Breast Cancer – the best thing to happen to me

It was 2011; I had two children at the local school.  I decided my career would take a backseat so I could be around for my children. 

I got a job close to home.  I didn’t think about myself much.  I was too busy caring for other people to notice thoughts and feelings about myself. 

I remember the day as if it was yesterday.  I went for routine hospital tests thinking nothing of it.  I got a phone call, ‘you need to come in and bring someone with you’.  My husband and I went into a room and were asked to sit down.  ‘You have aggressive breast cancer’. 

Treatment started.  My hair began falling out.  I decided to get it shaved one late, dark wet and windy Friday evening.  I walked into the local barber’s shop as he was just closing up.  I asked him if he could shave my head.  He closed the blinds, and I turned away from the mirror as I watched my now thinning long hair fall to the floor.  I made a vow to myself at that moment.  If I came out of this alive, I would find something I loved and do it for me.  I had been working for someone else’s dream.

I was stoic.  I kept working throughout treatment to take my mind off things.  After over a year of the full shebang, drugs, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and a mastectomy, I was cancer free.  I had survived. 

It took me ten years to leave my 9-5 when the children went to university.  I had done my job.  It was time for me. 

I had over 20+ years of business experience and knew I could use this experience in some way.  I decided to start an online business.  I mean, how hard can it be?  Everyone’s doing it, aren’t they?  

How wrong I was!  I needed to learn social media skills, so I did a great course and thought I’d be a Social Media Manager.  I didn’t like it. 

I learned WordPress.  I could build websites, but I didn’t want to do that.  

I learned Facebook Ads but decided I didn’t want to do that. 

I was searching for something but didn’t know what.  I was fully booked when the pandemic hit.  It gave me pause for thought.  This was not what I wanted to do.  I was lost and floundering. 

I decided to see a coach.  As he was talking and asking questions, the penny finally dropped.  I wanted to do what he did.  I want to help women figure out what they want to do; I wanted to help them rewrite their story.  I am now a qualified International Coaching Federation coach, finally doing something I love.  I use my coaching skills and business knowledge to help women over 45 create and grow an online business.  I wish I had someone by my side when I started out.  

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