Welcome to New Focus Daily (NFD) new readers, AND welcome back to those who have been with us for a while! Those who have been reading for a while know that fall is my favorite time of the year, and I am excited that we are moving out of summer and into this most spectacular time of the year. Our theme this month is “Seasons of Change,” which of course is for obvious reasons. There is so much change going on outside with the changing of the seasons, but for many of us, there are also changes within ourselves and our lives. And maybe for some, there isn’t change, but we want there to be. It’s a great time to think about change, especially this time of the year.
For those who have been through breast cancer – or who are going through it now – October is a significant month. We have reached out to our readers who have been through breast cancer either as a survivor or co-survivor, and asked for stories and words of encouragement and what kind of changes they have made in their lives. We are finishing up our two-part interview with Vicki and Marion Spencer, a journey that Marion took along with Vicki as she dealt with her cancer – and how that led to love in the process. And lotion! YES, you’ll have to just read the story. We’ll have something practical from our friends at Triage Cancer about open enrollment, and also some great content on finances and other helpful content you all come to expect from New Focus Daily.
I want to say a little more about change. How do you know if it’s time to change something in our lives? We as people don’t really care for change most of the time. It’s not part of our genetic makeup. It’s been said that the only thing constant in life is change. And many of us truly do want – and in some cases really need – change. So why do we fight in when sometimes change is right there staring us in the face? Sometimes the change that is facing us is not a welcomed change – like that which cancer brings. The people I have met through my work with Women Survivors Alliance and New Focus Daily have demonstrated so, so many times and in so many different ways, life is what you make of it, and sometimes change – even unwanted change really has a way of working out for the good. We love getting stories from our readers of those who were faced with changed and rocked that change into something positive. And then there are those who brought change upon themselves – no matter how difficult it was to take that first step – and sought to find something better, that something was missing or that something needing fixing. And rocked that, too. Whatever change you may be facing, do it with courage and surround yourself by others who support you in your journey. It WILL be o.k.
With all of the changes that come with the fall season, may we also face the changes in our lives – the wanted and the unsolicited – with great hope for a future as beautiful as the colors of the changing leaves.
Be educated, empowered, INSPIRED, and stay SURVIVOR strong!
Cindy Chafin, M.Ed., MCHES® serves as project director for the Women Survivors Alliance and New Focus Daily magazine. Cindy is masters-level certified in health education by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) and was part of the first cohort to receive master's level designation. NCHEC certifies health education specialists, promotes professional development, and strengthens professional preparation and practice. She is proud to be a CHES® and has been a public health professional for many years after receiving her degree in health promotion and education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
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