When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. ~Lau Tzu

The words from a greeting card stared at me from the ledge at Whole Foods. Perched there as if to taunt me.

Ugh. Not today! What does that even mean anyways? 

I stood rooted in place. Rain dripped from my folded umbrella and pooled around my boots. A woman with a cart loaded with kale, collard greens, and organic everything else jostled past me. The whir of the juicer hummed in the distance.

I had fresh mastectomy scars buried beneath the layers necessitated by the Vancouver rain and an unintended buzz cut from hair still pushing beyond its chemo limitations. I had come here to get a green juice and to avoid the silence of my apartment. Not to grapple with life’s big questions. As I waited for my juice, I found myself cycling through a range of emotions. Anger rose up. I shouldn’t have to let go of who I am. I shouldn’t be a 31 year old who just went through treatment for breast cancer. Fear. What if the cancer comes back and my time on earth is cut short? Loneliness. Am I the only person having an existential crisis on a Tuesday afternoon over a card at Whole Foods? 

I grabbed my kale juice and stormed out of the store. But, halfway down the block, I found myself turning around. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this card held some deeper theme I needed to explore. So, I bought it and clutched it under my umbrella – shielding it from the rain – until it found its new home on a shelf in my bedroom. This quote became an invitation to get curious about what I wanted to let go of and who I wanted to become.

Many weeks later, I hit rock bottom. Paralyzed by sadness. Frustrated by the feeling cancer had taken over my life. I wanted a new story. It was in my search for inspiration that I imagined myself volunteering in South Africa. Something I never would have done before cancer. As I look back now, I can’t help but wonder if seeing Lao Tzu’s quote on a daily basis was one of many seeds planted over the course of a year. A seed to help me believe reinvention was possible.

So often, in our culture, I think we oversimplify the idea of making changes in our lives. Most of us don’t wake up one morning infused with courage – like a tonic injected into our veins overnight – and feel magically ready to “take a leap of faith” like travel to a new country, quit a job, or walk away from a relationship that is no longer working. Instead, I believe these choices seep into us over time – through what we read, talk about, follow, and who we surround ourselves with. If given the space to grow, these ideas sprout into tangible choices and ultimately lead to change. The phrase “step beyond your comfort zone” can sound overwhelming. But what if it is actually the next, natural step, to a seed of possibility planted long ago?

When I picked up that card 8 years ago, I could not have imagined how much my life would change. Or, that one day, I would have the opportunity to help others explore what they want to let go of and who they want to become. Now, through A Fresh Chapter, we offer an innovative support model that blends volunteering, meaningful travel, and the support, tools, and resources to help patients, survivors, and caregivers reframe adversity and redefine what’s possible in their lives.

A journey of a thousands miles must begin with a single step.