Love Your Cancer

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Fear, the opposite of love, engenders hatred for the object feared. Both fear and hatred trigger the fight or flight response, which stresses and weakens the immune system, allowing cancer to take root and spread. We may fight cancer to the death, but it will be our own.

So, does that mean we have to give up? Of course, it doesn’t. We continue following the treatment we feel is best. However, we must transform our attitude toward our cancer from one of fear and loathing to one of love and acceptance. As the Bible says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18). The trick is how to do it.

There are various forms of love, the most powerful and transforming being appreciation. If you doubt that, just see how you can make someone’s day just by telling them how much you appreciate them. See how you can transform your feelings about someone who bugs you just by writing down all the good qualities in that person you appreciate. You can transform your attitude about your cancer in the same way. Write down five or more reasons why your cancer is the greatest blessing you’ve ever received. I came up with ten. In case you can’t think of any, here’s my list.

1. It put me solidly on the macrobiotic diet and freed me forever from meat, dairy, sugar, excess salt, white flour, and processed food.

2. It forced me to bypass my seething negative emotions by being more positive and loving.

3. It gave me a good reason to forgive myself and everyone who ever hurt me and rid myself of the burden of resentments.

4. It made me appreciate my family, friends, and everything, including what I once disliked.

5. It woke me up to just how unhealthy I was and how I can achieve vibrant health and happiness, not just absence of disease.

6. It forced me to get out of my shell and interact with others in support groups and volunteer work.

7. It inspired me to write a book about how to heal yourself of cancer.

8. It’s balancing a lot of karma.

9. It’s forcing me to overcome my two big hang-ups: low self-esteem and abrogating my power to others.

10. It’s the key to my victory, my success in life, because of all the above.

In Spontaneous Healing, Andrew Weil relates the story of Shin-ichiro Terayama, a Japanese cancer victor. He told Dr. Weil, "I saw that I had to love my cancer, not attack it as an enemy." He tells cancer patients, "You must love your cancer. Your cancer is a gift. It is the way to your transformation and new life."

Another way to appreciate your cancer is to think of the word "cancer" as an acrostic with a positive meaning. One possibility is Catalyst for Action Necessitating Changes in Every Relationship. Or if you’re more of a thinker than a doer or feeler, it could mean Changes Awareness to a New Consciousness of Enlightened Reality.

I stopped fighting my Leukemia in 2003 and began to appreciate it. In 2019, it left me. I never doubted it would. That is the power of faith. Faith combined with Love can work miracles.