My Favorite Things in the Holiday Season

When "The Oprah Winfrey Show" started “Oprah’s Favorite Things” during the holiday season in the United States, I recall the excitement in the audience as they received some of the fabulous gifts. Other celebrities, news organizations, businesses like Amazon, and others highlight many of their favorite items.

Since I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1998, I have endured highs and lows, including fearful dives, not knowing if I could live. I learned despair is a great teacher. My favorite things are to live a long life, find my soulmate, and move more into my meaning and purpose. Everyone has their own stories with desires of joy.

I know the goodness in one’s heart is the biggest prize. My priorities are self-love, gratitude, integrity and kindness. Self-love is an omnipresent source to have personal depth, awareness, meaning and presence in the moment. Gratitude helps me feel the joy in myself and positive dynamics in my life. Integrity features respect and an expanded focus on myself and other people. Kindness comes from many levels, including internal embodiment and external attention to help people when possible.

In my cancer journey, I’ve learned, over time, to find my favorite things with wisdom from the whole person. Those words can sound like terms in the golden mystery. I have discovered the five best dynamics that give a richer perspective. Here are some favorite things for patients with cancer, cancer survivors, caregivers, people focused on cancer prevention, practitioners and anyone else in their quest to thrive, creating more health, healing and happiness.

Physical Body: Everything you do matters and affects your entire body. Health foods, quality drinks, exercise, stress reduction, quality sleep, good supplements, brain health support and other factors help people feel better and live longer. Various practitioners can include excellent nutritionists, acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese medicine, osteopathy, Ayurveda, functional medicine, expert integrative cancer clinics, chiropractors, homeopathy, massages, physical therapists, yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, aromatherapy, retreats, other strategies for cancer prevention, and many additional approaches. It is not complementary. Instead, it is integrative dynamics for optimal health and healing. Aspects that impact the whole person’s physical body support each unique individual in their journey.

Mind-Body Connection: The body and mind are connected. We influence ourselves with emotions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, actions, behavior and the ego. It is a complicated dance, yet possible for evolution. Many strategies are possible, such as meditation, breath work, imagery, visualization, movement, storytelling, meaning and purpose, healing versus curing, intuition, instincts, music, a good therapist, and much more. Personal learning and transformation can happen, yet with cancer, dynamics surface about fear, life versus death, and tremendous overwhelm. Being in the moment and learning mind-body strategies can foster wholeness, ultimately enabling optimal connection between the I and we.

Spiritual Vitality: Religion is also a powerful relationship for the whole person. Spirit and spirituality are another realm of personal growth. Indeed, people can understand that we are connected to something larger than ourselves. Engage in some form of contact with spirit and spirituality, including dimensions in life that became more prominent when dealing with cancer for patients and their loved ones. The cancer experience provides a vehicle for conversations toward a new understanding of spirit, spiritual needs and more profound spiritual embodiment. Along with the topics mentioned, other strategies include cancer and the soul; spirituality assessment; existential crisis and cancer; healing presence; prayers; ritual; labyrinth; living, dying, and cancer; and many ways to feel an expanded self.

Social Support: Some cultures and societies know the dimensions of social support. But the United States faces major challenges, including loneliness, disconnection, and fragmented social dynamics. Cancer sparks a deeper pain with challenges to define. It is paramount to understand the journey, physically and mentally, with its highs and lows. A loving hand, conversations together, a healthy meal, playful excursion, running errands, research about the diagnosis and treatments, and a companion at appointments are some possibilities. Other approaches might include support groups, therapy, sexual strategies, emotional transformation, expanded evolution, addressing social disparities, and other well-being practices to feel connected to self and community.

Cleaner Environment: Toxins and chemicals may play roles for diseases. It is essential to address healthy ingredients in your body, on your body and around your body. Furthermore, cleaning up some aspects inside and outside your home with key actions is necessary to support your whole-person optimism, such as using air filters, time in nature, and more. Find improvement in your whole person to cultivate better lives.

Even if some people cannot buy their favorite things during the holiday season, you can find greater oneness in what is truly meaningful. Focus on your evolution with yourself and your life. It is truly magical!

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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