Thrive

In 2008 Gayle and I traveled to the World Breast Cancer Conference, which was held in Winnipeg Canada. We went there to spread the Thrive message. Women from all over the world went nuts over the Thrive philosophy! Many saw themselves, their attitudes and efforts so similar to Gayle's. The terms Thrive and Thriving was introduced as new words into the cancer conversation. I believe it will alter the conversation forever. While you're waiting to survive - You can Thrive! Thriving is the choice not to let cancer, or any illness, be the defining thing in a person’s life. Thrive recognizes the need for survivors but for the first time those who do not survive are able to shake the implication that they are automatically losers. The survivor label for Gayle was a simple win - lose proposition. If you survive, you are a winner. And while no one would audibly say that people who do not survive are losers, that inference looms over the head of those who are deep in the muck of their cancer battle. Thrive brings relief of negative stigmas based on simple outcomes. Thrive measures the quality a life has offered as a better instrument of value than assigning value only to the length of that life.