Healing

Why It’s an AND, Not an Either/Or

When I was first diagnosed with cancer—again—I was thrown into a familiar, terrifying blur of decisions, appointments, and medical jargon.

This time, though, I had a choice. I could approach healing not as a battle to be won or lost, but as a layered, deeply personal journey.

That’s where the AND comes in.

Healing isn’t a one-way street. It’s not chemo OR meditation. Not medical intervention OR mindset. It’s both. It’s AND.

For some, that might look like trusting their oncologist and lighting a candle each night with intention.

For others, it’s taking medication and starting therapy.

For me, it meant saying yes to MY chosen treatment plan and building my own roadmap back to myself.

That’s how The Serenity Project was born.

The world likes to push us into boxes: are you going to fight or surrender? Are you choosing medicine or wellness?

But what if we didn’t have to choose?

What if we see healing as a spectrum—not a switch?

There’s beauty and power in choosing whatever is right for you.

And the truth is, healing is never linear. Some days I feel strong and grounded.

Other days, I cry in the car while the groceries melt in the boot.

Both are valid. Both are part of it.

If you’re walking this road, I hope you remember you don’t have to pick a side.

You can blend courage with compassion, you can choose serenity as your anchor to find your own healing.

Hope with honesty. Reality with rest.

The one thing I would encourage you to do, is to think about finding your serenity, get into your own project of making everyday count, of enjoying the moments that make memories.