February 26, 2025 • 12 mins
Shannon, a two-time breast cancer survivor, shares insights on how the narratives we create around our health journeys can significantly impact our experiences. She emphasizes the power of shifting focus from negative thoughts to activating personal strengths for resilience and empowerment.
• The importance of narrative in shaping cancer experiences
• Explanation of negativity bias and its impact
• Overview of character strengths and their relevance
• Categorization of strengths: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence
• Personal anecdotes illustrating the use of strengths during adversity
• Introduction to the VIA Survey for identifying unique strengths
• Encouragement to engage with one's journey and apply learnings
List of 24 Character Strengths
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
The story you tell yourself about your breast
cancer journey shapes yourentire experience, whether
you've been recently diagnosedor are in the midst of treatment
.
Breast Cancer Reimagined isyour podcast for writing this
new chapter of your life.
Hi, I'm Shannon, your host, andI'm so glad you're here.
(00:25):
As a proud two-time breastcancer survivor, I'm on a
mission to help women like youreimagine how you navigate your
breast cancer journey by helpingyou shift your mindset,
activate your strengths anduncover deeper meaning in your
journey.
I'm creating future episodes toaddress your unique challenges,
(00:45):
but I need your input.
What are your biggest questionsor struggles when it comes to
your journey?
Share them with me bycompleting the Google form
that's linked in the show notes.
Your voice matters and togetherwe 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.
(01:07):
Welcome to the Breast CancerReimagined Podcast.
Hi, I'm Shannon, your host.
Thanks for joining.
I'm a proud two-time breastcancer survivor and I'm on a
mission to help women shifttheir mindset, activate their
strengths and uncover deepermeaning in their breast cancer
journey.
This is episode number two andwe're diving into the concept of
(01:30):
countering the balance.
It's about shifting your focusfrom what's wrong to what's
strong.
Let's start with a quick story.
In October of 2017, I wasdiagnosed with grade two
invasive ductal carcinoma of theright breast.
After my lumpectomy in Novemberof 2017, my doctor told me that
(01:52):
my scans looked great and therewas no signs of cancer.
I was officially cancer freeWoohoo.
And towards the end of thevisit, he mentioned that there's
a slight chance of recurrence,which is typical for most
patients Recurrence why does ourmind fixate on that one word?
(02:15):
Why does it replay over and over, stirring up anxiety and fear,
even when the positive outcomesgreatly outweigh the risks, even
when the positive outcomesgreatly outweigh the risks?
Why does that single mention ofrecurrence overshadow all of
the uplifting news, even with anexcellent prognosis?
Why is it so easy to leavefeeling worried rather than
(02:39):
hopeful?
I'll give you two reasons.
The first reason is thenegativity bias.
I'll give you two reasons.
The first reason is thenegativity bias.
Now, this refers to our brain'snatural tendency to pay more
attention to, to remember and beinfluenced by negative
experiences over positive ones.
The brain is naturally wired toprioritize potential threats.
(03:01):
It's a survival mechanism.
The second reason bad isstronger than good.
This means that negativeinformation sticks with us
longer and it's harder to shakeoff.
Negative experiences andemotions have a more powerful
effect on your thoughts,feelings and behaviors than
(03:22):
equally intense positive ones.
So what does this mean?
This means that a single badevent can carry more weight and
shaping your perceptions thanseveral good events combined.
Now, this negativity bias is anatural part of our survival
mechanism and we can't eliminateit.
So what now?
(03:42):
Well, we can counter thebalance, and you counter the
balance by shifting your focusfrom what's wrong to what's
strong.
You shift your focus to yourcharacter strengths.
Character strengths are thepositive traits that make you
you.
They're universal qualitieslike bravery, gratitude and
(04:16):
creativity that help you tonavigate life's ups and downs.
Now, these aren't skills youneed to learn.
They're already inside of you,waiting to be activated, and
research shows that when youfocus on your strengths, you
feel more energized, resilientand connected to your sense of
purpose.
Now imagine feeling moreenergized, resilient and
connected to your sense ofpurpose on your breast cancer
(04:37):
journey.
In the show notes there's alink so you can download a list
of all 24 character strengthsand read a brief description
about each one, but for now,I'll share with you a high-level
overview of all of the 24character strengths, we'll start
with wisdom strengths.
Wisdom strengths enable you toapproach breast cancer with
(05:01):
thoughtful exploration andinformed decision making.
These strengths includecreativity, curiosity, judgment,
love of learning andperspective.
Now the second bucket ofstrengths are called courage
strengths.
Courage strengths help you facefears and uncertainty with
(05:25):
resilience and positivity.
These strengths include bravery, perseverance, honesty and zest
.
The third bucket of strengthsare humanity strengths.
Now, humanity strengths helpyou foster connection and
(05:45):
emotional support throughoutyour journey.
They include love, kindness andsocial intelligence.
The fourth bucket of strengthsare justice strengths.
Now, justice strengths.
They help you to advocate foryourself and build supportive
(06:06):
networks.
They include teamwork, fairnessand leadership.
The fifth bucket of strengthsare temperance strengths.
Now, temperance strengths.
They support emotionalresilience and balance in the
face of challenges, and theyinclude forgiveness, humility,
(06:32):
prudence and self-regulation.
And the last bucket ofstrengths are transcendence
strengths Transcendencestrengths they help to bring
deeper meaning and joy to yourbreast cancer journey, and they
include appreciation of beautyand excellence, gratitude, hope,
(06:55):
humor and spirituality.
So now that we've walked throughthe 24 character strengths,
let's go back to the story Ishared earlier.
Remember?
I'm at a follow-up appointment.
My doctor tells me that myscans look great, then mentions
there's a slight chance ofrecurrence.
(07:17):
That was an opportunity for meto counteract the negativity
bias by shifting the focus to mycharacter strengths.
So this is what I did.
I called on my strength of hopeand by focusing on my hope, I
reminded myself of the positiveaspects and the overall success
(07:39):
of my treatment.
I also called on my strength ofgratitude.
Gratitude helped me toappreciate the positive news
about the scans and the supportI had all around me.
Gratitude also helped me torecognize the progress I had
made in my treatment.
Now, fast forward four years toOctober 2021, I had a recurrence
(08:05):
of breast cancer.
It was the same type of cancergrade two invasive ductal
carcinoma of the right breast.
That slight chance ofrecurrence was now a reality.
But instead of getting swept upin the negativity bias, I
realized that I had anopportunity to counteract the
negativity bias by shifting,realized that I had an
opportunity to counteract thenegativity bias by shifting my
(08:26):
focus to my character strengths.
I was still scared, but I alsoknew that I was strong.
So these are some of thestrengths that I called on.
I called on my gratitude.
I was so grateful that I foundthe lump during a routine breast
self-exam.
Now.
Finding the lump was kind ofscary, but I also felt really
(08:47):
empowered because I found it.
I was grateful also because Ihad a routine mammogram
scheduled so I could tell thetechnologist about the lump at
the appointment.
Love I called on my strength oflove, because to me, doing a
breast self-exam is an act ofself-love, and that helped me to
find the lump.
I found it early.
(09:09):
I called on my hope.
Now, the type of cancer I hadwas very common and treatable
and my doctor had acomprehensive treatment plan.
I felt optimistic and I knew Ihad my medical dream team
working with me.
I knew I was in good hands.
I called on my perspective.
(09:30):
Now, the first time I wasdiagnosed I decided that breast
cancer was happening for me.
It was happening for me tolearn and to grow, and so when I
was diagnosed again, I said tomyself I guess there's more for
me to learn.
I also called on my honesty andwith this one I told myself.
(09:51):
I said, shannon, you asked forthis.
Now, don't get me wrong, Ididn't ask for breast cancer,
but I was asking foropportunities to build my
resilience.
And breast cancer is whatshowed up and I knew that I
can't build resilience withoutgoing through adversity.
So in that moment, I knew thatbreast cancer was happening for
(10:14):
me to build my resilience, forme to build my resilience, and
actually this gave me a sense ofpeace because I felt like I
knew why I got breast canceragain.
And, lastly, I called on mybravery and perseverance.
It is really scary to get thephone call and find out that you
have breast cancer, but Ireminded myself that I had been
(10:35):
through this before and,although the journey will be
different, I can do it again andI will come out stronger
because of this.
Whether you've been recentlydiagnosed or in the midst of
treatment, your strengths arealways with you, and I created
this podcast to help youactivate them.
(10:56):
Imagine how empowering it wouldbe to know exactly what your
strongest traits are and how touse them to thrive in this
journey.
Now, the first step is becomingaware of your strengths, and
the good news is that there's anamazing survey that helps you
identify your unique strengthsin just minutes.
(11:18):
It's called the VIA survey.
It's a free, scientificallyvalidated assessment that
provides you with a personalizedcharacter strengths profile.
The profile ranks yourstrengths from one to 24,
helping you to become aware ofand recognize the unique
(11:38):
qualities that define you Now.
This survey was created by theVIA Institute on Character, a
nonprofit organization that'sdedicated to bringing the
science of character strengthsto the world.
There's a link to the VIAsurvey in the show notes.
Now it's time for you toreimagine your breast cancer
(12:00):
story.
As we close out this episode,be sure to number one, take the
VIA survey to get yourpersonalized character strengths
profile.
And, number two, tune intoepisode three, where I'll walk
you through how to interpretyour profile so you can activate
your strengths.
I'll talk with you in the nextepisode.
(12:22):
Thank you for joining.
The story you tell yourself about your breast
cancer journey shapes yourentire experience, whether
you've been recently diagnosedor are in the midst of treatment
.
Breast Cancer Reimagined isyour podcast for writing this
new chapter of your life.
Hi, I'm Shannon, your host, andI'm so glad you're here.
(00:25):
As a proud two-time breastcancer survivor, I'm on a
mission to help women like youreimagine how you navigate your
breast cancer journey by helpingyou shift your mindset,
activate your strengths anduncover deeper meaning in your
journey.
I'm creating future episodes toaddress your unique challenges,
(00:45):
but I need your input.
What are your biggest questionsor struggles when it comes to
your journey?
Share them with me bycompleting the Google form
that's linked in the show notes.
Your voice matters and togetherwe 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.
(01:07):
Welcome to the Breast CancerReimagined Podcast.
Hi, I'm Shannon, your host.
Thanks for joining.
I'm a proud two-time breastcancer survivor and I'm on a
mission to help women shifttheir mindset, activate their
strengths and uncover deepermeaning in their breast cancer
journey.
This is episode number two andwe're diving into the concept of
(01:30):
countering the balance.
It's about shifting your focusfrom what's wrong to what's
strong.
Let's start with a quick story.
In October of 2017, I wasdiagnosed with grade two
invasive ductal carcinoma of theright breast.
After my lumpectomy in Novemberof 2017, my doctor told me that
(01:52):
my scans looked great and therewas no signs of cancer.
I was officially cancer freeWoohoo.
And towards the end of thevisit, he mentioned that there's
a slight chance of recurrence,which is typical for most
patients Recurrence why does ourmind fixate on that one word?
(02:15):
Why does it replay over and over, stirring up anxiety and fear,
even when the positive outcomesgreatly outweigh the risks, even
when the positive outcomesgreatly outweigh the risks?
Why does that single mention ofrecurrence overshadow all of
the uplifting news, even with anexcellent prognosis?
Why is it so easy to leavefeeling worried rather than
(02:39):
hopeful?
I'll give you two reasons.
The first reason is thenegativity bias.
I'll give you two reasons.
The first reason is thenegativity bias.
Now, this refers to our brain'snatural tendency to pay more
attention to, to remember and beinfluenced by negative
experiences over positive ones.
The brain is naturally wired toprioritize potential threats.
(03:01):
It's a survival mechanism.
The second reason bad isstronger than good.
This means that negativeinformation sticks with us
longer and it's harder to shakeoff.
Negative experiences andemotions have a more powerful
effect on your thoughts,feelings and behaviors than
(03:22):
equally intense positive ones.
So what does this mean?
This means that a single badevent can carry more weight and
shaping your perceptions thanseveral good events combined.
Now, this negativity bias is anatural part of our survival
mechanism and we can't eliminateit.
So what now?
(03:42):
Well, we can counter thebalance, and you counter the
balance by shifting your focusfrom what's wrong to what's
strong.
You shift your focus to yourcharacter strengths.
Character strengths are thepositive traits that make you
you.
They're universal qualitieslike bravery, gratitude and
(04:16):
creativity that help you tonavigate life's ups and downs.
Now, these aren't skills youneed to learn.
They're already inside of you,waiting to be activated, and
research shows that when youfocus on your strengths, you
feel more energized, resilientand connected to your sense of
purpose.
Now imagine feeling moreenergized, resilient and
connected to your sense ofpurpose on your breast cancer
(04:37):
journey.
In the show notes there's alink so you can download a list
of all 24 character strengthsand read a brief description
about each one, but for now,I'll share with you a high-level
overview of all of the 24character strengths, we'll start
with wisdom strengths.
Wisdom strengths enable you toapproach breast cancer with
(05:01):
thoughtful exploration andinformed decision making.
These strengths includecreativity, curiosity, judgment,
love of learning andperspective.
Now the second bucket ofstrengths are called courage
strengths.
Courage strengths help you facefears and uncertainty with
(05:25):
resilience and positivity.
These strengths include bravery, perseverance, honesty and zest
.
The third bucket of strengthsare humanity strengths.
Now, humanity strengths helpyou foster connection and
(05:45):
emotional support throughoutyour journey.
They include love, kindness andsocial intelligence.
The fourth bucket of strengthsare justice strengths.
Now, justice strengths.
They help you to advocate foryourself and build supportive
(06:06):
networks.
They include teamwork, fairnessand leadership.
The fifth bucket of strengthsare temperance strengths.
Now, temperance strengths.
They support emotionalresilience and balance in the
face of challenges, and theyinclude forgiveness, humility,
(06:32):
prudence and self-regulation.
And the last bucket ofstrengths are transcendence
strengths Transcendencestrengths they help to bring
deeper meaning and joy to yourbreast cancer journey, and they
include appreciation of beautyand excellence, gratitude, hope,
(06:55):
humor and spirituality.
So now that we've walked throughthe 24 character strengths,
let's go back to the story Ishared earlier.
Remember?
I'm at a follow-up appointment.
My doctor tells me that myscans look great, then mentions
there's a slight chance ofrecurrence.
(07:17):
That was an opportunity for meto counteract the negativity
bias by shifting the focus to mycharacter strengths.
So this is what I did.
I called on my strength of hopeand by focusing on my hope, I
reminded myself of the positiveaspects and the overall success
(07:39):
of my treatment.
I also called on my strength ofgratitude.
Gratitude helped me toappreciate the positive news
about the scans and the supportI had all around me.
Gratitude also helped me torecognize the progress I had
made in my treatment.
Now, fast forward four years toOctober 2021, I had a recurrence
(08:05):
of breast cancer.
It was the same type of cancergrade two invasive ductal
carcinoma of the right breast.
That slight chance ofrecurrence was now a reality.
But instead of getting swept upin the negativity bias, I
realized that I had anopportunity to counteract the
negativity bias by shifting,realized that I had an
opportunity to counteract thenegativity bias by shifting my
(08:26):
focus to my character strengths.
I was still scared, but I alsoknew that I was strong.
So these are some of thestrengths that I called on.
I called on my gratitude.
I was so grateful that I foundthe lump during a routine breast
self-exam.
Now.
Finding the lump was kind ofscary, but I also felt really
(08:47):
empowered because I found it.
I was grateful also because Ihad a routine mammogram
scheduled so I could tell thetechnologist about the lump at
the appointment.
Love I called on my strength oflove, because to me, doing a
breast self-exam is an act ofself-love, and that helped me to
find the lump.
I found it early.
(09:09):
I called on my hope.
Now, the type of cancer I hadwas very common and treatable
and my doctor had acomprehensive treatment plan.
I felt optimistic and I knew Ihad my medical dream team
working with me.
I knew I was in good hands.
I called on my perspective.
(09:30):
Now, the first time I wasdiagnosed I decided that breast
cancer was happening for me.
It was happening for me tolearn and to grow, and so when I
was diagnosed again, I said tomyself I guess there's more for
me to learn.
I also called on my honesty andwith this one I told myself.
(09:51):
I said, shannon, you asked forthis.
Now, don't get me wrong, Ididn't ask for breast cancer,
but I was asking foropportunities to build my
resilience.
And breast cancer is whatshowed up and I knew that I
can't build resilience withoutgoing through adversity.
So in that moment, I knew thatbreast cancer was happening for
(10:14):
me to build my resilience, forme to build my resilience, and
actually this gave me a sense ofpeace because I felt like I
knew why I got breast canceragain.
And, lastly, I called on mybravery and perseverance.
It is really scary to get thephone call and find out that you
have breast cancer, but Ireminded myself that I had been
(10:35):
through this before and,although the journey will be
different, I can do it again andI will come out stronger
because of this.
Whether you've been recentlydiagnosed or in the midst of
treatment, your strengths arealways with you, and I created
this podcast to help youactivate them.
(10:56):
Imagine how empowering it wouldbe to know exactly what your
strongest traits are and how touse them to thrive in this
journey.
Now, the first step is becomingaware of your strengths, and
the good news is that there's anamazing survey that helps you
identify your unique strengthsin just minutes.
(11:18):
It's called the VIA survey.
It's a free, scientificallyvalidated assessment that
provides you with a personalizedcharacter strengths profile.
The profile ranks yourstrengths from one to 24,
helping you to become aware ofand recognize the unique
(11:38):
qualities that define you Now.
This survey was created by theVIA Institute on Character, a
nonprofit organization that'sdedicated to bringing the
science of character strengthsto the world.
There's a link to the VIAsurvey in the show notes.
Now it's time for you toreimagine your breast cancer
(12:00):
story.
As we close out this episode,be sure to number one, take the
VIA survey to get yourpersonalized character strengths
profile.
And, number two, tune intoepisode three, where I'll walk
you through how to interpretyour profile so you can activate
your strengths.
I'll talk with you in the nextepisode.
(12:22):
Thank you for joining.
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