Positivity and Healing by Rev. Norm Bouchard

I will never forget June 15, 2017 meeting with the gastroenterologist following a colonoscopy. I had gone for my annual physical and the blood work came back saying I was anemic. I laughed out loud knowing how much I love cooking and food…how could I be anemic. Off to the colonoscopy office, I went. Sitting with the gastroenterologist I heard the dreaded words…you have colon cancer. I turned to my friend Barb who had driven me there and was taking me home to make sure I had heard it correctly. The Universe always puts the right person in the right places at the right time. On the way home, Barb helped me process the information. Looking back, I was surprised how calm I was…of course, it could have been part of the anesthesia wearing off.

Telling the dreaded news to my husband with my friend Barb at my side was, he was not so calm and was visibly upset. Surgery happened quickly as they removed about 12 inches of my colon and then it was followed by chemotherapy at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center.

As a religious science minister, we believe and teach that when you change your thinking about a situation that situation then changes. In the beginning of walking this journey, I was confronted with my own physical challenges and the theology that I teach and believe in. We believe that our thoughts create our reality and affect matter. So, the spiritual questioning began. Did I do something to bring this on? Why me? What thinking created this? My theology and belief were being asked to practice what I teach. When the rubber meets the road, I could give in to this diagnosis or I could step forward in faith and begin to see what it was trying to me. Spirit speaks through everything. I decided not only to apply inquisitiveness but also to apply the power of positivity to cancer. I just knew in my heart that positivity was going to be a part of my journey.

I believe and know that changing my internal state of being, can overcome the effects in my external environment. I may not always be able to control all the conditions in my external environment, but I can certainly have a choice in controlling the inner environment of my thoughts. If you never heal from what hurts you, you end up bleeding on people who did not hurt you in the first place. You spend so much of your life believing in external conditions that you miss the point of living inside out.

I believe that you can talk to your cells and I have been talking to them nonstop. I also know that cells have memories and I needed to make sure that if forgiveness, guilt, fear, or shame was anywhere in my life I was ready and able to release it. I was ready to clear the memories in my cells. The body is the servant of the mind, the mind might think that it's in charge of life, but the body is influenced by the emotions we store and believe in. Healing is not linear, and it involves the mind as well as the body. My equation is simple: Feelings + Thoughts = Manifestation. The soul knows what to do to heal itself the challenge is to shut up the mind.

What I failed to realize at the beginning of dealing with cancer, is that I was not the only one cancer was affecting. I noticed how my husband was dealing with this…. control!! He began trying to control everything. It made total sense to me that when life gives you something you cannot control, we get even more determined to control It. The "It" was cancer. Something so wonderful was born out of this challenge. The God Squad was born, and my husband Scott was going to be in charge of it.

It was very clear in my mind that I wanted people to come with me to my chemo treatments, but I wanted no negativity anywhere near my cells. I have been blest with an amazing community of friends who are not only powerful people but also super creative. The concept that developed was simple: surround the treatments in joy, laughter and positivity. The responsibility of the God Squad required a couple of things. One was to be in high consciousness themselves and then bring creativity to the treatments. How might you ask? This is how. On the morning of my treatment my God Squad shows up with an outfit that has a theme, and they are dressed in the outfit as well. I remember my first chemo we were all dressed as superheroes. The response in the chemo room was amazing. I began to realize that the outfits had a much larger purpose than simply me. The whole room lights up when we walk in. There is laughter, joy, and conversation not just with the cancer patients but also with the nursing staff. After three and a half years of walking with cancer, I have been everything from a bunny rabbit, hopping through cancer, a Magician working my magic on cancer, Harry Potter flying through treatment on my broom, a leprechaun with the luck of the Irish, cupid sending love to every cell of my body, and even a gingerbread man running as fast as he can through cancer.

The outfits get one of two responses, people either look the other way and run or they totally engage. I 
have found that the engagements have been power-packed and life-changing. The conversations in the chemo room are never about the weather. They are deep, questioning, growth-full and expansive. You see when you are faced with cancer of any type you no longer worry about the weather or what people think of you. You actually begin to realize that it is about engaging with life, and all the wisdom it has to offer, and you begin to drink deeply. You also begin to realize that you are not willing to waste time on things or people that do not matter. Through the cancer journey, I have noticed that what really matters is the people that you love. I have been gifted with friends who I love and who love me. My friendships are people I chose to spend quality time with. Friendship is not about who you have to know the longest. It is about who walked into your life and said I am here for you through their actions. I have been gifted with such friends through this journey, sisters and brothers from another mother. Best friends who you are totally yourself with. Your true self, not your titles or roles that you play. Soul friends.

I am glad to tell you that there is no cancer in my body currently and that the maintenance chemo is working its magic along with my positivity and talking to my cells. I have learned that healing does not mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls my life.

Cancer has taught me never to miss the opportunity to say, text or speak, the I love you’s as often as I can. There is a natural force of healing within each of us and tapping into it through positivity and clearing our minds of what does not matter is ours to do. Our founder Dr. Ernest Holmes said: “Anyone can heal who believes that he can and who will take time to put that belief in motion.” The motion of healing is not just a physical one, it is a mental and heart one. In the end, I have begun to realize the cancer was not about forgiveness or surrender, or physical healing at all. It is about using the cancer to teach and live my message of love in a way that I never thought was possible. We have all been sent here to do that one simple task. Healing is not an overnight process; it is a daily cleansing of pain in order to make room for positivity and love. Make room in your life for what really matters. Now that is healing worth having.

Rev. Norm Bouchard is a much sought after international author, educator, and motivational speaker, Rev.Norm Bouchard is a lifestyle humorist. He is entertaining and informative, using the human condition as the focus of his message. His teaching style enables people to closely examine their assumptions about what they think they know about themselves. His unique blend of humor, storytelling and music brings an intensity of feeling to the audience that implants a clear message that changes lives and thinking patterns. Norm has a BA in Philosophy, Masters of Divinity, Pastoral Degree and is a Certified Senior Advisor. Norm Bouchard was Vice President for the Society of Certified Senior Advisors and served as part of their International Faculty. Norm has worked with many Fortune 500 companies, groups and individuals to reach toward their greatness. Norm currently serves as Senior Minister for Center for Spiritual Living, Colorado Springs.