May 21, 2025 • 18 mins
Summary
In this episode of Breast Cancer Reimagined, host Shannon D. Silva, a two-time breast cancer survivor, explores the transformative power of gratitude in navigating the challenges of breast cancer. She shares personal stories and practical strategies for cultivating gratitude, emphasizing its role in enhancing mental health, fostering happiness, and finding deeper meaning in life. Listeners are encouraged to discover their unique relationship with gratitude and to practice it intentionally through specific prompts.
Takeaways
- Gratitude can transform challenges into opportunities for growth.
- Experiencing gratitude can ease pain and foster self-compassion.
- Gratitude supports mental wellbeing by counteracting negative emotions.
- Practicing gratitude can boost happiness and life satisfaction.
- Gratitude connects individuals to a deeper sense of purpose.
- Understanding your character strengths can enhance your gratitude practice.
- Gratitude can be a signature strength, middle strength, or lesser strength.
- Personalizing gratitude practices makes them more impactful.
- Simple prompts can help cultivate a gratitude mindset.
- Recognizing the good in life is essential for emotional resilience.
Journaling Prompts:
#1 I’m grateful for… because…This is meaningful because…
#2: Things could be worse and I’m glad they’re not
List of 24 Character Strengths
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Breast Cancer Reimagined Facebook Group
Mark as Played
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.
Hello, hello, welcome back toBreast Cancer Reimagined.
(01:19):
I'm Shannon, your host, a proudtwo-time breast cancer survivor
.
I am so glad you are here.
In this episode, we're focusingon how gratitude can truly make
a difference for you as younavigate your breast cancer
journey.
Now, it's not about pretendingthat the hard parts don't exist.
It's about using gratitude totransform those challenges into
(01:40):
opportunities for growth anddeeper connections.
We'll explore how yourexperience with gratitude is
unique and you'll learnpractical ways you can use it to
strengthen your mental health,boost your happiness and uncover
deeper meaning in your journey.
So, to kick off this episode,I'm going to share a defining
(02:01):
moment that helped me findstrength and gratitude.
It was September 2011.
I was in San Diego visiting mystepmom and my dad.
I was sitting on the couch andthen the doorbell rang, and as
soon as I saw who it was, Iburst into tears.
(02:21):
It was the hospice doctor.
I was crying because my dad wasdying of stage 4 colon cancer.
I was heartbroken.
I felt helpless.
There was nothing I could do tosave him.
But while I was crying, Irealized that I burst into tears
(02:43):
every time the doorbell rang,and in that moment it hit me.
I realized that I was cryingnot just because I was sad, but
because I was grateful.
I was grateful because I wasable to be with my dad before he
(03:09):
died.
I was grateful because of thelove and the care that my dad
was receiving.
I was grateful because I got tobe there with my family.
My mom, my brother, my stepmomand my wonderful husband drove
eight hours in the middle of thenight so he could be with me,
and I'll never forget the momenthe rolled up into the driveway.
I ran out of the house and intohis arms.
(03:29):
I was grateful because my jobwas understanding and told me to
take all of the time that Ineeded.
Now, gratitude didn't take thepain away, but it eased my pain
because I was able to appreciatethe good in the situation.
And this experience was someaningful to me because my
(03:53):
gratitude opened the door toself-love and self-compassion.
I was really able to be therefor myself when I needed myself
the most.
This experience helped me tofind strength and gratitude.
(04:13):
So what is the character,strength of gratitude?
Gratitude is being aware of andthankful for the good things
that happen, taking time toexpress thanks.
It's about noticing andrecognizing the positive aspects
of your life, big and small.
(04:34):
Perhaps it's a stranger whoopens the door for you and you
take a moment to acknowledge thekindness.
Gratitude it's that feeling ofappreciation and thankfulness
for the goodness.
Maybe that's when a friendchecks in on you and you
appreciate the love behind theirmessage.
It's about actively expressingyour gratitude, both internally,
(04:58):
meaning towards yourself, andexternally, to others, maybe in
writing or through your actions,so you might say a quiet thank
you to your body for getting youthrough another day, or maybe
you compliment a caregiver andlet them know how much their
kindness means to you.
Gratitude is also aboutappreciating past benefits,
(05:23):
present goodness and evenanticipating future good things.
So in the past, you mightreflect on a time you overcame a
challenge and remind yourselfof your resilience.
In the present, maybe you enjoya heartfelt conversation with a
friend, cherishing theconnection, and in the future,
you might think of a celebrationyou hope to attend, to letting
(05:47):
yourself feel that excitement.
Now that we've explored themeaning of gratitude, let's talk
about the payoff for findingstrength and gratitude.
There are lots of reasons tofocus on gratitude, but I'm
going to focus on three keyreasons and, as I share these
(06:09):
reasons, think about the reasonthat resonates most with you.
So number one gratitudesupports mental well-being by
counteracting negative emotions.
Gratitude acts as an antidoteto negative or upsetting
emotions like anger or overwhelm, and I love this saying you
(06:32):
can't be grumpy and grateful atthe same time.
Number two gratitude is ahappiness string, and this means
that gratitude directly boostsyour feelings of joy and life
satisfaction.
This shift promotes contentmentand satisfaction with your
(06:52):
present circumstances.
Now, this doesn't mean thateverything is great.
It simply means that you cansee the good in your
circumstance.
And number three gratitude is ameaning strength, and this
means that it connects you tosomething larger than yourself,
giving you a deeper sense ofpurpose.
(07:12):
It cultivates a profoundappreciation for life itself,
reminding you of your placewithin it and giving deeper
meaning to your dailyexperiences.
Now, which reason for practicinggratitude resonates most with
you?
Are you looking to support yourmental well-being?
(07:33):
Or perhaps you want to createmore happiness in your breast
cancer journey?
Or you want to create moremeaning in your breast cancer
journey?
So now let's put it alltogether by exploring how to
practice gratitude.
Discovering your uniqueconnection to gratitude is
(07:54):
essential, and the VIA surveycan guide you in that journey.
Now, to bring this to life,let's use an analogy called the
path and whether or not you haveyour character strengths
profile.
This analogy will help youdiscover your unique connection
to gratitude.
(08:15):
So, number one gratitude as asignature or top strength.
So imagine a well-worn paththrough a beautiful forest.
It's clear, easy to follow andyou walk it effortlessly.
You know every turn, everybeautiful vista, and it brings
(08:35):
you joy each time you traverseit.
If gratitude is a signaturestrength in your top five on
your profile.
Your path of appreciation islike this well-worn trail.
It's natural, familiar, and youinstinctively see the beauty
and good things along the waywithout needing to think too
(08:55):
much about it.
Number two gratitude as amiddle string.
Gratitude will show up as numbersix through 19 on your profile,
if that's the case.
So picture a path that's mostlyclear but has occasional
obstacles like fallen branchesor overgrown bushes.
You can navigate it, but youneed to pay attention, make some
(09:19):
detours and put in a bit ofeffort.
So if gratitude is a middlestrength, your path of
appreciation is like this youcan access it, but you need to
be mindful and actively removethe obstacles of negative
thoughts and consciously chooseto walk it regularly.
(09:40):
And lastly, gratitude as alesser strength.
It will show up on your profileas strengths number 20 through
24.
And so imagine a path that'sbarely visible, overgrown with
weeds and hidden in theundergrowth.
You need to clear the way, findthe right direction and put in
(10:02):
significant effort to make itpossible.
So if gratitude is a lesserstrength, your path of
appreciation is like this youneed to make a deliberate effort
to find it clear the weeds ofnegative habits and consistently
practice walking it to make itmore visible and accessible.
So think about your breastcancer journey for a moment.
(10:27):
When it comes to gratitude, doyou feel like you're walking a
well-worn path, effortlesslynoticing the good, or does it
feel more like you're navigatinga path with a few obstacles, or
perhaps even clearing a hiddentrail?
By knowing where gratitudefalls in your profile, you can
(10:47):
develop a more personalizedapproach to practicing gratitude
, making it more meaningful andimpactful in your daily life so
it actually sticks.
So let me share with you what apersonalized approach looks
like.
So if gratitude to you feelslike a signature strength, that
means that practicing it willfeel natural, authentic and
(11:10):
energizing, and you likely arealready expressing and feeling
gratitude frequently withoutmuch effort.
For you, practice is aboutamplifying your existing
inclination and making it moreintentional and impactful.
So, for example, you mightactively seek out things to be
(11:30):
grateful for during difficulttimes.
This is where signaturestrengths shine.
They can be resources, even inadversity.
Now, gratitude as a middlestrength.
Gratitude is something you cancultivate and can access, but it
might not always be yourimmediate go-to response.
(11:51):
It requires more consciouseffort and structure.
So for you, structuredpractices will be especially
helpful in consistentlycultivating gratitude.
So, for example, you might wantto set reminders on your phone
or computer to pause and thinkabout something you are grateful
for throughout your day.
Grateful for throughout yourday.
(12:19):
Lastly, gratitude as a lesserstrength.
If gratitude is a lesserstrength, practicing it might
feel less intuitive and requiremore significant effort.
It's important to be patientwith yourself and start small.
Don't try to force yourselfinto elaborate practices right
away.
Again, begin with small,manageable steps.
So, for example, something youmight try is each day identify
(12:43):
just one good thing thathappened and acknowledge it with
gratitude, even mentally.
When it comes to gratitude, doyou find it comes naturally and
effortlessly as you apply it toyour daily life, or do you often
need reminders and structuredpractices to engage with it?
The key is knowing how yourelate to gratitude so you can
(13:07):
practice it in a way thatsupports you.
Now I'll share two of myfavorite prompts, and you can
use these prompts whethergratitude is a signature, middle
or lesser strength.
Here's the first one.
It's a three-parter I amgrateful for because and this is
meaningful because so I'll giveyou an example based on this
(13:30):
story that I shared earlier.
So I'm grateful for being withmy dad during his final days,
because I was surrounded byfamily, I got to share and hear
stories about my dad and I gotto see and feel how much people
loved him, how much people lovedhim.
(13:57):
This is meaningful because Irealized that being grateful
opened the door for me to havecompassion for myself and to
comfort myself in the moments Ineeded myself the most.
Now, what I love about thisprompt is that it helps you to
go below the surface and reallyget to the heart of why you are
grateful and what it means toyou.
So if gratitude is a signaturestrength, you may choose to
(14:21):
respond to this prompt, say, forthe next seven days.
If gratitude is a middlestrength, you may choose to set
a reminder to respond to thisprompt, maybe three days a week.
And if gratitude is a lesserstrength, you may choose to
think about what you aregrateful for and why, to help
you build your gratitude muscleReady for the second prompt.
(14:46):
Before I reveal that prompt, I'mgoing to share a little bit of
context.
This prompt was inspired by anarticle that I read and I'm
putting that article in the shownotes if you are interested in
checking it out for yourself.
In this article Adam Grant.
He's an organizationalpsychologist and Sheryl Sandberg
was the former COO of Facebookand they are co-authors of the
(15:10):
book called Option B, and theywere having a conversation about
Cheryl's husband, dave, who hadrecently passed away.
This is what Cheryl said.
One of the things that reallyhelped me recover the most was
completely counterintuitive tome is one day Adam said to me
you know, things could be a lotworse.
(15:31):
And I said to him what do youmean?
Things could be worse.
I just lost my husband suddenly.
Are you kidding?
How could things be worse?
And Adam responded and the onlything I could think of was to
say Dave died of a cardiacarrhythmia and he could have had
that same arrhythmia whiledriving your children in the car
(15:52):
.
And he could have had that samearrhythmia while driving your
children in the car.
Cheryl responded, and it neveroccurred to me I could have lost
all three of them in an instant, not just one.
And actually the minute you saythat you're like, okay, I'm all
right, thank God, my childrenare alive.
(16:16):
This story highlights thatsevere adversity provides a
powerful sense of perspective,helping you recognize and
appreciate what you have.
It's about acknowledging thingscould be worse, but instead
finding gratitude for the goodin your life.
So here's the prompt in yourlife.
(16:38):
So here's the prompt.
Things could be worse, and I'mglad they're not.
In terms of my dad, thingscould have been worse.
He was diagnosed and the doctorgave him one and a half years
to live.
He could have died within orsooner, but he lived four and a
half years after he wasdiagnosed.
So I was so grateful for all ofthe bonus time I got to have
(17:03):
with my dad.
You can use this prompt, whethergratitude is a signature,
middle or lesser strength.
Which of the two prompts areyou most curious about using?
As we close out this episode, Iwant you to remember three
(17:24):
things.
Number one find strength andgratitude by choosing to see the
good in your circumstance.
Number two gratitude isn't justa feeling.
It boosts your happiness, helpsyou find meaning and supports
your mental well-being.
It's worth practicing.
And number three understandyour own gratitude path.
(17:46):
Are you naturally grateful ordoes it take more effort?
Knowing this helps you practiceit better.
Now it's your turn.
Which of the prompts will youuse this week?
I'm grateful for, because andthis is meaningful because or
(18:10):
prompt number two Things couldbe worse, and I'm glad they're
not.
If this episode resonated withyou, I would appreciate it if
you hit follow and share it withsomeone who might need to hear
this today and join our BreastCancer Reimagined podcast
Facebook group so we can supporteach other.
The link is in the show notes.
In our next episode, we'llexplore the character strength
(18:32):
of hope.
Don't forget to subscribe.
I will talk with you in thenext episode.
We'll explore the characterstrength of Hope.
Don't forget to subscribe.
I will talk with you in thenext episode.
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.
Hello, hello, welcome back toBreast Cancer Reimagined.
(01:19):
I'm Shannon, your host, a proudtwo-time breast cancer survivor
.
I am so glad you are here.
In this episode, we're focusingon how gratitude can truly make
a difference for you as younavigate your breast cancer
journey.
Now, it's not about pretendingthat the hard parts don't exist.
It's about using gratitude totransform those challenges into
(01:40):
opportunities for growth anddeeper connections.
We'll explore how yourexperience with gratitude is
unique and you'll learnpractical ways you can use it to
strengthen your mental health,boost your happiness and uncover
deeper meaning in your journey.
So, to kick off this episode,I'm going to share a defining
(02:01):
moment that helped me findstrength and gratitude.
It was September 2011.
I was in San Diego visiting mystepmom and my dad.
I was sitting on the couch andthen the doorbell rang, and as
soon as I saw who it was, Iburst into tears.
(02:21):
It was the hospice doctor.
I was crying because my dad wasdying of stage 4 colon cancer.
I was heartbroken.
I felt helpless.
There was nothing I could do tosave him.
But while I was crying, Irealized that I burst into tears
(02:43):
every time the doorbell rang,and in that moment it hit me.
I realized that I was cryingnot just because I was sad, but
because I was grateful.
I was grateful because I wasable to be with my dad before he
(03:09):
died.
I was grateful because of thelove and the care that my dad
was receiving.
I was grateful because I got tobe there with my family.
My mom, my brother, my stepmomand my wonderful husband drove
eight hours in the middle of thenight so he could be with me,
and I'll never forget the momenthe rolled up into the driveway.
I ran out of the house and intohis arms.
(03:29):
I was grateful because my jobwas understanding and told me to
take all of the time that Ineeded.
Now, gratitude didn't take thepain away, but it eased my pain
because I was able to appreciatethe good in the situation.
And this experience was someaningful to me because my
(03:53):
gratitude opened the door toself-love and self-compassion.
I was really able to be therefor myself when I needed myself
the most.
This experience helped me tofind strength and gratitude.
(04:13):
So what is the character,strength of gratitude?
Gratitude is being aware of andthankful for the good things
that happen, taking time toexpress thanks.
It's about noticing andrecognizing the positive aspects
of your life, big and small.
(04:34):
Perhaps it's a stranger whoopens the door for you and you
take a moment to acknowledge thekindness.
Gratitude it's that feeling ofappreciation and thankfulness
for the goodness.
Maybe that's when a friendchecks in on you and you
appreciate the love behind theirmessage.
It's about actively expressingyour gratitude, both internally,
(04:58):
meaning towards yourself, andexternally, to others, maybe in
writing or through your actions,so you might say a quiet thank
you to your body for getting youthrough another day, or maybe
you compliment a caregiver andlet them know how much their
kindness means to you.
Gratitude is also aboutappreciating past benefits,
(05:23):
present goodness and evenanticipating future good things.
So in the past, you mightreflect on a time you overcame a
challenge and remind yourselfof your resilience.
In the present, maybe you enjoya heartfelt conversation with a
friend, cherishing theconnection, and in the future,
you might think of a celebrationyou hope to attend, to letting
(05:47):
yourself feel that excitement.
Now that we've explored themeaning of gratitude, let's talk
about the payoff for findingstrength and gratitude.
There are lots of reasons tofocus on gratitude, but I'm
going to focus on three keyreasons and, as I share these
(06:09):
reasons, think about the reasonthat resonates most with you.
So number one gratitudesupports mental well-being by
counteracting negative emotions.
Gratitude acts as an antidoteto negative or upsetting
emotions like anger or overwhelm, and I love this saying you
(06:32):
can't be grumpy and grateful atthe same time.
Number two gratitude is ahappiness string, and this means
that gratitude directly boostsyour feelings of joy and life
satisfaction.
This shift promotes contentmentand satisfaction with your
(06:52):
present circumstances.
Now, this doesn't mean thateverything is great.
It simply means that you cansee the good in your
circumstance.
And number three gratitude is ameaning strength, and this
means that it connects you tosomething larger than yourself,
giving you a deeper sense ofpurpose.
(07:12):
It cultivates a profoundappreciation for life itself,
reminding you of your placewithin it and giving deeper
meaning to your dailyexperiences.
Now, which reason for practicinggratitude resonates most with
you?
Are you looking to support yourmental well-being?
(07:33):
Or perhaps you want to createmore happiness in your breast
cancer journey?
Or you want to create moremeaning in your breast cancer
journey?
So now let's put it alltogether by exploring how to
practice gratitude.
Discovering your uniqueconnection to gratitude is
(07:54):
essential, and the VIA surveycan guide you in that journey.
Now, to bring this to life,let's use an analogy called the
path and whether or not you haveyour character strengths
profile.
This analogy will help youdiscover your unique connection
to gratitude.
(08:15):
So, number one gratitude as asignature or top strength.
So imagine a well-worn paththrough a beautiful forest.
It's clear, easy to follow andyou walk it effortlessly.
You know every turn, everybeautiful vista, and it brings
(08:35):
you joy each time you traverseit.
If gratitude is a signaturestrength in your top five on
your profile.
Your path of appreciation islike this well-worn trail.
It's natural, familiar, and youinstinctively see the beauty
and good things along the waywithout needing to think too
(08:55):
much about it.
Number two gratitude as amiddle string.
Gratitude will show up as numbersix through 19 on your profile,
if that's the case.
So picture a path that's mostlyclear but has occasional
obstacles like fallen branchesor overgrown bushes.
You can navigate it, but youneed to pay attention, make some
(09:19):
detours and put in a bit ofeffort.
So if gratitude is a middlestrength, your path of
appreciation is like this youcan access it, but you need to
be mindful and actively removethe obstacles of negative
thoughts and consciously chooseto walk it regularly.
(09:40):
And lastly, gratitude as alesser strength.
It will show up on your profileas strengths number 20 through
24.
And so imagine a path that'sbarely visible, overgrown with
weeds and hidden in theundergrowth.
You need to clear the way, findthe right direction and put in
(10:02):
significant effort to make itpossible.
So if gratitude is a lesserstrength, your path of
appreciation is like this youneed to make a deliberate effort
to find it clear the weeds ofnegative habits and consistently
practice walking it to make itmore visible and accessible.
So think about your breastcancer journey for a moment.
(10:27):
When it comes to gratitude, doyou feel like you're walking a
well-worn path, effortlesslynoticing the good, or does it
feel more like you're navigatinga path with a few obstacles, or
perhaps even clearing a hiddentrail?
By knowing where gratitudefalls in your profile, you can
(10:47):
develop a more personalizedapproach to practicing gratitude
, making it more meaningful andimpactful in your daily life so
it actually sticks.
So let me share with you what apersonalized approach looks
like.
So if gratitude to you feelslike a signature strength, that
means that practicing it willfeel natural, authentic and
(11:10):
energizing, and you likely arealready expressing and feeling
gratitude frequently withoutmuch effort.
For you, practice is aboutamplifying your existing
inclination and making it moreintentional and impactful.
So, for example, you mightactively seek out things to be
(11:30):
grateful for during difficulttimes.
This is where signaturestrengths shine.
They can be resources, even inadversity.
Now, gratitude as a middlestrength.
Gratitude is something you cancultivate and can access, but it
might not always be yourimmediate go-to response.
(11:51):
It requires more consciouseffort and structure.
So for you, structuredpractices will be especially
helpful in consistentlycultivating gratitude.
So, for example, you might wantto set reminders on your phone
or computer to pause and thinkabout something you are grateful
for throughout your day.
Grateful for throughout yourday.
(12:19):
Lastly, gratitude as a lesserstrength.
If gratitude is a lesserstrength, practicing it might
feel less intuitive and requiremore significant effort.
It's important to be patientwith yourself and start small.
Don't try to force yourselfinto elaborate practices right
away.
Again, begin with small,manageable steps.
So, for example, something youmight try is each day identify
(12:43):
just one good thing thathappened and acknowledge it with
gratitude, even mentally.
When it comes to gratitude, doyou find it comes naturally and
effortlessly as you apply it toyour daily life, or do you often
need reminders and structuredpractices to engage with it?
The key is knowing how yourelate to gratitude so you can
(13:07):
practice it in a way thatsupports you.
Now I'll share two of myfavorite prompts, and you can
use these prompts whethergratitude is a signature, middle
or lesser strength.
Here's the first one.
It's a three-parter I amgrateful for because and this is
meaningful because so I'll giveyou an example based on this
(13:30):
story that I shared earlier.
So I'm grateful for being withmy dad during his final days,
because I was surrounded byfamily, I got to share and hear
stories about my dad and I gotto see and feel how much people
loved him, how much people lovedhim.
(13:57):
This is meaningful because Irealized that being grateful
opened the door for me to havecompassion for myself and to
comfort myself in the moments Ineeded myself the most.
Now, what I love about thisprompt is that it helps you to
go below the surface and reallyget to the heart of why you are
grateful and what it means toyou.
So if gratitude is a signaturestrength, you may choose to
(14:21):
respond to this prompt, say, forthe next seven days.
If gratitude is a middlestrength, you may choose to set
a reminder to respond to thisprompt, maybe three days a week.
And if gratitude is a lesserstrength, you may choose to
think about what you aregrateful for and why, to help
you build your gratitude muscleReady for the second prompt.
(14:46):
Before I reveal that prompt, I'mgoing to share a little bit of
context.
This prompt was inspired by anarticle that I read and I'm
putting that article in the shownotes if you are interested in
checking it out for yourself.
In this article Adam Grant.
He's an organizationalpsychologist and Sheryl Sandberg
was the former COO of Facebookand they are co-authors of the
(15:10):
book called Option B, and theywere having a conversation about
Cheryl's husband, dave, who hadrecently passed away.
This is what Cheryl said.
One of the things that reallyhelped me recover the most was
completely counterintuitive tome is one day Adam said to me
you know, things could be a lotworse.
(15:31):
And I said to him what do youmean?
Things could be worse.
I just lost my husband suddenly.
Are you kidding?
How could things be worse?
And Adam responded and the onlything I could think of was to
say Dave died of a cardiacarrhythmia and he could have had
that same arrhythmia whiledriving your children in the car
(15:52):
.
And he could have had that samearrhythmia while driving your
children in the car.
Cheryl responded, and it neveroccurred to me I could have lost
all three of them in an instant, not just one.
And actually the minute you saythat you're like, okay, I'm all
right, thank God, my childrenare alive.
(16:16):
This story highlights thatsevere adversity provides a
powerful sense of perspective,helping you recognize and
appreciate what you have.
It's about acknowledging thingscould be worse, but instead
finding gratitude for the goodin your life.
So here's the prompt in yourlife.
(16:38):
So here's the prompt.
Things could be worse, and I'mglad they're not.
In terms of my dad, thingscould have been worse.
He was diagnosed and the doctorgave him one and a half years
to live.
He could have died within orsooner, but he lived four and a
half years after he wasdiagnosed.
So I was so grateful for all ofthe bonus time I got to have
(17:03):
with my dad.
You can use this prompt, whethergratitude is a signature,
middle or lesser strength.
Which of the two prompts areyou most curious about using?
As we close out this episode, Iwant you to remember three
(17:24):
things.
Number one find strength andgratitude by choosing to see the
good in your circumstance.
Number two gratitude isn't justa feeling.
It boosts your happiness, helpsyou find meaning and supports
your mental well-being.
It's worth practicing.
And number three understandyour own gratitude path.
(17:46):
Are you naturally grateful ordoes it take more effort?
Knowing this helps you practiceit better.
Now it's your turn.
Which of the prompts will youuse this week?
I'm grateful for, because andthis is meaningful because or
(18:10):
prompt number two Things couldbe worse, and I'm glad they're
not.
If this episode resonated withyou, I would appreciate it if
you hit follow and share it withsomeone who might need to hear
this today and join our BreastCancer Reimagined podcast
Facebook group so we can supporteach other.
The link is in the show notes.
In our next episode, we'llexplore the character strength
(18:32):
of hope.
Don't forget to subscribe.
I will talk with you in thenext episode.
We'll explore the characterstrength of Hope.
Don't forget to subscribe.
I will talk with you in thenext episode.
Thank you for joining.
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