Meet Meghan
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I LOVE Boston! I grew up in Medford (very Sesame Street-esque), attended college in Easton (Stonehill - Cheiftains NOT Skyhawks!), and have bounced around over the years but never straying too far from the city having lived in Hanover, Southie, Cambridge, and now Dorchester. My family is my everything as are my 'framily' - my friends who are my family. My best friend and I have known each other so long that we don't even remember meeting for the first time but we guesstimate we were about 3/4 so we're going on 31/32 years of friendship. Besides spending time with family, friends and their little ones I find myself really happy when I am exploring Boston be it checking out a new restaurant or just walking agelessly around the city snapping pictures of the city Iove. Currently not working out(because of a little thing called a double mastectomy), but when I do I really enjoy pilates and barre. I have a thing for interior decorating and I really enjoy cooking, and like to think I'm pretty good at it. I also should mention that I cheered for the better part of my childhood and teen years and still secretly wish I was a cheerleader or involved with it in some way :) I work for a construction company just outside the city. No, I don't hammer nails! I call myself the Jill-off-all-Trades since I do everything from job billing, marketing, job site photography, event planning.
List six positive aspects about yourself.
Ah, the dreaded say something positive about yourself question! LOL…here goes …
1) I'm very loyal
2) I'm positive
3) I'm a believer
4) I'm kind/sincere
5) I'm creative
6) my hair…before I lost it all! And oddly enough my bald head most days :) Very close second would be my skin and/or smile.
Please share a story about YOU with us that relates in any way to this movement.
So this is my story. The story of a seemingly healthy 35 year old, diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and the approach she’s chosen to take to overcome it. But more importantly, it’s the story of how BELIEVING in yourself and a little thing called POSITIVITY can work wonders for your mind, body and soul.
Many years ago, I was blessed to have become friends with a woman who was passionate beyond words about yoga and the importance of the mind/body connection. She also introduced me to the idea of manifesting - setting intentions that would lay the foundation for making all my dreams my reality. An integral part of all this is wholeheartedly believing anything is possible, letting go of your fears, anger and any negativity and re-focusing your energy to one of positivity. My eyes and more importantly my heart were more open than ever before and it wasn’t long before I, too began trusting in the power of positivity and all the ways it would change my life for the better.
Flash forward to a time in my life that felt more like a made for TV movie - you know the one where anything that can go wrong does? It was reality, and that once present positive attitude I had come to trust was nowhere to be found. I was 35, newly single and struggling to move on from what I once believed to be the love of my life. Then after months of grieving that loss, my energy slowly but surely began shifting to a more positive one as I began to see my future in the positive light I had always intended for it, That is until one week later when I found a lump in my right breast that would shortly after, be diagnosed as stage II invasive ductal carcinoma - otherwise known as breast cancer. Suddenly, a future that once again seemed so full of hope, joy, excitement, love, marriage and babies became a future overshadowed by fear, despair, loneliness and possible infertility. Although I was terrified by the thought of what my future may or may not hold, I also knew almost instantly upon my diagnosis that I needed to dig deep and re-capture that deep rooted belief in the power of positivity that I knew still existed. After all, it had brought me tremendous peace so many times before and now more than ever I needed a guiding light to lead me through what was sure to be the most trying time of my life. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to get be back to that place and I was finally ready to face all that lay ahead knowing I was of sound mind and positive spirit. I know that this may all seem easier said than done. I consider myself very fortunate that these beliefs were firmly in place long before my diagnosis. I can appreciate that without it, it would be that much harder to convince myself that a positive attitude is all you need in a situation like this. But my story hopefully will show you that it is possible. When you find out you have cancer, to a certain extent, you lose control of a lot of things, but not all is lost if you can keep your mind in a positive place and choose to focus on the good in spite of all the bad. In that very moment when I ‘should’ have crumbled under the weight of the news I had just received, I made the first and perhaps most important of many life changing decisions - I chose positivity over negativity and ultimately in doing so I chose LIFE. I’ve always believed that negative energy was wasted energy. By removing the negative thoughts and shifting my energy towards the positive armed with the courage and strength I so desperately needed, I took back control of my diagnosis. I allowed myself to accept that I have cancer, embrace all that this journey entails, deal with the obstacles as they present themselves and move on from it. I’ve fallen back on this belief time and time again throughout this process and though it’s easiest to tap into it on the good days, I find it most beneficial in the face of some of the more difficult moments, which there are plenty of.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I LOVE Boston! I grew up in Medford (very Sesame Street-esque), attended college in Easton (Stonehill - Cheiftains NOT Skyhawks!), and have bounced around over the years but never straying too far from the city having lived in Hanover, Southie, Cambridge, and now Dorchester. My family is my everything as are my 'framily' - my friends who are my family. My best friend and I have known each other so long that we don't even remember meeting for the first time but we guesstimate we were about 3/4 so we're going on 31/32 years of friendship. Besides spending time with family, friends and their little ones I find myself really happy when I am exploring Boston be it checking out a new restaurant or just walking agelessly around the city snapping pictures of the city Iove. Currently not working out(because of a little thing called a double mastectomy), but when I do I really enjoy pilates and barre. I have a thing for interior decorating and I really enjoy cooking, and like to think I'm pretty good at it. I also should mention that I cheered for the better part of my childhood and teen years and still secretly wish I was a cheerleader or involved with it in some way :) I work for a construction company just outside the city. No, I don't hammer nails! I call myself the Jill-off-all-Trades since I do everything from job billing, marketing, job site photography, event planning.
List six positive aspects about yourself.
Ah, the dreaded say something positive about yourself question! LOL…here goes …
1) I'm very loyal
2) I'm positive
3) I'm a believer
4) I'm kind/sincere
5) I'm creative
6) my hair…before I lost it all! And oddly enough my bald head most days :) Very close second would be my skin and/or smile.
Please share a story about YOU with us that relates in any way to this movement.
So this is my story. The story of a seemingly healthy 35 year old, diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and the approach she’s chosen to take to overcome it. But more importantly, it’s the story of how BELIEVING in yourself and a little thing called POSITIVITY can work wonders for your mind, body and soul.
Many years ago, I was blessed to have become friends with a woman who was passionate beyond words about yoga and the importance of the mind/body connection. She also introduced me to the idea of manifesting - setting intentions that would lay the foundation for making all my dreams my reality. An integral part of all this is wholeheartedly believing anything is possible, letting go of your fears, anger and any negativity and re-focusing your energy to one of positivity. My eyes and more importantly my heart were more open than ever before and it wasn’t long before I, too began trusting in the power of positivity and all the ways it would change my life for the better.
Flash forward to a time in my life that felt more like a made for TV movie - you know the one where anything that can go wrong does? It was reality, and that once present positive attitude I had come to trust was nowhere to be found. I was 35, newly single and struggling to move on from what I once believed to be the love of my life. Then after months of grieving that loss, my energy slowly but surely began shifting to a more positive one as I began to see my future in the positive light I had always intended for it, That is until one week later when I found a lump in my right breast that would shortly after, be diagnosed as stage II invasive ductal carcinoma - otherwise known as breast cancer. Suddenly, a future that once again seemed so full of hope, joy, excitement, love, marriage and babies became a future overshadowed by fear, despair, loneliness and possible infertility. Although I was terrified by the thought of what my future may or may not hold, I also knew almost instantly upon my diagnosis that I needed to dig deep and re-capture that deep rooted belief in the power of positivity that I knew still existed. After all, it had brought me tremendous peace so many times before and now more than ever I needed a guiding light to lead me through what was sure to be the most trying time of my life. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to get be back to that place and I was finally ready to face all that lay ahead knowing I was of sound mind and positive spirit. I know that this may all seem easier said than done. I consider myself very fortunate that these beliefs were firmly in place long before my diagnosis. I can appreciate that without it, it would be that much harder to convince myself that a positive attitude is all you need in a situation like this. But my story hopefully will show you that it is possible. When you find out you have cancer, to a certain extent, you lose control of a lot of things, but not all is lost if you can keep your mind in a positive place and choose to focus on the good in spite of all the bad. In that very moment when I ‘should’ have crumbled under the weight of the news I had just received, I made the first and perhaps most important of many life changing decisions - I chose positivity over negativity and ultimately in doing so I chose LIFE. I’ve always believed that negative energy was wasted energy. By removing the negative thoughts and shifting my energy towards the positive armed with the courage and strength I so desperately needed, I took back control of my diagnosis. I allowed myself to accept that I have cancer, embrace all that this journey entails, deal with the obstacles as they present themselves and move on from it. I’ve fallen back on this belief time and time again throughout this process and though it’s easiest to tap into it on the good days, I find it most beneficial in the face of some of the more difficult moments, which there are plenty of.
One moment in particular that stands out is the most dreaded moment by almost every woman diagnosed with breast cancer - that day when inevitably one way or another you lose your hair, completely! For me, as with most, it was a gradual process. I went from being hopeful that maybe, just maybe I could be that exception to the rule and not lose my hair (there is that positive attitude!), to quite certain it was only a matter of days before my beautiful long(-ish) strawberry blonde hair would be gone and for quite some time. I’d be lying if I said my positivity hadn’t wavered in the days leading up to being bald. I admit I was angry, sad, and even tried pretending I was totally fine with losing my hair by telling myself “it’s only hair, just another part of the process, and it’s temporary”...yadda, yadda, yadda. But let’s be honest, most woman are attached to their hair whether they admit it or not and I’d wager a pretty penny that not many would rather be bald if they had a choice! In the world of cancer, whether you feel sick or not, having no hair is a dead giveaway that you are sick and that can be tough on many woman, myself included. I’ve been one of the lucky ones who have made it through two rounds of chemo with only minor side effects so to feel as good as I did, but to be so obviously sick isn’t always easy. Call me crazy but I’d much rather be sick and have great hair than sick and no hair!
Eventually I came to terms with the inevitable and decided rather than watch it die a slow (and quite literally painful) death, it was time to take back some control and get rid of it. My once beloved hair was now dull, ugly and quite literally lifeless in the palm of my hand (and on the floor, and on my pillow, and on my clothes…) so with hair in hand I made the call to my aunt, mum and a couple close girlfriends to let them know it was time. Two days later, I walked into my aunt's salon a mixed bag of indifference, denial, fear and a whole lot of 'WTF is about to happen?!' and fully prepared for waterworks. It seemed no amount of positivity could save my hair at that point but what it could save was my perception of myself - which had taken quite the tumble leading up to the ‘mane’ event. Going into this, I didn’t believe I could be beautiful bald but as the hair started to come off, snip by snip and buzz by buzz, to my surprise, I started to see and feel like myself again. I could never in a million years have imagined walking out of that salon feeling more confident, more gorgeous, more free and more like myself than I had in days, weeks even! Somehow, what was to be one of the most devastating aspects of this whole cancer ordeal and a horrific, emotional, blow to my self esteem managed to be a fun, at times hysterical, amazingly empowering celebration of all things beautiful in my life - my friends, my family, my future - and served as a much needed reminder that bald is in fact beautiful. ;)
Just as I had earlier on in my life, I am once again witnessing first hand how maintaining a positive attitude directly affects the outcome of so many of both the physical and emotional ‘side effects’ that come along with a cancer diagnosis. I am that much more committed to seeing the good in all of this no matter what obstacles I may run into along the way. That future that once seemed so dark and lonely and meaningless, now appears to be brighter than ever and one that WILL be full of excitement, joy, love and yes maybe even babies! And for the first time, it’s full of purpose. They say everything happens for a reason and I believe that to be true. If someone had come to me 5 months ago and told me I was an inspiration to others, I would have never believed it, laughed it off even. I now graciously accept and embrace this compliment in hopes that sharing my story will remind others to BELIEVE in themselves and encourage them to be open to letting the power of POSITIVITY to make their dreams a reality, much like my friend did for me so many years ago.
Why do you want to be a part of she.?
Through my recent diagnosis, I have a new appreciation for just how much our actions and attitude effect others and I think it's important to be mindful of that. In sharing our own experiences - good and bad - and how we cope with them we all are giving others the opportunity to reflect on their own struggles and themselves in a more positive light.
Eventually I came to terms with the inevitable and decided rather than watch it die a slow (and quite literally painful) death, it was time to take back some control and get rid of it. My once beloved hair was now dull, ugly and quite literally lifeless in the palm of my hand (and on the floor, and on my pillow, and on my clothes…) so with hair in hand I made the call to my aunt, mum and a couple close girlfriends to let them know it was time. Two days later, I walked into my aunt's salon a mixed bag of indifference, denial, fear and a whole lot of 'WTF is about to happen?!' and fully prepared for waterworks. It seemed no amount of positivity could save my hair at that point but what it could save was my perception of myself - which had taken quite the tumble leading up to the ‘mane’ event. Going into this, I didn’t believe I could be beautiful bald but as the hair started to come off, snip by snip and buzz by buzz, to my surprise, I started to see and feel like myself again. I could never in a million years have imagined walking out of that salon feeling more confident, more gorgeous, more free and more like myself than I had in days, weeks even! Somehow, what was to be one of the most devastating aspects of this whole cancer ordeal and a horrific, emotional, blow to my self esteem managed to be a fun, at times hysterical, amazingly empowering celebration of all things beautiful in my life - my friends, my family, my future - and served as a much needed reminder that bald is in fact beautiful. ;)
Just as I had earlier on in my life, I am once again witnessing first hand how maintaining a positive attitude directly affects the outcome of so many of both the physical and emotional ‘side effects’ that come along with a cancer diagnosis. I am that much more committed to seeing the good in all of this no matter what obstacles I may run into along the way. That future that once seemed so dark and lonely and meaningless, now appears to be brighter than ever and one that WILL be full of excitement, joy, love and yes maybe even babies! And for the first time, it’s full of purpose. They say everything happens for a reason and I believe that to be true. If someone had come to me 5 months ago and told me I was an inspiration to others, I would have never believed it, laughed it off even. I now graciously accept and embrace this compliment in hopes that sharing my story will remind others to BELIEVE in themselves and encourage them to be open to letting the power of POSITIVITY to make their dreams a reality, much like my friend did for me so many years ago.
Why do you want to be a part of she.?
Through my recent diagnosis, I have a new appreciation for just how much our actions and attitude effect others and I think it's important to be mindful of that. In sharing our own experiences - good and bad - and how we cope with them we all are giving others the opportunity to reflect on their own struggles and themselves in a more positive light.
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