respecting the pain

This month marks the one-year anniversary of my oncology surgeon telling me that I am “all clear.“ My reaction to that is pure relief and gratitude.

But you know my inclination to give you some coaching snack out of whatever experience I’ve been through! For the three or so years leading up to my cancer diagnosis and then almost-immediate surgery, I was in increasing pain. I would heat a rock in the toaster oven, slide the hot rock into a little sweater I made for it for it, and sleep with the rock on my belly. The rock was named Winston.

It took a great deal of persistence—through Covid, through dismissive doctors, and through my own sense of maybe-it’s-not-really-anything—to finally get a diagnosis. Oh, yeah, so here’s the coaching nugget.

Respect the pain. If you are in any kind of misery, from low grade to dramatic, please take action. Don’t sit in your malaise. Get help! Go to the doctor get a therapist quit your job hire a coach go on a silent retreat adjust your schedule modify your mental playlist take a class…

Respect the pain.