Updated February 28, 2015.

Many people have shared that after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis they can’t see anything other than a death sentence. And despite everything that they may know or have learned about the survival rates, they can’t seem to focus on anything other than the very negative outcomes that they have heard from others or experienced in their own circle of family and friends. Should you feel this way or know of someone who does, I would like to share with you some things that may help you to find that there is hope for a future despite this diagnosis.

I know that it may be very difficult to face each new day with gratitude for being able to live it as you choose and share it with whomever you want but such is your option. You have a wonderful group of people around you no matter your circumstances. You have a team of medical professionals who will do everything to help you through this journey and you have family and friends and co-workers and associates that want to do whatever they can to not only help you but also to show you how much you are loved.

Why not continue all of the fun things that you have created in your life already. If you and your family have a game night, there is no reason not to have fun by laughing and playing together. If you and your significant other have been sharing a movie night, why not pop up that big batch of popcorn and snuggle up together to immerse yourself in a favorite flick. If you and your girlfriends regularly head out to a karaoke night, go ahead and get those pipes tuned up and share your vocal talents, as always.

Or if you had planned a special girl get-together with your sister to travel to a place that you have always wanted to enjoy, just pack those bags and head on out.

No cancer diagnosis should ever be allowed to take control of your life. You may have a medical situation with which to deal but there is so much to focus on for the future. Just because you received a cancer diagnosis, it doesn’t mean that your course of treatment won’t result in a cancer-free life on a going-forward basis. A diagnosis of breast cancer does not mean that there is no hope for the future, no matter your circumstances. On a daily basis, more treatments and discoveries are being made that offer a promise for a better world for breast cancer patients. There are thousands of researchers all over the world who are seeking the answers that can put an end to breast cancer forever, be it in a vaccine or a course of treatment that will kill the cancers before they can hurt the patient. Just as so many strides have been made in medical care and improvements over the last several decades, there are so many other options on the horizon.

With that knowledge, why not appreciate and enjoy today and all that it has to offer to you. You have been given a life to be lived with happiness and joy and love. No matter what obstacles have been placed in your path in the past, you have always been able to overcome them and move forward in your life and this one is no different. A cancer diagnosis is one more opportunity to learn something about yourself, the strength that you possess and person that you truly are. There are always so many ways to find hope and inspiration for a fulfilling future and one of the best ways to start is to appreciate today. And when someone asks me why I don’t worry about cancer again in my future, I just have to say that it is impossible for me to do so when I don’t worry about the future with regard to anything else and it is impossible to do so when I am just busy enjoying this day.