Sometimes, a blog post comes along and it just resonates!  I got chatting with the author who has given me permission to post it here.  Shari Berman is a two-time cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 25, days after returning from her honeymoon and a second time with breast cancer 8 years later. I posted her full CV below.

Her post “25 Life Lessons From a Two-Time Cancer Survivor” is a fantastic summary of a positive approach to life, despite a cancer diagnosis (or in Shari’s case, two). I’ve seen some similar quotes before but Shari has collated them into one very powerful list.  I’m not suggesting they all apply to everyone but perhaps even a ‘pick n mix’ approach would be useful.  

The first 10 are here, you can see the others by linking below:

1. Life is short. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to DO or SAY something important to you.
2. Death is not failure. It is part of life and the more we accept that fact the more we can live intentionally and without as much fear.
3. A simple act of kindness can make someone’s day and leave a lasting impression.
4. You have the ability to make an impact. Leave your mark. Share your experience, your knowledge with others.
5. “Hope” is powerful.
6. If you don’t know what to say to someone in crisis, try saying “I don’t know what to say. But I want you to know I am thinking of you.”
7. You are stronger than you think. Trust me, you are.
8. Life is better with a dog
9. Trust your gut. Intuition is powerful.
10. It is important to take a “time-out”. Walking clears your head.

Read the remainder here, you won’t be disappointed.  CLICK HERE to continue

Read Shari’s CV here:

Shari graduated from Cornell University and worked as a Human Resources Manager in the financial services industry for 15 years. After losing her mother to lung cancer she decided to spend her time advocating for patients and lending her perspective and expertise as patient, long-term survivor, caregiver and business professional.

Shari is a former co-chair of the Dana Farber Adult Patient Family Advisory Council where she effectively led an effort to restructure the Council and strengthen its role within the institution. She also served on Dana Farber’s quality committees and is currently a member of the Quality and Patient Safety Committee of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.

Shari has spoken on behalf of Dana Farber at many fund-raising events and presentations on survivorship and patient care. Her talks have focused on a variety of topics including her personal experience with cancer, survivorship issues, patient-centered care, and how to develop and sustain an effective Patient and Family Advisory Council. Shari has also been asked to consult on a variety of projects with organizations such as the National Academies of Medicine, (formally Institute of Medicine), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) and Livestrong.

You may also enjoy this post from Shari – I Had Cancer. Now What?