5 Rules for a Happy Life

You might think that childhood cancer survivors would experience a narrow range of negative emotions from anger to sadness. What has often amazed me, however, is how hopeful and joy filled these survivors really are. In my book PERSEVERANCE (Forge, 2009), which debuts today, I extensively interviewed 20 young men and women about how they turn hardship into happiness. What follows are 5 lessons that they taught me.

1. Look on the bright side. The individuals I interviewed seemingly had every reason to get down. Of course, they sometimes had bad days, but they didn't let the negative consume them. They took charge of their minds and their outlooks and chose to remain exceedingly optimistic. They taught me to look for the silver lining in every cloud.

2. Do everything you can to stay healthy. You can't necessarily control your health--especially whether or not you get a disease such as cancer--but you can control what you eat, whether you exercise, how you relax and when and how often you go to the doctor. Take care of yourself.

3. Keep learning. The individuals I interviewed did not let lack of knowledge stop them from chasing their goals. They searched for the information they needed, and when they could not find it, they asked others for help.

4. Lean on family and friends. All of the survivors I interviewed had a strong support system composed of people who were there for them during their toughest hours. These friends and family celebrated with them, championed their cause, helped them reach their goals, enabled them to feel good about themselves and even provided comic relief.

5. Have the courage to be you. This tip probably has affected me the most. Until PERSEVERANCE, I was a perfectionist who tried to only show her best qualities to the world and keep the rest hidden. When writing PERSEVERANCE, the individuals hid nothing. They were so authentic and so honest with me that it caused me to evolve as a person. Now I have a richer and happier life because I'm not afraid to talk about my personal difficulties.

What are you rules for living a happy life? Leave a comment below.

For more happiness advice from young adult cancer survivors, purchase PERSEVERANCE today.

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Celebrate the Release of Perseverance: TWEET to win a Kindle! Read the details here and get started by tweeting #perseverance!!

 

 

 

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Comments

[2morrowKnight]

08:43 PM on 08/19/2009

Congrats Carolyn. One of my aunts just beat breast cancer and I believe your book will be a great gift for her. I'll buy several copies and give them out to friends because I love the concept.

Much success as your book climbs the bestseller's list.

http://twitter.com/2morrowknight

[jlc9127]

03:14 PM on 08/18/2009

Beautiful post Carolyn and congratulations on releasing Perseverance today!!!
I especially love tip #2: Do everything that you can to stay healthy. It is that simple, yet we have made it so complicated. Take care of yourself. Take care of others. Congrats on all of your hard work! --Jamie

[Carolyn Rubenstein]

06:22 PM on 08/18/2009

Thank you so much, Jamie! It's an exciting day!! I really appreciate your kind words and constant support :). Number 2 is so important to remember -- especially during times when it's so easy to forget (like when releasing a book!). Yet, there is nothing more important we can do in terms of our health.

[mrhero]

11:32 AM on 08/18/2009

These 5 lessons coming as they do from young cancer survivors teaches us by their courage. I particularly like the way you list the 5 lessons that they taught you. I believe #5 in the list is the most important -- the courage to be you! I cannot wait to read your book, Perseverance, and wish you and those you wrote about a healthy and happy life

[Carolyn Rubenstein]

06:23 PM on 08/18/2009

I'm so happy you enjoyed the 5 rules! "The courage to be you" is definitely quite important :). Thank you for your kind words!