In May 2010, my mother was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. In the first days after the diagnosis of my mother, the e-mails, texts a...
In May 2010, my mother was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. In the first days after the diagnosis of my mother, the e-mails, texts and endless calls all our friends and family phone was commissioned. Of course, especially wanted to know what was going on, as my mother was, they express their concern and offer their support. Although this outpouring of love more than anything to my family meant otherwise, just could not deal with all communications, in attempting the early days to navigate this new and painful journey for my mother and my family.
So I decided to do what he had seen many people do in similar situations to us before - I started a blog. First, the blog has been designed to easily serve as a central axis and an easy way for our network to update the health and my mother the progress (in one direction or the other) way. But coming from a background of media and communication, I did not know it just a place for doctors and updates, but instead of data, this blog would the history of travel become my mother. I knew my own mother not only to read what I wrote, but this form of how all our friends and family would learn about his journey, and turn the story would open the way they reflect back to her. It was with this story that I could my mother surrounded by people who were worried, scared, sad, or I could tell you a story of humor, courage and hope, which in turn make them champion for my mother. You see, my mother the trip was all that, but this simple story of this simple blog chose on the positive as much focus as we could, and was more powerful than I could imagine.
In turn, my mother was right that it reflects - not only the victim of a terrible disease, but the hero of a long and courageous battle. It was mean that our little blog took several days of pain and suffering that are inevitable in such a trip? No, it is expected that all was well, when he clearly was not? No, what we have chosen to lead the general history, as we look at the situation and how in turn manifests itself in our lives? 100 percent.
For me it was one of the principles that are not yet known to me now in a short half-life in the grass platform Sweat (sweatlifenyc.com). After a storyteller my whole life, and they specialize in school, then a career in film and television, I always understood the power of a good story. But at that time I was mostly with scripts of fiction and characters. It was the first time - at least consciously - I experienced the power of storytelling in our lives, and how we choose to write it.
It came to me when I can have something so frightening and often without hope that the journey by ovarian cancer in stage IV and turn it into a story of humor, love, hope and strength, why could not be applied each there? More specifically, I saw the need for change in the health history - at that time it was primarily a story of diets, "secrets", weight loss, abdominal exercises and bikini body transformations. For me it was not a story that really motivate and train all who want to improve their health, and even if they did, was set for the feeling that they do not exist.
So I chose a different story -. I truly believe to be in the one in which health is to be a gift estimated one in which our bodies are our temples treated with utmost respect (regardless of the shape or size) one in which health is not only very personal and emotional, but it is something that is fun, positive, often hilarious, full of mistakes and learning, and is a love in our lives. A story that has nothing better than what is best for you. A story not lost victims of unhealthy behaviors or five pounds or gained, but a story where the hero of his own incredible journey you are healthier, stronger, happier and more powerful the. That's what I really think should be the story of a healthy lifestyle.
However, in conventional media, it is not yet the case. The health message remains largely an advantage by the sound contradictory and confusing information endless. It leads too often the people to induce fear, rather than empower them with a positive message. It is managed by a search, what is best, what is best for you (and I'm sorry, you Gwyneth Paltrow does not - you are - if your healthy habits may not work for you). And what cause all this? More clicks, more viewers, more subscribers, more followers, and all this adds to more advertising dollars.
To go further, these advertising revenues are often companies and brands keep less healthy people - fast-food chains, beauty products with empty promises and drugs - unless the amounts of the "legal" drugs. Heads of why people turn!
Thus, in a landscape in which the health and well-being come out on top of all that we see and there are more ways than ever before - the way we do this story in a way that is not confusing, it are no messages offer back, it simply will not put people?
We have a responsibility as a way to promote this story, and have the opportunity to change it. What history will decide to say?
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This post is part of a produced by the Huffington Post series and females Women Julia and 4W well - being of women and the World Summit of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, April 14, 2016). Women Women Julia is a non-profit, to the development of the future of women dedicated organization through a series of summits health, spirituality, sexuality, discrimination, entrepreneurship and mindfulness. For more information about Women Women Julia, visit http://womentowomenbyjulia.com.
