Fly Beyond the Moon

••• Not Too Young •••

This World Cancer Day, the Young Breast Cancer Project is breaking the myth that women under the age of forty are for cancer.

The percentage of woman diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of forty continues to grow, with most of us being initially told we were “too young” to have cancer, yet were still diagnosed.

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Four percent of those women will be diagnosed under the age of forty, and every year, more than 1,000 women under age of forty die from breast cancer.

🔑🔑 Our unique stories may feel all too familiar, which is why we must elevate our voices and be familiar with changes in our bodies, including the following symptoms:

- A lump or abnormality in the shape or feel of the
breast
- A lump in the underarm area
- A generalized swelling of all or a part of the breast
- An irritation or dimpling of the skin on the breast
- Ni**le retraction (ni**le turning inward)
- Rash, redness or scaliness on the ni**le or breast
skin
- Spontaneous discharge from the ni**le

🔑🔑 And what do you do if your doctor says “it’s nothing”:
1.) ask for a diagnostic test (ultrasound, MRI, or
mammogram) to confirm that “it’s nothing.”
2.) If your doctor will not agree, find another doctor
who will listen to you and take your concerns
seriously. You know your body better than anyone
else.
___________

Through all the ups and downs, I’m still climbing mountains:

- March of 2016: Stage 2 Breast Cancer Diagnosis
- June of 2018: Torn ACL
- March of 2022: Acute Fractured Fibula
- May of 2022: Brain Bleed from Tumor +
Craniotomy to Remove

Life isn’t always fair; and it certainly doesn’t make sense in the moment of pain.

But, with the ups come the downs, and we find our way again with every step we take.

A step in the direction of understanding, letting go, and continuing to live.

We smile, we cry, and we dig deep to find the strength that allows us to keep taking the steps, one at a time.
__________

{Also, hey Spring, can you maybe not pull any surprises this year? Would really love that.}
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As 2023 comes to a close…

••• Less of | More of •••

If there’s anything I’ve learned over the last seven years, it’s that resolutions and goals are often interrupted at the least expected, and often, the worst, times.

There are so many events in our lives that impact the lists of hopes we write down each year, many times events that are fully out of our control.

When this happens, our mindset becomes the new goal; a mindset to push through the obstacles put in our way with the focus more on finding our direction, and less on the bumps in the road.

As you make your new year resolutions tonight and tomorrow, remember it’s okay if you’re not where you hoped you would be a year ago, or five years ago, or if your goals are the same ones you went into
2023 with.

The goal should be making them attainable in a way that feels true to you and true to what brings you the most joy and peace.

The path will always be yours to walk, be okay with the fact that the pace and direction you go will vary and so will the time it takes to get to your destination.

Because my goals are the same they have been for some time now, this year I am focusing more on the resolutions that will help me continue to reach them.

My personal “Less of / More of” are below, I would love to hear yours as well!

Here’s to 2024 and continued growth, peace and clarity!! ❤️❤️❤️

_____________

Less of / More of:

- Attachment to Unmet Expectations / Living and Loving in the moment and letting go of anything else

- Settling for Good Enough / Challenging Self with Daily Improvements

- Subpar Workouts / Pre-Surgery Workouts

- Cookies + Carbs / Veggies + Protein

- Indoor Walking / Outdoor Running + Hiking

- Candy Crush + Scrolling / Sleep + Productivity

- Less Chaos / More Organization (internally and
externally)