Are you willing to take a pearl dive?

When Sigmund Freud was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer at age 66, he described it as “an uninvited, unwelcome intruder, whom one should not mind any more than is necessary.”

Even though almost a century has passed since Freud uttered these words, his approach isn’t all that different from the dominant one today.

When you think about it, this makes sense…

Cancer can be viewed as an intruder: it emerges when altered cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the bloodstream). And distracting ourselves from its existence and focusing firmly on recovery *is* one way of coping…

But what if it’s the wrong way?

And what if nature can show us a better approach?

I think it’s time we talked about pearls.

A pearl begins its life when an unwelcome intruder, such as a grain of sand, slips in between the two shells of an oyster.

In order to protect itself from irritation, the oyster quickly begins covering the uninvited guest with layers of nacre — the mineral substance that fashions the mollusk’s shells. Layer upon layer of nacre (also known as mother-of-pearl) coats the grain of sand until the iridescent gem is formed.

In its new form, the intruder has immense value.

 Like the oyster and the grain of sand, it’s how we respond to our cancer that’s important.

We can let it stay an intruder – foreign and ignored – or we can turn our attention towards it, and remain open to whatever wisdom it can bring.

 Maybe it’s a new perspective…

Or an unearthing of our strengths…

Or, like it was in my case, maybe it’s a big, bold wake-up call for change.

It’s these cancer’s  pearls of wisdom that can lead to life-changing transformation, and that is the gem of your cancer experience.

So if you’re feeling angry, cheated, or down in the dumps, remember… no grit, no pearl.

If this resonates, let’s get on a brief call and explore how we can collaborate on *your* pearls of wisdom. To book a free 10-minute call click here.