The trouble is, you think you have time.
You will probably recognise this quote from my recent post about my sister, Ayoola. They are from a quote by American author, Jack Kornfield, however, they resonate so strongly with me. I am reminded almost daily to number my days, so that I may gain a heart of wisdom.
For the last four years, I have followed a lady on Instagram named Deborah James. She was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the shockingly young age of 35 and passed away this week at the age of 40.
It is horrifying when terrible things happen and many of us try to find some explanations for why these things occurred. In Deborah’s case, she had been a vegetarian for 20 years and was extremely fit, which threw out an unhealthy lifestyle as a possible reason. The thing is sometimes, terrible things just happen for no apparent reason and to spend time wondering why and how can be a fruitless exercise.
Dame Deborah James (1981 – 2022)
What Deborah James did was to start reporting on her cancer journey for the BBC. She also co-hosted a podcast called “You, Me and the Big C” where she and her two co-presenters put a human face on cancer. On her Instagram profile @bowelbabe – which is where I followed her updates – she informed and educated with humour and unflinching honesty.
Reading her posts brought up memories I’ve tried to tuck away of my father’s cancer treatment in the same hospital (The Royal Marsden) where Deborah James was being treated.
Now the thing is we think we have time. Unfortunately some people spend a short time on this earth and even for those who live to be 100, that time still goes by so quickly.
So, what we do with our lives counts for much more than how long we live. In just 5 years, Deborah James educated people about bowel cancer through her various platforms, published two books, raised millions of pounds (at last count, 7 million pounds) for cancer research and awareness and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
I know that for every Dame Deborah, there are countless other people going through really hard times with dignity and courage, who never make the news. They all inspire me to reflect more on how I can turn my lemons into lemonade.
And THAT attitude is what I’m taking with me into this new month of July. How can I use difficult circumstances as learning points or springboards for creating impact that reverberates beyond me?
These are lofty and difficult questions to answer, so perhaps I will just start with accepting myself as I am – with all my talents and idiosyncrasies alike – and then showing-up as authentically as I can.
And speaking of showing-up, remember that I am always happy to help you review your online persona. Check out my service to review your professional bios and LinkedIn profiles.
So what experiences or lessons have you had this year and how will these affect the way you move forward?
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