March 26, 2025 • 20 mins
This episode explores how personal narratives shape the experiences of those navigating breast cancer, emphasizing the power of choosing joy and finding meaning through struggle. Shannon discusses practical methods for uncovering deeper meaning, including leveraging personal meaning strengths and recognizing defining moments within one's journey.
• Choosing joy despite challenges
• Importance of narratives in shaping experiences
• Two practices to find deeper meaning
• Exploring six meaning strengths
• Importance of community and shared experiences
• Steps to reflect on personal defining moments
• Encouragement to engage with personal journeys
The 6 Meaning Strengths:
- Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence
- Curiosity
- Gratitude
- Perspective
- Social Intelligence
- Spirituality
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.
(01:08):
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.
What if your breast cancerjourney wasn't just something to
(01:31):
endure, but an opportunity touncover a deeper sense of
meaning and purpose in your life.
Today, in Episode 5, we'reexploring that question.
I knew there was a biggerpurpose behind my journey.
How did I know?
Because I declared 2017 theyear of joy and I made a bucket
(01:55):
list of ways I wanted to createmore joy in all areas of my life
.
But in September, everythingchanged.
I went in for a routinemammogram, followed by a biopsy.
A few weeks later, on October16, 2017, I got the phone call
no one wants to get my doctorcalled with the result of the
(02:18):
biopsy and I heard the words youhave breast cancer.
Wait what?
I didn't have a lump.
There was no family history andit was supposed to be my year
of joy.
Breast cancer was definitelynot on my bucket list, but in
that moment, I realized I had achoice.
Do I cancel the year of joybecause I have breast cancer, or
(02:41):
is it still the year of joyeven with breast cancer?
I chose joy Now.
Choosing joy didn't mean thatthe journey was going to be easy
, but holding on to joy helpedme persevere through the
toughest moments.
It reminded me that I still hadpower.
I had the power to grow and Ihad the power to uncover deeper
(03:05):
meaning.
In this experience, what Idiscovered is that meaning isn't
something we stumble upon byaccident.
It's something we createthrough our choices, our mindset
and the way we show up forourselves each day.
Today, we're going to dive intotwo practices to help you
(03:26):
uncover deeper meaning in yourbreast cancer journey.
The first practice isleveraging your meaning
strengths, and the secondpractice is recognizing defining
moments.
Breast cancer bringsuncertainty and difficult
questions, but uncoveringmeaning isn't about finding
(03:47):
perfect answers.
Uncovering deeper meaning inyour breast cancer journey means
finding purpose, growth andpersonal insights through your
experience.
It's about shifting your focusfrom why is this happening to me
?
To what can I learn from this,and discovering how this
challenge can shape your life,values and relationships in
(04:11):
meaningful ways.
Uncovering deeper meaning canreally help you to take back
control by focusing on what youcan do, and it can also help you
to feel stronger by seeing yourgrowth through your challenges.
So let's take a look at how youcan start uncovering that
deeper meaning today by divinginto the first practice
(04:33):
leveraging your meaningstrengths.
Now, all of the 24 characterstrengths can help you uncover
deeper meaning.
All strengths contribute to afuller understanding of who you
are and what truly matters.
However, meaning strengths arespecifically labeled as such
because they inherently nurturea sense of purpose and
(04:57):
significance in life.
These strengths encourage youto look inward and to reflect on
your values and beliefs,helping you to clarify what is
truly important to you.
These strengths also help youto make sense of life events and
to understand theirsignificance in your personal
journey.
And, lastly, they help tomotivate you to grow and learn
(05:21):
from challenges, turningexperiences into opportunities
for personal development.
So here's what I'm going to donext, I'm going to walk you
through the six meaningstrengths and then I'll share
with you why these particularstrengths stand out as meaning
strengths.
Then I'll give you an examplefrom my breast cancer journey,
(05:44):
and then I'll offer a practicalway for you to start using these
meaning strengths.
Okay, so here we go.
These are the six meaningstrengths, and I'm going to
share them in alphabetical order.
The first one is appreciation ofbeauty and excellence.
This strength is aboutappreciating beauty and
(06:06):
excellence in the world, whetherit's in nature, art or people's
actions.
It helps you to connect tosomething bigger, bringing
feelings of awe and gratitudethat make life more meaningful.
I'll never forget on the day ofmy lumpectomy in November of
2017.
There was a beautiful rainbowoutside my window.
(06:29):
It brought me a sense of hopeand reminded me that even in the
hardest moments, there is stillbeauty to be found.
It helped me to focus on joyand awe, regardless of what I
was facing.
The second meaning strengthwe'll look at is curiosity.
Curiosity drives you to explorenew ideas and experiences which
(06:53):
can lead to discovering greaterpurpose.
Now, for me, starting thispodcast came from following my
curiosity, wondering how I couldshare my journey and help other
women feel more empoweredthrough theirs.
By exploring that idea, I founda meaningful way to connect,
support and inspire others.
(07:17):
The third meaning strength we'lllook at is gratitude.
Gratitude helps to shift thefocus to appreciating what you
have, helping to create apositive and meaningful outlook
on life.
Now, the day I was diagnosedwith breast cancer, I felt a
whirlwind of emotions, butgratitude became the most
(07:39):
prominent feeling, and here'swhy I was grateful for the
simple act of a friend drivingme to the doctor's office.
I was also grateful for beingable to quickly schedule an
appointment to meet with thesurgeon.
And, most of all, my day endedwith me being surrounded by my
husband and friends over animpromptu dinner party.
(07:59):
It truly was a powerfulreminder of what really matters.
It truly was a powerfulreminder of what really matters.
The fourth meaning strengthwe'll look at is perspective.
Perspective allows you to seebeyond individual events,
providing insight into howexperiences fit into your
broader life story.
(08:20):
Now I was re -diagnosed withbreast cancer in October of 2021
.
And I remember saying to myselfyou asked for this.
Now, don't get me wrong.
I didn't ask for breast cancer,but I asked the universe for
opportunities to build myresilience, and breast cancer is
(08:41):
what showed up.
So in that moment I knew thisjourney was about building my
resilience.
The fifth meaning strength we'lllook at is social intelligence.
Social intelligence enhancesunderstanding of others'
emotions and also your ownemotions, and it also fosters
(09:04):
deeper connections and meaningthrough empathy in mind.
When I was navigating breastcancer was thinking about my
husband, because I knew he hadan experience of me as his wife
having breast cancer, and sowhen I kept that in mind, it
really helped me to betterunderstand his experience and to
(09:27):
put myself into his shoes,because if he had been diagnosed
with cancer, I would also havemy own experience and I would
have to navigate that as well.
So by putting myself in hisshoes, I deepened my empathy for
what he was feeling and goingthrough, which really helped to
strengthen our connection andadded more meaning to the
(09:49):
journey.
And lastly, we havespirituality.
Spirituality focuses on beliefsabout life's larger purpose,
offering guidance and aframework for understanding
life's events.
So one way I create meaning formy breast cancer experience is
by helping other women navigatetheir journey, and this quote
(10:14):
really sums it up.
It's by Adam Grant theirjourney.
And this quote really sums itup.
It's by Adam Grant.
When people go through hardship,they're not just more motivated
to help others.
In many situations, they oftenwant to help people in exactly
the way that they have been hurt.
Helping people through thetrauma that you've faced is not
only something that gives yourlife meaning, it gives your
(10:36):
suffering meaning.
Oh, I love that quote and italso just got me thinking about
how other people have createdmeaning from their suffering.
I'm going to share two examples, and I bet you have heard of
both of these causes.
Here's the first one13-year-old Carrie Leitner was
(10:56):
killed by a repeat drunk driverin a hit-and-run accident 1980.
This tragedy led her mother,Candace Leitner, to found
Mothers Against Drunk Driving,to fight drunk driving and
support victims.
And the second example I thinkthis one will hit closer to home
.
The Susan G Komen Breast CancerFoundation began in 1982 after
(11:20):
Susan Komen died of breastcancer at 36.
Her sister, nancy Brinker,started the foundation to honor
Susan's wish to help othersfight breast cancer and improve
awareness, treatment and support.
Fight breast cancer and improveawareness, treatment and
support Such beautiful examplesof creating meaning out of
(11:41):
suffering.
Now that we've explored the sixmeaning strengths, let's look at
one way that you can work withthese strengths.
So step one is to read abouteach of these six meaning
strengths and to do this you canrefer to your character
strengths profile if you'vetaken the VIA survey, or you can
(12:04):
look at the list of 24character strengths.
The link to the VIA survey, ifyou want to complete that, to
have your character strengthsprofile, and the link to the 24
character strengths are in theshow notes.
So once you read about thesestrengths, select the meaning
strength that you want to workwith and then ask yourself why
(12:27):
you want to work with thatstrength.
Asking why makes this morepowerful.
Because it really forces you tothink about why that strength
is important to you, which canlead to better understanding and
personal growth.
And the third step, once you'veselected the strain is to
determine if the strength is asignature strain.
(12:49):
Is it a middle strain or alesser strain?
This will help you determinehow you will work with this
strength.
I'll explain more about that asI share the example.
For the examples I share, I willuse the meaning strengths of
curiosity and gratitude, becausethose two strengths are two of
(13:11):
the most widely recognizedcharacter strengths worldwide.
What does that mean?
That means many people connectwith and value the positive
impact these two strengths have.
Okay, so we're gonna start withcuriosity.
If you've taken the VIA surveyand you have your character
(13:31):
strengths, profile strengths onethrough five on your profile
are considered your characterstrengths.
Profile strengths one throughfive on your profile are
considered your signaturestrengths.
So take a look to see ifcuriosity shows as a signature
strength on your profile.
If you don't have your profileand you're looking at curiosity
on the list of 24 characterstrengths, ask yourself is
curiosity, does it feelenergizing to use?
(13:53):
Does it feel essential to whoyou are and is it pretty easy
for you to access?
If you can say yes to that,that would imply that curiosity
is a signature strength for you.
And so if you're working withcuriosity as a signature
strength.
The idea is to focus onactivities that naturally spark
your curiosity activities thatnaturally spark your curiosity.
(14:19):
So, for example, you mightconsider a daily curiosity
practice as a way to use thismeaning strength.
And what this looks like is sayeach day you ask yourself one
new question or you exploresomething you're curious about.
This can be something small,like researching a topic or
asking someone about theirexperience.
The key is to notice how thisopens your mind and brings fresh
(14:43):
insight.
Now we're going to take a lookat curiosity as a middle
strength.
If it's a middle strength onyour profile, it will be
numbered 6 through 19 on yourprofile.
If you don't have your profile,think about curiosity.
Does it feel like a supportivestrength for you?
If so, utilize it as a middlestrength for this exercise.
(15:07):
So for curiosity as a middlestrength, the idea is to start
with simple routines, startsmall, so you may decide to
engage with a weekly curiosityexploration, and the idea here
is to take time each week toexplore specific topics, find
(15:28):
support or try new copingstrategies, and you might want
to take notes on what youlearned and how it challenges
your thinking.
And so now we're going to lookat curiosity as a lesser
strength On your profile.
It will be a strength number 20to 24.
If you don't have your profileand curiosity is a lesser
(15:49):
strength, that means thatcuriosity may feel less natural
or it might be harder for you toaccess.
If that's the case, you candevelop curiosity by using
gradual effort, and so what youmight do in this case is engage
in a daily curiosity reminder.
So, for example, use dailyreminders to ask what, if or why
(16:14):
questions about your situation.
The idea is to start small,like wondering about a new habit
or a new way of thinking, andreally just letting your
curiosity guide you.
Now we'll take a look atgratitude.
If gratitude is a signaturestrength, it will show up as
(16:35):
strength number one through fiveon your profile.
If you don't have your profile,gratitude would be considered a
signature strength if it feelsenergizing, if it feels
essential and if it feels easyfor you to access.
For gratitude, you want tofocus on activities that
naturally bring out yourfeelings of gratitude.
(16:56):
So, for example, you mightengage in a daily gratitude
journal, and what this lookslike could be, each night,
jotting down one moment you'regrateful for and why it mattered
, and then notice how thisshifts your perspective how this
(17:19):
shifts your perspective.
If you work with gratitude as amiddle strength, on your profile
it will show up as strengthnumber six through 19.
If you don't have your profile,gratitude as a middle strength
feels like a supportive strength.
If you're using gratitude as amiddle strength, you want to use
simple routines.
So, for example, you might wantto use a weekly gratitude
(17:40):
reflection and what this meansis taking time once a week to
write about experiences you feltgrateful for and how they
shaped your week.
And lastly, gratitude as alesser strength.
And lastly, gratitude as alesser strength.
On your profile it will show upas strengths 20 through 24.
(18:01):
If you don't have your profile,gratitude as a lesser strength
may feel less natural or itmight feel harder to access.
If you're working withgratitude as a lesser strength,
you want to ease into it usingsmall, simple steps.
So in this case, you mightengage with a daily gratitude
(18:21):
note and that means each daywrite down one thing you
appreciate.
Maybe that's a warm cup ofcoffee or tea, a kind word.
The idea is to start small tobuild the habit word.
The idea is to start small tobuild the habit.
Now, if you're comfortableusing AI, you can use it as a
tool to help you come up withcreative ideas for using these
(18:45):
meaning strengths to uncoverdeeper meaning in your breast
cancer journey.
Now we'll move to the secondpractice, and this one is
defining moments.
Every life holds moments ofmeaning, even if they don't
always feel significant at thetime.
While many moments passunnoticed, some unexpectedly
(19:08):
become defining moments, theexperiences that shape who you
are and how you see the world.
These defining moments mightcome from moments of struggle,
personal growth, connection withothers or even small
celebrations along the way.
Recognizing these moments andreflecting on what they taught
you is a powerful way to uncoverdeeper meaning in your journey.
(19:30):
So I'll share with you adefining moment from my breast
cancer journey.
It's so interesting when I talkabout my defining moment.
I can just see myself there.
I was on site at Google.
I was a contractor and I wassitting at a table having lunch
by myself.
I was thinking you know, mycontract is coming to an end, I
(19:51):
need to look for another job.
Contract is coming to an end, Ineed to look for another job.
I felt completely overwhelmed.
I wasn't sure if I was going togo through radiation therapy
and go through chemo.
Life in that moment just feltso unfair, as I saw people
walking around campus and havinglunch.
I felt like I was the only onedealing with something so heavy
(20:12):
like breast cancer and having tofind another job.
Eventually I got up and I waswalking towards the trash and I
froze.
I saw a sign that changedeverything.
I took out my phone and I tooka picture because I wanted to
capture that moment.
There's a link to the picturein the show notes.
The sign said I live withcancer, I count.
(20:34):
The sign said I live withcancer, I count.
In that moment I realized that Iwasn't the only one dealing
with cancer.
There's a whole community ofpeople out there.
I'm not alone.
I remember going into thebathroom to cry.
I'm a crier.
I went in the bathroom and Ijust cried and then a few
minutes later, I returned to mydesk and I started chatting with
(20:56):
one of my managers and sheopened up to me and shared about
how her son had been reallysick.
He'd been in and out of thehospital for most of his life.
I think he was maybe five atthe time and I had no idea that
she was going through that and Ihad no idea that she was going
through that.
My heart just went out to herand we hugged, we cried and then
(21:18):
I realized everyone is goingthrough something, even if it
doesn't look like it from theoutside.
In Some of the characterstrengths I used in this
defining moment, one of them isperspective.
Seeing that sign I live withcancer, I count gave me a
(21:45):
completely new perspective.
In that moment I realized that Iwasn't the only one dealing
with cancer.
There's a whole community ofpeople going through something
similar.
It reminded me that life'schallenges are shared and I
wasn't alone.
That shift in my thinking wasmeaningful because it helped me
to see my situation differently.
I also used my strength of love.
Connecting with the managerdeepened my empathy and
(22:08):
understanding for others'struggles.
This is meaningful because itreminded me that everyone
carries their own burdens and byshowing care and compassion we
can create stronger, moresupportive relationships.
I used my gratitude.
Encountering that sign wasmeaningful because it made me
(22:28):
appreciate the shared humanexperience and the strength
found in community.
I used my social intelligence.
I listened to the manager'sstory and understood what she
was going through.
That moment mattered because,by connecting with her, it
helped me to break out of my ownisolation and to realize how
(22:51):
powerful it is to show up,listen and to let someone know
they're not alone.
I also use my kindness becauseI gave myself permission to cry
at work when I needed to cry,instead of holding it all in.
And this was meaningful becauseit reminded me to be gentle
(23:12):
with myself and to honor what Iwas feeling, something we don't
always allow ourselves to do.
And, lastly, I used myspirituality.
In that moment, I feltconnected to something bigger
than myself.
It was meaningful because ithelped me to see that my journey
wasn't just a struggle.
It was a part of a bigger storyof resilience, connection and
(23:36):
finding purpose in life'schallenges.
Overall, seeing the sign mademe feel less isolated, reminding
me that I'm a part of a largercommunity of people facing
similar struggles.
This recognition hasstrengthened my sense of
belonging and connectedness.
Engaging with the managerhighlighted how everyone carries
(23:59):
unseen burdens, reinforcing myempathy and compassion.
This defining moment influencedmy self-view by encouraging
vulnerability and honesty aboutmy challenges.
It taught me to appreciateshared humanity and resilience,
allowing me to embrace myjourney with a sense of purpose
(24:21):
and strength.
I'll walk you through thesesteps so you can uncover deeper
meaning in your breast cancerjourney.
Step number one is to think ofa moment during your breast
cancer journey that had apositive impact.
Maybe it was a time of struggle, personal growth or connection
(24:42):
with someone.
Just make sure you focus on amoment when you took action,
even in a small way, that helpedyou move forward.
And number two, list thestrengths you demonstrated
during this time.
This is really key becauserecognizing your character
strengths shows you how capableyou are of handling tough
(25:04):
situations, and acknowledgingyour strengths helps to boost
confidence and it helps you toface future challenges with more
self-assurance.
And number three, reflect onhow this moment has influenced
your journey and personal growth.
Consider how it has contributedto your sense of self and, even
(25:27):
if it seems small, how it hasaffected your current self-view.
By reflecting on yourexperiences, you discover how
they've contributed to yourpersonal growth and identity,
revealing new perspectives and adeeper understanding of who you
are Now.
This wraps up the two practicesto help you uncover deeper
(25:51):
meaning in your breast cancerjourney.
Uncovering deeper meaning isabout finding purpose, growth
and personal insights throughyour experience.
It's about shifting your focusfrom why is this happening to me
To what can I learn from thisand discovering how this
challenge can shape your life,values and relationships in
(26:14):
meaningful ways.
Now it's time for you to putthese ideas into action.
This week, choose one of thesepractices leveraging the meaning
strengths or recognizingdefining moments and use it to
empower you on your breastcancer journey.
(26:34):
Creating meaning is vital, butwhat do you do when you just
can't seem to find it, when thedifficult emotions feel so
overwhelming?
There's a powerful way tonavigate those tough moments,
and we're diving into it.
Next week, we're focusing onself-compassion.
I'll talk with you in the nextepisode.
(26:54):
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.
(01:08):
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.
What if your breast cancerjourney wasn't just something to
(01:31):
endure, but an opportunity touncover a deeper sense of
meaning and purpose in your life.
Today, in Episode 5, we'reexploring that question.
I knew there was a biggerpurpose behind my journey.
How did I know?
Because I declared 2017 theyear of joy and I made a bucket
(01:55):
list of ways I wanted to createmore joy in all areas of my life
.
But in September, everythingchanged.
I went in for a routinemammogram, followed by a biopsy.
A few weeks later, on October16, 2017, I got the phone call
no one wants to get my doctorcalled with the result of the
(02:18):
biopsy and I heard the words youhave breast cancer.
Wait what?
I didn't have a lump.
There was no family history andit was supposed to be my year
of joy.
Breast cancer was definitelynot on my bucket list, but in
that moment, I realized I had achoice.
Do I cancel the year of joybecause I have breast cancer, or
(02:41):
is it still the year of joyeven with breast cancer?
I chose joy Now.
Choosing joy didn't mean thatthe journey was going to be easy
, but holding on to joy helpedme persevere through the
toughest moments.
It reminded me that I still hadpower.
I had the power to grow and Ihad the power to uncover deeper
(03:05):
meaning.
In this experience, what Idiscovered is that meaning isn't
something we stumble upon byaccident.
It's something we createthrough our choices, our mindset
and the way we show up forourselves each day.
Today, we're going to dive intotwo practices to help you
(03:26):
uncover deeper meaning in yourbreast cancer journey.
The first practice isleveraging your meaning
strengths, and the secondpractice is recognizing defining
moments.
Breast cancer bringsuncertainty and difficult
questions, but uncoveringmeaning isn't about finding
(03:47):
perfect answers.
Uncovering deeper meaning inyour breast cancer journey means
finding purpose, growth andpersonal insights through your
experience.
It's about shifting your focusfrom why is this happening to me
?
To what can I learn from this,and discovering how this
challenge can shape your life,values and relationships in
(04:11):
meaningful ways.
Uncovering deeper meaning canreally help you to take back
control by focusing on what youcan do, and it can also help you
to feel stronger by seeing yourgrowth through your challenges.
So let's take a look at how youcan start uncovering that
deeper meaning today by divinginto the first practice
(04:33):
leveraging your meaningstrengths.
Now, all of the 24 characterstrengths can help you uncover
deeper meaning.
All strengths contribute to afuller understanding of who you
are and what truly matters.
However, meaning strengths arespecifically labeled as such
because they inherently nurturea sense of purpose and
(04:57):
significance in life.
These strengths encourage youto look inward and to reflect on
your values and beliefs,helping you to clarify what is
truly important to you.
These strengths also help youto make sense of life events and
to understand theirsignificance in your personal
journey.
And, lastly, they help tomotivate you to grow and learn
(05:21):
from challenges, turningexperiences into opportunities
for personal development.
So here's what I'm going to donext, I'm going to walk you
through the six meaningstrengths and then I'll share
with you why these particularstrengths stand out as meaning
strengths.
Then I'll give you an examplefrom my breast cancer journey,
(05:44):
and then I'll offer a practicalway for you to start using these
meaning strengths.
Okay, so here we go.
These are the six meaningstrengths, and I'm going to
share them in alphabetical order.
The first one is appreciation ofbeauty and excellence.
This strength is aboutappreciating beauty and
(06:06):
excellence in the world, whetherit's in nature, art or people's
actions.
It helps you to connect tosomething bigger, bringing
feelings of awe and gratitudethat make life more meaningful.
I'll never forget on the day ofmy lumpectomy in November of
2017.
There was a beautiful rainbowoutside my window.
(06:29):
It brought me a sense of hopeand reminded me that even in the
hardest moments, there is stillbeauty to be found.
It helped me to focus on joyand awe, regardless of what I
was facing.
The second meaning strengthwe'll look at is curiosity.
Curiosity drives you to explorenew ideas and experiences which
(06:53):
can lead to discovering greaterpurpose.
Now, for me, starting thispodcast came from following my
curiosity, wondering how I couldshare my journey and help other
women feel more empoweredthrough theirs.
By exploring that idea, I founda meaningful way to connect,
support and inspire others.
(07:17):
The third meaning strength we'lllook at is gratitude.
Gratitude helps to shift thefocus to appreciating what you
have, helping to create apositive and meaningful outlook
on life.
Now, the day I was diagnosedwith breast cancer, I felt a
whirlwind of emotions, butgratitude became the most
(07:39):
prominent feeling, and here'swhy I was grateful for the
simple act of a friend drivingme to the doctor's office.
I was also grateful for beingable to quickly schedule an
appointment to meet with thesurgeon.
And, most of all, my day endedwith me being surrounded by my
husband and friends over animpromptu dinner party.
(07:59):
It truly was a powerfulreminder of what really matters.
It truly was a powerfulreminder of what really matters.
The fourth meaning strengthwe'll look at is perspective.
Perspective allows you to seebeyond individual events,
providing insight into howexperiences fit into your
broader life story.
(08:20):
Now I was re -diagnosed withbreast cancer in October of 2021
.
And I remember saying to myselfyou asked for this.
Now, don't get me wrong.
I didn't ask for breast cancer,but I asked the universe for
opportunities to build myresilience, and breast cancer is
(08:41):
what showed up.
So in that moment I knew thisjourney was about building my
resilience.
The fifth meaning strength we'lllook at is social intelligence.
Social intelligence enhancesunderstanding of others'
emotions and also your ownemotions, and it also fosters
(09:04):
deeper connections and meaningthrough empathy in mind.
When I was navigating breastcancer was thinking about my
husband, because I knew he hadan experience of me as his wife
having breast cancer, and sowhen I kept that in mind, it
really helped me to betterunderstand his experience and to
(09:27):
put myself into his shoes,because if he had been diagnosed
with cancer, I would also havemy own experience and I would
have to navigate that as well.
So by putting myself in hisshoes, I deepened my empathy for
what he was feeling and goingthrough, which really helped to
strengthen our connection andadded more meaning to the
(09:49):
journey.
And lastly, we havespirituality.
Spirituality focuses on beliefsabout life's larger purpose,
offering guidance and aframework for understanding
life's events.
So one way I create meaning formy breast cancer experience is
by helping other women navigatetheir journey, and this quote
(10:14):
really sums it up.
It's by Adam Grant theirjourney.
And this quote really sums itup.
It's by Adam Grant.
When people go through hardship,they're not just more motivated
to help others.
In many situations, they oftenwant to help people in exactly
the way that they have been hurt.
Helping people through thetrauma that you've faced is not
only something that gives yourlife meaning, it gives your
(10:36):
suffering meaning.
Oh, I love that quote and italso just got me thinking about
how other people have createdmeaning from their suffering.
I'm going to share two examples, and I bet you have heard of
both of these causes.
Here's the first one13-year-old Carrie Leitner was
(10:56):
killed by a repeat drunk driverin a hit-and-run accident 1980.
This tragedy led her mother,Candace Leitner, to found
Mothers Against Drunk Driving,to fight drunk driving and
support victims.
And the second example I thinkthis one will hit closer to home
.
The Susan G Komen Breast CancerFoundation began in 1982 after
(11:20):
Susan Komen died of breastcancer at 36.
Her sister, nancy Brinker,started the foundation to honor
Susan's wish to help othersfight breast cancer and improve
awareness, treatment and support.
Fight breast cancer and improveawareness, treatment and
support Such beautiful examplesof creating meaning out of
(11:41):
suffering.
Now that we've explored the sixmeaning strengths, let's look at
one way that you can work withthese strengths.
So step one is to read abouteach of these six meaning
strengths and to do this you canrefer to your character
strengths profile if you'vetaken the VIA survey, or you can
(12:04):
look at the list of 24character strengths.
The link to the VIA survey, ifyou want to complete that, to
have your character strengthsprofile, and the link to the 24
character strengths are in theshow notes.
So once you read about thesestrengths, select the meaning
strength that you want to workwith and then ask yourself why
(12:27):
you want to work with thatstrength.
Asking why makes this morepowerful.
Because it really forces you tothink about why that strength
is important to you, which canlead to better understanding and
personal growth.
And the third step, once you'veselected the strain is to
determine if the strength is asignature strain.
(12:49):
Is it a middle strain or alesser strain?
This will help you determinehow you will work with this
strength.
I'll explain more about that asI share the example.
For the examples I share, I willuse the meaning strengths of
curiosity and gratitude, becausethose two strengths are two of
(13:11):
the most widely recognizedcharacter strengths worldwide.
What does that mean?
That means many people connectwith and value the positive
impact these two strengths have.
Okay, so we're gonna start withcuriosity.
If you've taken the VIA surveyand you have your character
(13:31):
strengths, profile strengths onethrough five on your profile
are considered your characterstrengths.
Profile strengths one throughfive on your profile are
considered your signaturestrengths.
So take a look to see ifcuriosity shows as a signature
strength on your profile.
If you don't have your profileand you're looking at curiosity
on the list of 24 characterstrengths, ask yourself is
curiosity, does it feelenergizing to use?
(13:53):
Does it feel essential to whoyou are and is it pretty easy
for you to access?
If you can say yes to that,that would imply that curiosity
is a signature strength for you.
And so if you're working withcuriosity as a signature
strength.
The idea is to focus onactivities that naturally spark
your curiosity activities thatnaturally spark your curiosity.
(14:19):
So, for example, you mightconsider a daily curiosity
practice as a way to use thismeaning strength.
And what this looks like is sayeach day you ask yourself one
new question or you exploresomething you're curious about.
This can be something small,like researching a topic or
asking someone about theirexperience.
The key is to notice how thisopens your mind and brings fresh
(14:43):
insight.
Now we're going to take a lookat curiosity as a middle
strength.
If it's a middle strength onyour profile, it will be
numbered 6 through 19 on yourprofile.
If you don't have your profile,think about curiosity.
Does it feel like a supportivestrength for you?
If so, utilize it as a middlestrength for this exercise.
(15:07):
So for curiosity as a middlestrength, the idea is to start
with simple routines, startsmall, so you may decide to
engage with a weekly curiosityexploration, and the idea here
is to take time each week toexplore specific topics, find
(15:28):
support or try new copingstrategies, and you might want
to take notes on what youlearned and how it challenges
your thinking.
And so now we're going to lookat curiosity as a lesser
strength On your profile.
It will be a strength number 20to 24.
If you don't have your profileand curiosity is a lesser
(15:49):
strength, that means thatcuriosity may feel less natural
or it might be harder for you toaccess.
If that's the case, you candevelop curiosity by using
gradual effort, and so what youmight do in this case is engage
in a daily curiosity reminder.
So, for example, use dailyreminders to ask what, if or why
(16:14):
questions about your situation.
The idea is to start small,like wondering about a new habit
or a new way of thinking, andreally just letting your
curiosity guide you.
Now we'll take a look atgratitude.
If gratitude is a signaturestrength, it will show up as
(16:35):
strength number one through fiveon your profile.
If you don't have your profile,gratitude would be considered a
signature strength if it feelsenergizing, if it feels
essential and if it feels easyfor you to access.
For gratitude, you want tofocus on activities that
naturally bring out yourfeelings of gratitude.
(16:56):
So, for example, you mightengage in a daily gratitude
journal, and what this lookslike could be, each night,
jotting down one moment you'regrateful for and why it mattered
, and then notice how thisshifts your perspective how this
(17:19):
shifts your perspective.
If you work with gratitude as amiddle strength, on your profile
it will show up as strengthnumber six through 19.
If you don't have your profile,gratitude as a middle strength
feels like a supportive strength.
If you're using gratitude as amiddle strength, you want to use
simple routines.
So, for example, you might wantto use a weekly gratitude
(17:40):
reflection and what this meansis taking time once a week to
write about experiences you feltgrateful for and how they
shaped your week.
And lastly, gratitude as alesser strength.
And lastly, gratitude as alesser strength.
On your profile it will show upas strengths 20 through 24.
(18:01):
If you don't have your profile,gratitude as a lesser strength
may feel less natural or itmight feel harder to access.
If you're working withgratitude as a lesser strength,
you want to ease into it usingsmall, simple steps.
So in this case, you mightengage with a daily gratitude
(18:21):
note and that means each daywrite down one thing you
appreciate.
Maybe that's a warm cup ofcoffee or tea, a kind word.
The idea is to start small tobuild the habit word.
The idea is to start small tobuild the habit.
Now, if you're comfortableusing AI, you can use it as a
tool to help you come up withcreative ideas for using these
(18:45):
meaning strengths to uncoverdeeper meaning in your breast
cancer journey.
Now we'll move to the secondpractice, and this one is
defining moments.
Every life holds moments ofmeaning, even if they don't
always feel significant at thetime.
While many moments passunnoticed, some unexpectedly
(19:08):
become defining moments, theexperiences that shape who you
are and how you see the world.
These defining moments mightcome from moments of struggle,
personal growth, connection withothers or even small
celebrations along the way.
Recognizing these moments andreflecting on what they taught
you is a powerful way to uncoverdeeper meaning in your journey.
(19:30):
So I'll share with you adefining moment from my breast
cancer journey.
It's so interesting when I talkabout my defining moment.
I can just see myself there.
I was on site at Google.
I was a contractor and I wassitting at a table having lunch
by myself.
I was thinking you know, mycontract is coming to an end, I
(19:51):
need to look for another job.
Contract is coming to an end, Ineed to look for another job.
I felt completely overwhelmed.
I wasn't sure if I was going togo through radiation therapy
and go through chemo.
Life in that moment just feltso unfair, as I saw people
walking around campus and havinglunch.
I felt like I was the only onedealing with something so heavy
(20:12):
like breast cancer and having tofind another job.
Eventually I got up and I waswalking towards the trash and I
froze.
I saw a sign that changedeverything.
I took out my phone and I tooka picture because I wanted to
capture that moment.
There's a link to the picturein the show notes.
The sign said I live withcancer, I count.
(20:34):
The sign said I live withcancer, I count.
In that moment I realized that Iwasn't the only one dealing
with cancer.
There's a whole community ofpeople out there.
I'm not alone.
I remember going into thebathroom to cry.
I'm a crier.
I went in the bathroom and Ijust cried and then a few
minutes later, I returned to mydesk and I started chatting with
(20:56):
one of my managers and sheopened up to me and shared about
how her son had been reallysick.
He'd been in and out of thehospital for most of his life.
I think he was maybe five atthe time and I had no idea that
she was going through that and Ihad no idea that she was going
through that.
My heart just went out to herand we hugged, we cried and then
(21:18):
I realized everyone is goingthrough something, even if it
doesn't look like it from theoutside.
In Some of the characterstrengths I used in this
defining moment, one of them isperspective.
Seeing that sign I live withcancer, I count gave me a
(21:45):
completely new perspective.
In that moment I realized that Iwasn't the only one dealing
with cancer.
There's a whole community ofpeople going through something
similar.
It reminded me that life'schallenges are shared and I
wasn't alone.
That shift in my thinking wasmeaningful because it helped me
to see my situation differently.
I also used my strength of love.
Connecting with the managerdeepened my empathy and
(22:08):
understanding for others'struggles.
This is meaningful because itreminded me that everyone
carries their own burdens and byshowing care and compassion we
can create stronger, moresupportive relationships.
I used my gratitude.
Encountering that sign wasmeaningful because it made me
(22:28):
appreciate the shared humanexperience and the strength
found in community.
I used my social intelligence.
I listened to the manager'sstory and understood what she
was going through.
That moment mattered because,by connecting with her, it
helped me to break out of my ownisolation and to realize how
(22:51):
powerful it is to show up,listen and to let someone know
they're not alone.
I also use my kindness becauseI gave myself permission to cry
at work when I needed to cry,instead of holding it all in.
And this was meaningful becauseit reminded me to be gentle
(23:12):
with myself and to honor what Iwas feeling, something we don't
always allow ourselves to do.
And, lastly, I used myspirituality.
In that moment, I feltconnected to something bigger
than myself.
It was meaningful because ithelped me to see that my journey
wasn't just a struggle.
It was a part of a bigger storyof resilience, connection and
(23:36):
finding purpose in life'schallenges.
Overall, seeing the sign mademe feel less isolated, reminding
me that I'm a part of a largercommunity of people facing
similar struggles.
This recognition hasstrengthened my sense of
belonging and connectedness.
Engaging with the managerhighlighted how everyone carries
(23:59):
unseen burdens, reinforcing myempathy and compassion.
This defining moment influencedmy self-view by encouraging
vulnerability and honesty aboutmy challenges.
It taught me to appreciateshared humanity and resilience,
allowing me to embrace myjourney with a sense of purpose
(24:21):
and strength.
I'll walk you through thesesteps so you can uncover deeper
meaning in your breast cancerjourney.
Step number one is to think ofa moment during your breast
cancer journey that had apositive impact.
Maybe it was a time of struggle, personal growth or connection
(24:42):
with someone.
Just make sure you focus on amoment when you took action,
even in a small way, that helpedyou move forward.
And number two, list thestrengths you demonstrated
during this time.
This is really key becauserecognizing your character
strengths shows you how capableyou are of handling tough
(25:04):
situations, and acknowledgingyour strengths helps to boost
confidence and it helps you toface future challenges with more
self-assurance.
And number three, reflect onhow this moment has influenced
your journey and personal growth.
Consider how it has contributedto your sense of self and, even
(25:27):
if it seems small, how it hasaffected your current self-view.
By reflecting on yourexperiences, you discover how
they've contributed to yourpersonal growth and identity,
revealing new perspectives and adeeper understanding of who you
are Now.
This wraps up the two practicesto help you uncover deeper
(25:51):
meaning in your breast cancerjourney.
Uncovering deeper meaning isabout finding purpose, growth
and personal insights throughyour experience.
It's about shifting your focusfrom why is this happening to me
To what can I learn from thisand discovering how this
challenge can shape your life,values and relationships in
(26:14):
meaningful ways.
Now it's time for you to putthese ideas into action.
This week, choose one of thesepractices leveraging the meaning
strengths or recognizingdefining moments and use it to
empower you on your breastcancer journey.
(26:34):
Creating meaning is vital, butwhat do you do when you just
can't seem to find it, when thedifficult emotions feel so
overwhelming?
There's a powerful way tonavigate those tough moments,
and we're diving into it.
Next week, we're focusing onself-compassion.
I'll talk with you in the nextepisode.
(26:54):
Thank you for joining.
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