Allowing Statements (Teaching from the Heart)

Lucy and her daughter, Myla, made the sojourn together, leaving three other children with their father. Since Lucy has read to her daughter every night since she was six months old, it was not surprise that she continued the practice in their motel room near the University of Michigan Hospital.

The life story of Lance Armstrong and his courageous and inspirational battle with cancer was the first book they selected. In the evening they took turns reading pages to each other, learning about his medical experiences and his rise to the top of the cycling world.

“My daughter gets depressed sometimes and I use Lance Armstrong as an example of someone who beat the two percent odds they gave him of survival. That usually helps her feel better,” Lucy reported. “The other night was particularly lonely so we took turns compiling a list of positive statements about cancer survivors.

• Lots of people survive cancer.

• There are millions of cancer survivors walking around right now.

• Lots of girls my age have lost their hair and grown it back.

• There is no form of cancer that someone has not survived.

• Lance Armstrong beat cancer and everyone else in the Tour de France.

• Marquette is full of cancer survivors.

• People are being diagnosed as cancer free this very minute.

• Someone is walking out of the University of Michigan Hospital today, cancer free.

Just repeating those statements seemed to help,” Lucy said. “It lifted both our spirits.”

What Lucy didn’t realize is that she was constructing allowing statements with her daughter. The statements they created allowed them to challenge their limiting beliefs that cancer is awful and there isn’t much hope. The allowing statements allowed them to concentrate on health and recovery. The statements allowed them to focus on the positive as they moved forward together.