It’s no secret that in the last 12 months I’ve overcome quite a few obstacles. It wasn’t always easy to share my story. Confidence was a struggle- it was a conscious decision to continue to share with others in hopes that I could provide hope.
Most days were about putting one foot in front of the other. Most days were about getting out of bed and focusing on the good things that I did have. Or at least chugging water to flush out the drugs. (Hey PS thanks social media friends for those posts, texts, and messages… you are awesome!)
In February of 2014 I was diagnosed with cancer- stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It’s a blood cancer with no known rhyme or reason. It can target anyone- any age, gender, or race. Lucky me- that jerk fell in love and made a home in my blood. Read about that here.
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| The view from my office |
While going through treatment, I shared everything. I was an open book. I talked about cancer, my kiddos, the good, the bad and the stuff that others had a hard time understanding, but I think what surprised most people is that I kept talking. Maybe more than that I kept working out. Everyday I sweat.
How does one receive the most difficult news of her life and decide, I think I need to do some squats? Seriously, Katy? That’s just weird. Well it’s simple.
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| How’s your mental diet? |
I was sweating because I still could.
As long as I was sweating, I was winning.
My body was weak, but my mind was strong.
#everysweatmatters
#everystorymatters
#everylifematters
The cancer battle- winning- is more about your mental strength, your outlook, and your desire to inspire others than it really is about your stats and your diagnosis, your stage or your chances.
I knew that the battle started with a good frame of mind, so getting in that good frame meant I needed to work on myself- my weaknesses, and my personal struggles.
How?
I traded in the fiction for personal development. As a 7th grade reading teacher, I replaced every literature book with a book that would help me grow mentally and help more people. Not an easy thing to do for a lover of literature, but critical for my positive state of mind.
I became a self-proclaimed, Personal DEVELOPMENT BAD ASS. Here’s what I read.
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| Library Bad Assery |
CrazySexy Cancer Survivor, Kris Carr: The author proclaims that you are a survivor from day one- a belief I adopted early on. It’s beautifully illustrated, sassy, and smart. The author provides insightful words of humorous wisdom for healing and living a fulfilling life with cancer. Know someone recently diagnosed? This is a powerful, light, and heartfelt read. *Side note- if you know someone who is living with cancer, this is an amazing gift.
The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy: Consistent daily activities done over time compound into success. Decisions shape your destiny. I read this book about 2-3 times a year. Each time I read it, I find something new that connects to my life.
The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz: You are what you believe. Believe you will succeed, and you will. This book helped me laser focus on my real goals and create a plan to make them happen. On limited time, it was a critical book for success.
#Girlboss, Sophia Amoruso: This is slightly different than my other books in that it is written by an entrepreneur about having a no excuse attitude and being honest with yourself and the goals you want to achieve. Ir was a great book in helping me see my mess could indeed become my message.
You are a Bad Ass, Jen Sincero: For anyone who gets stuck in the wheels of comparison, this book is unbelievable. You walk away from each chapter ready to take on the world! Self sabotaging beliefs? Identify them and change them! This is a POWERFUL READ!
Failing Forward, John C. Maxwell: If you really want to be successful, you’ve got to be willing to fail. John Maxwell teaches you ho to take those seemingly hard to overcome mistakes and turn them into success!
People Follow You, Jeb Blount: As my team starting growing, I needed to learn how to lead them based on their goals and what they wanted to be able to achieve. This is an amazing read for any looking to develop their leadership skills.
Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook, Gary Vaynerchuk: So this was my little secret tool for how to tell my story, share it, make it stand out, and create an audience from it. Storytelling- it’s like boxing. Cancer- it’s kinda like boxing. See the parallels?
The Cancer- Fighting Kitchen, Rebecca Katz: How to fuel your body throughout treatment. Amazing recipes for ANYONE going through cancer treatments. It helps you nourish your body, deal with side effects, and implement a meal plan conducive to your treatment!
In addition to these reads, I also subscribe to the following YouTube Channels:
Brennan Burchard
Marie Forleo
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Socierty
I also am subscribed to the following Podcasts:
Chalene Johnson
The School of Greatness: Lewis Howes
Grace Community Church Podcast (Everybody Dance Now Series is my favorite)
*I am also a fan of the Craig Holiday 90 Days to Excellence. If you are a Beachbody Coach- these calls are amazing. Contact your upline to gain access to them! They completely changed my business and how I looked at leadership as well as time management.
Remission came on August 18th and another clean scan came on March 26th. My battle against cancer though is just beginning. I am a recent Woman of the Year Nominee and am on a mission to end blood cancer. Beachbody, and coaching has given me a platform to reach more people and share my story, but it’s also given me the freedom to have the time to commit to this passion.
Have you thought about your passions? Have you thought about how you can actually begin to achieve your goals and have the freedom to do so? I think it’s a good time to talk. Complete the application, and let’s talk about the unique opportunity to coach on The Knockout Brigade.
