Surviving Mesothelioma: What Is My Purpose?
Stories from Survivors
Written by Michael Cole | Edited By Amy Edel
One of the most basic questions in life is “What is my purpose?” Facing a mesothelioma diagnosis can definitely make that question feel more significant.
For some people, family relationships represent the core purpose of their life. For others, it may be wrapped up in their work, faith or hobbies. No matter how we see our purpose, when we’re faced with the possibility we won’t have as much time as we thought, it’s normal to reflect on our lives.
A major upheaval or change in our life can cause us to reexamine the purpose and meaning of our lives. It can be easy to question the value of the life that we’ve lived, and to have regrets.
Managing Regrets on Your Mesothelioma Journey
We may feel pressure to see every moment as precious and feel like we need to do more with our time. If we’re not careful, these thoughts can lead to anxiety, depression and/or stress.
It’s important to remember that we can’t do anything about most of the things in our past. Rerunning it in our mind won’t help at all.
There are some things we may be able to do. Maybe we can heal a relationship. If we hold a grudge against someone, we can work on letting it go.
Forgiveness releases a burden we don’t need to be carrying. Sometimes that means forgiving others and sometimes ourselves.
In the course of our treatments, we’re going to have good days and bad days. That’s just a fact. We’d do well to make the best of every day. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. We live today.
