True Value with Brendan Hansen & John MacLean: -Rethinking Success Metrics from Wins

Posted On August 30, 2024

From what I’ve seen, altering the face of success is not a mere abstract but an agent that must unequivocally come into play, especially for any willing participant on this arduous journey as a patient with cancer. The number on a piece of paper (clinical report card) is not what makes us or our duration in treatment. Our value is inherent, and it transcends wins or losses. This meta-cogitation is crucial because it forces us to recalibrate how we define success as a species: not in terms of status or wealth but growth and resilience, pleasure that lingers longer than happiness.

Success in the Age of Cancer

We have been conditioned to see someone who has succeeded as a victor, taking great battles and emerging victorious from them. But how do you define success when cancer has changed your own life?

The Limitations of Winning

This is a clear mandate to win, at least in the old paradigm that winning means you do better than others; however, if emotional well-being outcomes are an essential measure of how our patients fared, then this may not be entirely accurate. Fully attaching self-worth to these outcomes is emotionally draining. That perspective prevents us from realizing our resilience and inner strength. In my experience, this Nature article (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-024-02695–7) is incredibly pertinent and calls out alternative (i.e., better) metrics.

But that’s what his personal success metrics are defined as.

When it comes to being successful, we should not stop at physical health. You also have to learn, as I started earlier in life, that it is about finding meaning and purpose in every small victory, whether it be spending time with a loved one, laughing away, or indulging in your favorite hobby. This stuff kind of does, and it gives us all the shades of meaning to what success means for each one of us.

Mental and Emotional resilience

Emotional and mental resilience is the key force on this journey, and it needs to be addressed properly. And besides, the more I can understand and process my own emotional landscape, the better for me, full stop.

Building a Support Network

Friends, family, and support groups are my first line of defense and are so crucial on this journey. They remind me that I am more than victories; they soothe my pain and pretend love means as much to do with who I will be… Mental Health America writes eloquently about this in [link to: https://www.mhanational.org/cancer-and-mental-health]: how connections can lead resilience.

Practicing Self-Compassion

It is essential to start from a place of acknowledging your inherent value and self-compassion. Kind self-talk, journaling, and mindfulness are some practices that can help nurture this kind of acceptance. If you want to know more about how compassion affects well-being, here is a website that will give science-backed professional opinions. (Link)

Why We Should Toast Even to the Everyday Wins

Changing the lens to celebrate every day wins encourages an attitude of grace and presence. Each day is a chance to win in small ways—not always huge victories or end-of-life stories, but the opportunity for small wins nonetheless.

Identifying Small Wins

Consider the little things a victory—you walked another block or desired your meal, and overall, you just felt somewhat better than yesterday. These reflect a spirit of victory. Small victories, as described in this CURE Today article [https://www.curetoday.com/view/celebrate-small-victories-with-cancer]. If you can think of them like that—burying golden nuggets throughout the day.

Creating a Gratitude Practice

But integrating gratitude TWIST perspective populates. Writing down something to be thankful for daily reminds me that life is in the details. The aforementioned gratitude ritual, as said in an IVY Blog article [https://www.ivybraintumorcenter.org/blog/power-of-gratitude/], pulls out the silver lining even in a crisis.

Loving Yourself

Self-love is a journey that echoes in all parts of us. This means embracing one’s imperfections and strengths to foster optimism. An inside-out approach and a gentler, more compassionate way of healing begin the journey to feeling like we are enough, no matter what metric or blueprint is applied.

Conclusion

When we redefine success, our way to fulfillment is no longer restricted by thin scales of weight but supported by an emotional scale that fulfills us on purpose and meaning-making. We become masters at rewriting our narrative by realizing we are more than wins.

Be it celebrating small wins or expressing gratitude, always remind yourself that your journey is as exclusive and treasurable as you.