The entire Spiritual Strengths Cancer Survivor Healing Program is dedicated to seeing cancer as a master teacher, perhaps even as the master teacher in your life right now. This program does not attempt to sugar coat cancer; its only purpose is to help you see cancer from a different angle – a vantage point quite unique and yet rich in its ability to show you something entirely new about cancer and yourself. Whether your cancer diagnosis was recent or remote or whether you’re a family member, loved one, friend, or even acquaintance of a person with cancer… this program is for you.
If cancer is a teacher, then what is its curriculum? What exactly is cancer supposed to teach? This is the question that captured my mind and soul; and it’s this question that provided the impetus for me to write this create the Spiritual Strengths Cancer Survivor Program. Ever since I was diagnosed with cancer, I’ve undertaken a personal study of my psyche... what was I learning from my cancer? I’ve spent over 30 years as a professional counselor. I’ve listened to more people than I could count. Each of these folks taught me something, some unique wisdom about the human condition.
We generally think of a teacher as a beneficent life-enhancer, a mentor who shows the way, a wisdom figure, even a sage or patriarch who gives from the heart and speaks gently of good things. Somehow the rude intruder of cancer doesn’t easily find company in such an altruistic assemblage as this. Yet, we’ve all had teachers who may not fit the mold of goodness.
I could count neither my high school chemistry teacher nor my fifth grade teacher in the ranks of the beneficent. On the contrary, they were sharp, prickly, demanding, critical, and decidedly non-compassionate. Nonetheless, I remember those two as very effective; indeed, I remember more about them than I do many of the others. Why? They were hard teachers, and they made me pay attention – the same way my cancer makes me pay attention!
R.P. Johnson
NOTE: These words were taken from the introduction to the book Cancer Wisdom: 101 Spiritual Truths that can Heal your Cancer by Dr. Johnson.