When Life Forces You to Listen: What Cancer Taught Me About Reclaiming My Power

Reclaiming my power

When everything suddenly changes

There are moments in life that divide everything into before and after.

For me, one of those moments came in December 2015.

I was due to fly to Australia to spend Christmas with my brother and family when, after a gym session on the morning of my flight, I found a lump in my left breast.

I went on the trip, but it stayed in the back of my mind.

When I returned to Dubai, I had it investigated.

Eventually I found myself sitting in a doctor's office hearing words I never expected to hear.

I had breast cancer.

When life takes over

What followed was treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

It was physically demanding, but what surprised me was how much it also affected my identity.

Losing my hair was particularly difficult.

My hair had always felt like part of how I expressed myself, and watching it fall out was incredibly emotional.

Eventually I decided to shave it.

It was frightening, but making that decision myself gave me a small sense of control at a time when so much felt outside my control.

There were many moments like that throughout treatment.

Moments where I had to work out what I could control and what I couldn't.

Treatment ending wasn't the end of the experience

Finishing treatment didn't mean everything immediately returned to normal.

Follow-up appointments could bring anxiety.

My relationship with my body had changed.

And like many people after a major illness, I had to work out what life looked like afterwards.

That process taught me a great deal about uncertainty, identity and how quickly the things we take for granted can change.

What I took from the experience

Cancer changed some of my priorities.

I became more conscious of how I spent my time, what mattered to me and how I wanted to live.

I paid more attention to rest, movement, nutrition and my general wellbeing, alongside continuing to follow appropriate medical advice and care.

But perhaps the biggest change was recognising that I didn't want fear to make every decision for me.

I couldn't control everything that might happen.

I could decide how I wanted to live now.

Rebuilding after something that changes you

Major life events can leave you wondering whether you're supposed to return to the person you were before.

I'm not sure we always do.

Sometimes we take parts of that person with us and discover other parts along the way.

My experience with cancer became one of many things that eventually influenced the work I do today.

Not because my experience is the same as anyone else's.

It isn't.

But because I understand what it feels like when something happens that changes how you see yourself and leaves you asking:

What now?

Finding your own way forward

Today, Satori primarily supports women affected by workplace bullying, difficult workplace experiences and prolonged workplace stress.

But the broader philosophy behind Satori remains the same.

Sometimes life changes unexpectedly.

Sometimes our confidence takes a knock.

Sometimes we need support working out what comes next.

My cancer experience taught me that there isn't one correct way to navigate those moments.

We each have to find our own.

And sometimes having someone alongside you while you do that can make the process feel a little less overwhelming.