture? Perspective

This activity is great if you want to:

  • Actively work on building your mental toughness.
  • Create positive change through small, focused actions.


3 - Share Your Insights: 

  • Consider discussing the concepts from this episode with a friend, family member, or within a support group. 
  • Talking about these ideas with others can help you solidify your own understanding and potentially gain new perspectives.

This activity is great if you want to:

  • Feel more connected and supported.
  • Help or inspire others.

I am free! tattoo

List of 24 Character Strengths

VIA Surv

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. 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. I am so glad you are here.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to episode 11, unlock your mental toughness Wisdom for navigating breast cancer challenges. What if the moments you feel most vulnerable are actually your greatest displays of strength? It's a concept I've been grappling with, especially after a day. That was meant to signal a return to normalcy, but instead it involved a minor mishap, a bit of embarrassment and a surprising label that made me rethink everything I thought I knew about being tough. I'll give you some context then I'm going to play an audio clip so that you can hear this story unfold in its raw, unedited form.

Speaker 1:

So this story took place on May 2nd 2019. It was my first day back to work from medical leave, and while I was on leave, my husband taught me how to ride a boosted board, which is an electric skateboard. My husband was riding one, and I thought it would be really fun for me to have a new hobby and we could ride together. I also wanted to learn to ride because it was something that really required me to be in tune with my body. I wanted something to help me to just be present in the moment and not always in my head, and when you ride, you have to be present, otherwise you risk falling. So remember this point about being present and not in my head.

Speaker 1:

It's going to come into play in the story, and riding was so exhilarating, and once I felt comfortable and pretty confident, I was thinking about whether or not. I wanted to commute to and from the shuttle stop on my boosted board, and that was about a five-mile round-trip adventure. To help me decide, my husband took me on a dry run so that I could get just an experience of what it would be like to commute at least to the shuttle stop on my boosted board. And then he said something that changed everything. He said imagine having that feeling every day on your way to work. And I said, yes, I want that.

Speaker 1:

And that's when I decided that I was going to commute to and from the shuttle on my boosted board and I also decided to shave my head and get a tattoo. There's a picture of the tattoo in the show notes, and I'll share more about the tattoo story and my decision to shave my head in a future episode. So this audio clip that you're about to listen to is the story of my first day returning to work on my boosted board. It led to a powerful lesson about what it means to be tough. Here goes.

Speaker 2:

And then comes the day for me to go back to work and I was excited, I was ready. I was still a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect. But I got all ready, had all my gear on, I get to campus and I had never ridden my skateboard on campus and it's huge and I wasn't sure where to go. And so I asked someone directions and they shared okay, go this way. So I'm going that way. But then I got a little turned around because I see all these arrows on the ground. I'm like, okay, which way to go? And my electric skateboard. I use a remote control to make it go forward and to brake. And so for some reason, once I got a little flustered and turned around it was my first day riding this to work I accidentally stopped my remote, but my body wasn't prepared to stop because I didn't mean to do it. So next thing, you know, it's like I'm falling and it's like, oh my gosh. And I just fell. And then some people start running over and I'm so embarrassed and I just fell. And then some people start running over and I'm so embarrassed and I said, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm like, oh my gosh. And so I got up and then I looked at my hands and my hands are all bloody and I realized I forgot to put my gloves back on. I just didn't have my routine down, so my hands are all bloody and I put my gloves back on because I don't want to look at bloody hands. So I put my gloves back on and I sing and I dance when I ride on my skateboard. So I'm like singing and I'm dancing and I get to work and some of my coworkers didn't know I was coming back that day but I roll into the office on my skateboard, shaved head, bleeding. It was just pretty traumatic and fun. I wanted people to know that I fell and that I hurt myself.

Speaker 2:

But this time I told everyone that came into my view that I fell off my skateboard and then I showed them all of my road rash and for me it was really a test of being vulnerable, because I felt vulnerable in that moment. But then I realized I'm courageous, I am so brave. I sent my husband pictures of my road rash and then when I came home he looked at it and he's like turning my hands around and looking. And then he looks at me in the eyes and he said you're tough. And I thought, oh my gosh, I never thought of myself as tough. And the interesting thing is I had shared with a colleague that story about how my husband said I'm tough. And she said, of course you're tough, you beat cancer. And I thought, oh, like I just didn't put that together.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So after hearing that story, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about what it truly means to be tough? When I fell off my boosted board, I felt tough because I got hurt and I had the road rash to prove it. I also felt tough because I got up and I kept going. But what I realized was I felt physically tough, but falling off my boosted board also helped me to realize that I was mentally tough as well, because of how I responded to the situation, and this helped me to see that I was mentally tough when navigating my breast cancer journey too, but I just didn't see it at the time.

Speaker 1:

Being mentally tough during your breast cancer journey isn't about being a superhero who never feels scared or sad. It's about activating your strengths to navigate the ups and downs with resilience and a proactive spirit. Think back to last week. What's one time you had to push yourself, either physically or mentally, and you were surprised by what you could do. Think of being mentally tough as including these four elements. Number one embracing challenges. So that means seeing appointments, treatments and changes in your body not just as obstacles, but also as steps on your path towards healing and growth. Number two taking control, believing you have the power to make informed decisions about your care, build a strong support system and manage your well-being. Number three staying committed, keeping focused on your goals, whether that's getting through treatment, spending time with loved ones or finding moments of joy even when things feel overwhelming. And number four believing in yourself, trusting in your ability to cope, adapt and find inner strength throughout this experience and find inner strength throughout this experience. So we've talked about what it means to be mentally tough embracing challenges, taking control, staying committed and believing in yourself.

Speaker 1:

But how do we actually develop mental toughness? Let's unlock a powerful secret to building mental toughness our via character strengths, especially those nestled within the virtue of wisdom. Character strengths are the positive parts of our personality that contribute to our fulfillment and are considered morally good. Our character strengths can support us in boosting our well-being and also in navigating and overcoming challenges. Now VIA identifies 24 character strengths, organized under six virtues. There's a list of the 24 character strengths and six virtues in the show notes. The wisdom strengths are what we're going to focus on now, and they include creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning and perspective. So how do these wisdom strengths help us build mental toughness? They help us to navigate challenges, to understand ourselves and the world and to make thoughtful decisions that support our growth. Think of them as powerful tools that enable us to navigate breast cancer with greater clarity and resilience. Now let's explore each of the wisdom strengths and how they support mental toughness. I'll also include an example based on my Boosted Board story.

Speaker 1:

So the first one is creativity. When faced with the unexpected twists and turns of breast cancer, creativity allows us to think outside the box. It helps us find novel solutions to problems, to adapt our approach when things don't go as planned, and also to even reframe negative situations in a more constructive light. So reflect on your breast cancer journey. Maybe you creatively found ways to manage treatment side effects or discovered new sources of joy during a difficult time. That's your creativity fueling mental toughness, dueling mental toughness. In my story, I used my creativity to turn an embarrassing fall into a moment of fun and vulnerability by singing and dancing my way back to the office and openly sharing my story with others.

Speaker 1:

Let's move to number two curiosity. A curious mind is an engaged mind, so curiosity drives us to seek information and to understand the challenges that we face and to explore different ways of coping During breast cancer. This might look like actively researching your diagnosis, asking questions to your healthcare team or exploring different support resources. This proactive engagement fueled by curiosity empowers you and builds mental toughness by making you feel more informed and in control. In my story, I was curious about navigating the campus for the first time, and then I got really curious about why I fell, and that's when I realized that I accidentally stopped the remote and that's what made me fall and I got road rash because I forgot to put my back on.

Speaker 1:

Number three, judgment, or also known as critical thinking. Mental toughness requires making sound decisions, especially under pressure, and judgment helps us to think things through, to weigh different options and to avoid impulsive reactions based on fear or anxiety. It allows us to evaluate information more objectively and to seek advice when needed and make informed choices about our well-being and our path forward. This thoughtful decision-making is a cornerstone of mental strength. In my story, I made the decision to get up and keep going, and also I made the decision to put on my gloves because I didn't want to ride looking at bloody hands, and I also made the conscious choice to be open and vulnerable about the fall, and I also made the conscious choice to be open and vulnerable about the fall. I told everyone that I saw that I fell off my skateboard and that I showed them my road rash.

Speaker 1:

Number four love of learning. The journey of building mental toughness is often one of continuous learning and growth. Love of learning motivates us to acquire new skills, knowledge and strategies that can help us navigate challenges. This might involve learning more about stress management techniques, learning new coping mechanisms or even simply learning more about ourselves and our own resilience. This ongoing pursuit of knowledge strengthens our ability to navigate breast cancer. In my story, I learned the importance of having a routine to make sure I always had my gloves on when I was on my electric skateboard and let me tell you, I never forgot to put my gloves on again after that mistake.

Speaker 1:

Number five perspective. Having perspective allows us to step back from our immediate situation and see the bigger picture. From our immediate situation and see the bigger picture. It helps us to keep things in context and to understand that challenges are often temporary and we can even find meaning in difficult times. It helps us to keep things in context and to understand that challenges are often temporary and find meaning even in difficult times. This strength can also involve seeking wise counsel from others or drawing on past experiences to inform our present challenges. Perspective provides a sense of hope and helps us maintain a balanced outlook, which is vital for mental toughness. In my story, I shifted from feeling embarrassed to really seeing the fall as an opportunity to be vulnerable and brave. But, most importantly, my husband's comment you're tough helped me to see a new perspective on what it means to be tough. By consciously cultivating and utilizing these wisdom strengths our creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning and perspective Love of learning and perspective we equipped ourselves with the mental tools necessary to navigate breast cancer with greater resilience, control and belief in our own strength.

Speaker 1:

Now let's put this into practice. I'll walk you through three activities to help you build your mental toughness. The first activity is called the Wisdom Strength Reflection Journal the Wisdom Strength Reflection Journal, and here's how it works. So step number one is to pick one wisdom strength to focus on Again, creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning or perspective. So you pick one of those wisdom strengths to focus on. Step number two is to think of a time you use that strength to solve a problem or learn something new. Strength to solve a problem or learn something new. Step number three is just to describe the experience. What happened, how did you use the strength that you chose in step number one and what did you learn? Step number four is to repeat the same process so that you can go through it with all five wisdom strengths. A bonus step is, after you've gone through all five of the wisdom strengths, reflect on what you've written and just look for any patterns. You might want to ask yourself which strengths felt natural, which ones stretched you, how can you use them more? And this activity, the Wisdom Strength Reflection Journal, is a great activity if you enjoy journaling. It's also helpful if you want to become more aware of your own strengths. You want to become more aware of your own strengths and also if you want to identify concrete examples of your own mental toughness.

Speaker 1:

The second activity is called set an intention for growth, and step number one is to choose one of the wisdom strengths that you want to use to boost your mental toughness right now. And step number two, for the upcoming week, commit to a simple intentional action to apply that strength more often. So to help you figure out what strength you might want to focus on, I'm going to share a few questions to help you figure out what strength you might want to focus on. I'm going to share a few questions to help you decide.

Speaker 1:

Feeling stuck, creativity may be the strength you want to focus on. How can creativity help you brainstorm new solutions? Facing a problem? Curiosity can help. What questions can you ask to learn more? Making a choice? The strength of judgment can help. How can you weigh your options more carefully? Want to grow? You can use your love of learning. What new ideas can you explore? And lastly, feeling down, you can tap into the strength of perspective. How can you step back and see the bigger picture? Now?

Speaker 1:

This activity Set an Intention for Growth is really a great activity if you want to actively work on building your mental toughness, and it's also really helpful if you want to create change through small, focused actions. And the last activity is called share your insights. So consider discussing the concepts from this episode with a friend, a family member or within a support group, because talking about these ideas with others can help you solidify your own understanding and potentially gain new perspectives. So this particular activity Share your Insights is a great activity to do if you want to feel more connected and more supported, or if you want to help and inspire others, or if you want to help and inspire others as we close out this episode, let's quickly summarize three key takeaways. Use your via wisdom strengths to actively build your mental toughness in your breast cancer journey or for any challenge that you're facing. Number two reflect on your own experiences using these wisdom strengths to recognize your existing mental toughness and feel more confident. And number three even unexpected moments like a fall can teach you powerful lessons about your mental strength if you take the time to think about them.

Speaker 1:

Now it's your turn. Which of these activities will you explore this week? The Wisdom Strength Reflection Journal? Or maybe you want to set an intention for growth? Or maybe you want to share your insights. I encourage you to pick one activity and practice it throughout the week. If this episode resonated with you, hit, follow and share it with someone who might need to hear this today. Also, join our Breast Cancer Reimagined podcast Facebook group so we can support each other. The link is in the show notes. Next time on Breast Cancer Reimagined, we're unlocking one key skill to handle any fear during your breast cancer journey. Don't miss episode 12. And don't forget to subscribe. I'll talk with you in the next episode. Thank you for joining.