Meaning

Cancer survivors often express a need to understand what they have experienced. Many feel fortunate to have survived their treatment and find renewed joy in life. For others it takes longer to find meaning or their insights change over time. Many view what they have been through and might still be going through both in a negative and positive way. People often make changes to their lives, placing more value on time spent with family and friends and less on material things.

Our attitudes and beliefs about the meaning of life, a higher power and a higher purpose help to provide a structure around which we are able to create our life story. It is not merely the things that happen to us, but rather the combination of these things and the meaning we attach to them. Finding a sense of meaning and purpose to life can have benefits such as less depression, more energy, a greater appreciation of life and a sense of control over your life. Having a reason to live such as a milestone in life, was considered very important by most percent of survivors. By regarding cancer as a message to change they were able to strengthen their healing capacity.

Purpose The sense that their life had a higher purpose or mission was felt by most percent of survivors. Most believed that this contributed to their recovery as they still had work to do. Inner peace or spirituality could be thought of as feeling whole and being part of something greater than our selves. A higher power for some people means belief in God, for others a connection to something greater than our self such as community, nature or love. A higher purpose could be the acceptance that we all have it within us to improve the world around us. Do you find fulfillment in your life or follow the expectations of others. Has fear prevented you from doing with your life what you truly want to? Are you dissatisfied with your work? Recording your thoughts in a diary might help in your progress to a new and better life. You could volunteer to help others living with cancer and share your experiences with them or provide more support to family, friends and others in your community.

Benefits of Finding Meaning and Purpose

The Placebo Effect is well known and it is widely accepted that our emotions can influence our biology through for instance the release of chemicals such as neurotransmitters, endorphins and hormones. Consequently the way we think and feel about our selves and how we react to events in our lives can impact on our sense of well being and our health. Learning to attach positive feelings such as hope rather than negative feelings such as despair to what we experience can help us when we are confronted by adversity.