Living with my cancer & the small stuff that makes a difference.

There are things in life that are over looked but make a huge difference Ive decided to write a few of them down. They might help someone who is going through a bad time to think a little differently about life, they have certainly helped me cope through the difficult times so far. They don’t cost anything yet hold such high value to me, perhaps if your suffering yourself in someway you could write your own little list of your own…

I’m looking out my window right now and I can see the daffodils have emerged from the earth and as they  they open up they follow the sun as it orbits the earth, isn’t that fantastic, what teaches them to do that, it’s a universal secret that is locked in. Of course there is a scientific reason for it but the little boy still in me still prefers to call it magic.

A nice cup of coffee or tea

A cup of tea or coffee makes my list how many of us even taste what’s in the cup. For me now, it’s an orchestra of aromas and tastes, its an experience of flavours that jump out of the cup and gently massage my taste buds. It’s not just a cup of mindless hot stuff, its a great feeling that sends dopamine flying around my head, like a crazed pinball out of control bouncing off every neural receptor and leaving it’s experience behind. The very act of enjoying a cup of coffee or tea is so much different than it used to be. I was a coffee holic, craving for my next Costa coffee fix and the rush of caffeine as it shot through my system.

Now I drink decaff, I no longer crave coffee I just enjoy it and become fully aware of it as a mindful experience where nothing in the world matters as I drink the tea or coffee. Try it yourself, just put all of your attention into making the drink and drinking it, involve as many senses as possible in the experience, I promise you it will be worthwhile. Leave the world and its troubles behind and just enjoy your tea or coffee.

The birdsong

Birds song is my next small thing that makes so much difference. Start the day with the sounds of the birds saying hello to the world with their beautiful chorus of sounds. I feel that this a gift from mother nature, she sends it free of charge and it does more for relaxation and stress relief than all of the pills and potions ever made. The thing is you have just got to really listen. Listen as if you are trying to understand them, listen like they are the only thing that matters in the moment. Put all of your attention to listen to them. Don’t spoil it by thinking about stuff, that can wait till later. Give them the time that they deserve. Treat it as a gift, a treasure that’s been sent to you every single morning and wrapped in love and affection, they are after all singing to you.

Rain

I’ve discovered rain for the first time in my 55 years on this planet. Rain used to be a nuisance, it used to annoy me and even make me angry. Living with my cancer has given me a new feeling about the rain. I love it, I love the noise it makes when im out walking and it’s hitting my hat, it’s a comforting sound as it taps my head as if to say hey wake up Woody it’s a wonderful world out side today, and indeed it is. The rain runs down my face, I close my eyes and feel its imaginary fingers caressing my face. It’s raining now as I type, I hear it tapping on my window as if it’s inviting me out to play. Come on Woody it says get your bright blue not so new coat on and come and join me. No thanks I’m happy laying on my bed, I’m comfortable and warm, it takes my thoughts away from the sharp pains I’m feeling, I’m listening to it hitting my window, watching it forming sparkling patterns as it rolls down my window in little mini streams. I hear it dripping off the roof, the cars outside as they splash through it. I say a silent thanks to the rain for being my companion on those walks and those long lonely nights where sleep was no where to be found.

Smiles

I smile so much more than I used to, I smile at almost everything. I can’t stop myself. Smiling makes me feel good, it makes me feel warm and incredibly human. I’m smiling because I’m happy to be alive, I’m happy to be a part of this world with its mixtures of crazy wild pure and beautiful people. If I feel bad I smile even more. When I’m in pain I smile at it. It’s got no chance and soon gives in. Smiling is free, there’s no tax on it and you can chose to smile anytime you want to and in any place, no matter how you feel. You have been given the gift of a smile. Instead of frowning and being angry with life chose to smile. Being angry is a waste of time that accomplishes nothing except causing you anxiety and pain. Perhaps if Mr Putin had learned to smile a bit it might have stopped a war, how can you think of fighting when you are smiling. Smiling brings me health, I know my cancer can’t compete with me smiling at it, why would it want to do me harm.

Cheating every now and then

I’m a vegan, on a vegan diet, for my health, no other reason. I researched that one of the things that helps whilst living with my cancer is to feed myself with as much goodness as possible, I figure the more goodness I put in to me, the better I will feel. Every so often I cheat☺️ Today I ate the tiniest piece of cheese, I figure it won’t kill me😀 I got immense pleasure having that nibble of cheese, it was like the first time I’ve tasted cheese. I’m sure that tiny little piece did more for me in creating chemical happiness than anything pretend cheese could do. It may sound strange to you but what a pleasure rush I can get by just having a tiny bit of what I’m not allowed, is it the guilty schoolboy effect, if it makes you feel good then why not.

My robin

I watch him when he comes to visit me, he knows, he’s aware there is something wrong with me. He’s intelligent and full of wisdom. He looks at me and studies me. I don’t feed him or give him some kind of reward, that not how our relationship works. I’m sure if I did he would fly off and not come back, he’s a proud robin, he puffs his chest out like he’s telling me I’m the man here. He stays for a long time, we just watch each other as if there’s some kind of telepathic communication going on. I miss him now I’m back at work, I hope he finds time to visit me in the evenings when the light evenings start appearing, I have a feeling he wont, he’s served his purpose and helped me during the worst of my times and I thank him for that, I really do.♥️

The stars

I spend a lot of time in the stars. I’ve often looked up into the night sky since a little boy and been wowed by its magnificence and beauty. I can see a few stars from my bedroom window at night and often when I can’t sleep I will travel in the stars with my thoughts. I see a lot of shooting stars, I wonder where they are going in such a hurry. They never let me down, they are always on-time never late, sometimes out of sight when it’s cloudy but always there just waiting to shine. I often wonder if there is another little boy somewhere up there that’s looking up and watching and wondering, perhaps we will meet in a new life. I remember years back when I lived in Crete how incredible the stars were at night if you went inland. I was told once that Crete is the closest place to the stars, I don’t know if it’s true but I felt I could almost touch them when I was there.

The clouds

I often wondered how much of my time on this world that I’ve spent looking at clouds. It’s a free gift that again gives me a lot of pleasure and mindfulness. The sky is the canvas and the clouds are the universe’s art, the clouds are drawn every day they are painted in every shape and colour imaginable. They have been a gift for me, a gift I’ve opened every day since my diagnosis. I always have observed the sky and it’s constant creations. Since I’ve had cancer the sky looks different, more radiant and alive as mother nature waves her paintbrush into shapes of pure emotion and beauty that only a cancer sufferer can see.

There are so many other things that give me joy, but these are a few of the things that have changed my world and are gifts that life gives me that are free of charge, they’ve always been there but sometimes it takes something life changing like cancer to open up our eyes to really see them and appreciate them. The more I experience living with my cancer the more I’m becoming convinced that cancer has been given to me not as a punishment but as a gift to change me and live whatever is left of my life in a better way. I no longer fight it, in fact I embrace it for showing me new ways of seeing and thinking, and for that I thank it.♥️

“A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he’ll never crow. I have seen the light and I’m crowing.” Muhammad Ali

Love Woody ❤️

Please help me raise funds and awareness by contributing kindly to the walking the monopoly challenge in London on April 30th please click the picture below for details thank you….