Glenbrooke News

Editor's note:  Here Linda talks about her breast cancer recovery and her changing her belief to one of strength.    Reprinted  with persmission from the author.

The Wt. Loss Minute By Linda Spangle, RN, MA
Author: 100 Days of Weight Loss
www.WeightLossJoy.com 

In your own mind, which of these are true? I  believe…

The world is flat.
I’m not athletic.
I always gain my weight back.

Certainly most of us have learned by now that the world isn’t
flat. But the other two statements can get stuck in our belief
system.

Once that happens, we unconsciously make sure they’re true. So we
don’t do the activities or behaviors that would oppose the beliefs.

A little fall on the sidewalk

As most of you know, I’m still recovering my breast cancer
diagnosis and surgery in mid-April. My physical healing from the
double mastectomy is pretty much done. But the emotional recovery
is taking WAY longer than I’d anticipated.

I’ve had several meltdowns that felt weak and embarrassing.
(Remember the story about me kicking the stuffed bear?
(http://shakerjardiet.com/index.php?page_id=412)

But overall, I’ve been doing better with my coping, and I’ve been
working on getting STRONG again. In general, I believe I’m a
pretty competent woman, and feeling strong is something I value a
lot. That’s why the fall bothered me so much.

A few weeks ago, as my husband and I were leaving a coffee shop,
I missed a step and tumbled unto the sidewalk. I didn’t get hurt
except for a minor scrape, but instead of getting up quickly, I
crumbled into a heap and lay sobbing on the cement. All I could
think was ‘I’m not strong and I’ll never be strong again!’

Eventually I stopped crying, brushed off my clothes and walked
back to the car. I insisted that I was fine and that we should
complete our planned errands. But that event was one of my worst
moments in my entire life.

How beliefs keep us stuck

Although it was embarrassing, it wasn’t the fall that bothered
me, but my crumbling, crying reaction. Yes, I know that the
emotional recovery from having breast cancer can take a long time.

But normally, I’ve been a person who can bounce back from things
quickly and move on. This time, I couldn’t figure out how to deal
with my unfamiliar beliefs about feeling weak and helpless.

That evening, I thought about those beliefs and decided they were
true only if I continued to hold them in my mind. So I made a
decision to change my thought patterns about not being strong.

Everybody falls sometime

I started by reminding myself that lots of people have times when
they trip and fall. That doesn’t mean they aren’t strong inside.
So I needed to change my recent belief that falling meant I was a
weak person. And I decided I was ready to believe I was strong
again.

The next morning, my husband and I went on a hike in the
mountains near our home. Although the hiking route was a familiar
one, I was nervous that I’d trip on the occasional tree roots or
rocks in the path.

So I made up a self-talk mantra to say to myself during the hike.
I started by saying ‘I am strong’ and repeating that phrase over
and over as I walked. Then I decided to add some words that
helped apply the phrase to other areas of my life.

I am STRONG and solid. (I walk in a way that’s totally solid,
grounded and focused.)

I am STRONG and vibrant.  (I’m healthy and energetic, and I look
great.)

I am STRONG and awesome. (I do great work as a writer, teacher
and coach.)

It was magical! By repeating those simple phrases over and over,
I chose to BELIEVE them, and use them as part of my internal
confidence. I’ve not fallen since that day, and I’m doing better
with my work confidence and personal healing as well.

Beliefs affect the outcomes

I’m not suggesting that we can change all areas of life just by
working on our beliefs. Some things, such as my having breast
cancer, are a reality I simply have to deal with. But the place I
have power is in changing my belief that I’m not strong or that I
can’t handle this period of my life.

When I cultivate a belief that I’m strong, I’ll act in ways that
make it happen. And falling over a missed step won’t change the
fact that I am getting stronger each day, and that my emotional
spirit is continuing to heal.

Were do you need to change a belief? Are you stuck in your
weight-loss efforts because of believing you can’t stay on a diet
plan? Or that you’ll gain it all back? In the next ezine, I’ll
help you explore that question as well as offer a few suggestions
for re-building a belief that’s slipped away.

Note: I apologize for the gap in sending out this ezine. I’ve
been doing well, but not had the emotional energy required for
some of my writing work.

In my last few ezines, I've shared my experiences with my breast
cancer diagnosis, surgery and recovery. You can read them here:
http://shakerjardiet.com/index.php?page_id=317

For now, the ezine will be once a month, but by this fall, I
expect to return to the every other week schedule I’ve done in
the past. Watch for the next ezine around the 1st of September.

As always, thank you to those of you who have written wonderful
notes of encouragement and appreciation of my writing and my
work. I love hearing from you.

Want to comment on this ezine? Click 'Reply' and send me a note.

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their day.

© Linda Spangle, 2010. #0801, Weight Loss for Life, Inc.
5023 W. 120th Ave. #183, Broomfield, CO 80020
Contact: Linda@WeightLossJoy.com
www.weightlossjoy.com