I Have Bladder Cancer, and I Am Happy and Content

We all know that bladder cancer is evil. We know how it wears us down to our breaking points and takes away from our inner calm. But I have learned that there are good and bad points through all of it. Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say: I am not saying that cancer is a "good thing," per se. What I'm really trying to say is to always look for the good stuff within the bad, because it is there if you look hard enough.

Choosing what is most important to me

I never thought in a million years that I would be as happy or as content with my life as I am now, and that's down to being diagnosed with bladder cancer. It has taught me to choose what I find and prioritize what is most important and valuable to me in my life. It taught me to really "cleanse" my life of the stuff that no longer serves me or needs to be in my life. I didn't ever think this would have happened had it not been for my experience with bladder cancer.

Life is turned upside down

You see, when you hear those ominous words, "You have cancer," it shakes you to your core. Your mind goes into overdrive. You swiftly go from scary thoughts like "Oh my god" to "Am I going to die?" in a matter of seconds. Your world will never be the same again, but it isn't all miserable and doom and gloom as one might think.

Working to live, not living to work

Over the past three and a bit years, I have laughed, I have cried, and I have laughed more. You realize that the happy moments are the moments that will see you through the darker days. Your relationships become more meaningful. You start to realize what life is about, and it isn't all about work. So, do yourself a favor: make sure you work to live, not live to work.

We are all guilty of thinking that we have to be the "best" at work. We work as hard as we can, in jobs that don't always satisfy us and would replace us in a heartbeat. Yes, we need to earn money, but make sure that's all you are doing. Don't give your "all" at work and have nothing left to give at home. It's at home where you should be giving your all.