Mind Matters
I’ve had numerous people ask me about my cancer/stroke journey. Often the questions revolve around the experience, but frequently, the questions relate back to how we (Katie and I) managed to make it with a smile on our face. Needless to say, there were some difficult moments, but we made it.
In 2021, when I was diagnosed with cancer my father-in-law said these words, “Scott, you’ll have to control your mind through this journey. We (the doctors) will take care of your body, but if you don’t control your mind, it will get the best of you.” They were the wisest, most impactful words I heard throughout my journey.
Let’s be honest, most people simply hope to survive the ugly moments of life. Yet, there is a way to thrive even in the most challenging of times. You don’t simply have to hope to make it to the other side, you can find your best in the hard moments of life. You can find a path to more than simple survival. It’s not easy, but it can be done.
How?
Mindset – I found my father-in-law’s words to be true. Your mindset is everything when it comes to struggles and challenges in life. If you don’t control your mind, it will control you and the results won’t be good. Your attitude, outlook, and perspective are up to you. You decide each day how you will engage the most challenging and difficult moments of life.
Intentionality – Life doesn’t get better by happenstance. It improves because you intentionally take the steps to make it different, to make it better, to choose the best way. You must intentionally chart a course towards the best life. The best of life doesn’t happen by accident.
Network/Community – Family, friends, and loved ones walked with me every step of the way. I couldn’t have made the journey without them. You see, the struggles and challenges of life are not conquered alone. We were created and designed for community. We were not intended to simply walk the path of life in solitude. We all need a community of people.
Discipline – For the last 20 years, I’ve had a very clear set of disciplines that I follow. Those did not change throughout my health struggles. If anything, these disciplines or habits helped to shape my life and acted as a foundation of stability throughout multiple challenges. You see, habits matter. They help shape and mold our lives.
As you face the challenges of life, I want to encourage you to keep these things in MIND.