Choosing Light: How Positivity Carried Me Through Breast Cancer Treatment

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it felt like the ground beneath me cracked wide open. The fear was overwhelming. The unknowns, the doctor’s appointments, the treatments; I didn’t know how I was going to get through it. But very early on, I made a decision: I was going to fight this with light.

That light came in the form of positivity, not a blind optimism that denied the pain or fear, but a deep, rooted belief that my spirit could remain whole even if my body was going through battle. I couldn’t control every scan, test result, or side effect, but I could control my mindset. And that became my greatest medicine.

Shifting My Focus

Every day, I made it a point to find one good thing. Some days, it was as small as a warm cup of tea or a child’s giggle. Other days, it was simply waking up with enough energy to move my body. I started a gratitude journal, writing down three things every night, no matter how hard the day had been. That practice slowly rewired my thinking. Instead of focusing on what cancer was taking from me, I started focusing on what it couldn’t touch: my joy, my hope, and my will to thrive.

The Power of Community and Love

I leaned into my family and my support circle, and let people love me in ways I had never allowed before. That love reminded me I wasn’t in this alone. Every call, every meal dropped at the door, every “just checking in” message, it all lifted me. Being surrounded by that energy helped me stay uplifted. And the more I stayed in that mindset, the more I could give back, even if it was just a smile, a kind word, or encouragement to someone else walking the same path.

Healing Beyond the Physical

Staying positive didn’t mean I didn’t cry or feel fear. It meant I didn’t let those emotions have the final say. I allowed myself to feel everything, BUT I refused to camp out in the dark. I spoke affirmations over myself, I visualized healing, and I believed, deeply, that I was already whole, even while healing. That belief was powerful.

And you know what? I truly believe my outlook made a difference, not just in my spirit, but in my body, too. Positivity helped reduce my stress, kept my immune system strong, and gave my heart something to hold onto when the road was rough.

A Light I Carry Forward

Now that I’m on the other side of treatment, I carry that same mindset into every day. I know how powerful hope is. I know that joy is a form of resistance. And I know that by choosing light in the midst of darkness, I gave myself the greatest gift of all: peace in the process.

To anyone facing breast cancer right now: your mindset matters. Let yourself feel the hard stuff, but don’t forget to make space for joy. Find your light and hold onto it with everything you have.

You are not alone. You are loved. And there is so much life ahead.

Warrior In Me,

Shavon