CANCER AS A LOVE STORY: Developing The Mindset For Living
By Gail Kauranen Jones
Publisher; Year of the Book, Nov. 2017, $19.95 retail, 230 pages
Reviewed by David Bradshaw, Myideafactory.net
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those who love it will eat of its fruit.” -Proverbs 18:21
Cancer as a Love Story: Developing the Mindset for Living is the one book you want to have in your hands if you or anyone you know has been diagnosed with cancer. And, for others who have been thrown some other type of curveball that prompted them to shake up their lives, this book is jam-packed with tools for starting over in healthy new ways.
Sadly, nearly one in eight women will face the shocking impact of hearing these four life-changing words; “You have breast cancer.” And some estimate that one of three men will be told they have prostate cancer. What follows such a violent wake-up call, according to author Gail Kauranen Jones, depends largely upon your state of mind, emotional fortitude and spiritual preparedness.
Cancer as a Love Story is a courageous story of a wellness pioneer who uses the latest in neuroscience discoveries to help regain her own health after the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer in 2012.
As a highly respected transformational coach, Gail’s commitment is to communicate her life experiences in a way that comforts others comes through brilliantly on each page. Gail helped me to see how physical healing often begins from within and why diseases are often rooted in emotional imbalances.
As I read Gail’s story, I was instantly drawn in by her gift of verbalizing the deepest thoughts and emotions during each stage of her healing journey, which ultimately led to her personal reinvention and transformation. I don’t think most men have a clue about the shock to a woman’s body, mind and spirit that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis. I know I certainly didn’t, until reading this book.
With heart, vulnerability and wisdom, Gail takes us on an inspiring, educational journey – learning to live beyond cancer from the inside out. She provides an in-depth overview of the four components of health: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual and offers an insider’s look at the latest healing approaches which complement conventional medicine.
Through her own recovery, she teaches readers about one of the most overlooked parts of the healing journey: the emotional process of releasing toxins and internal stressors that often have contributed to disease developing.
By embracing her deepest fears, with the support of friends and a variety of healers, Gail finds a way to transform her story of fear into a story of love, which she reveals to us page by page. Each chapter strategically builds faith, hope and love – both for those facing the horror of a cancer diagnosis as well as for family and friends witnessing a loved one’s emotional life unravel from such a scary health challenge.
She stresses the importance of going inward for reflection: “The pause – sometimes initiated by a life curveball like cancer or another of the soul’s promptings for redirecting life – is often the sacred place of becoming who we truly are,” writes Gail. I liken her thoughts to the journey of a caterpillar that must face a dark pause inside a cocoon, awaiting the gracious transformation into the beautiful butterfly it is intended to become.
Cancer as a Love Story is divided into three parts, which closely correlate with our tri-part being; our physical body (Part I), our mindset (Part II) and our spiritual being or “inner work” (Part III).
A gifted storyteller and truth seeker, Gail leads the readers to help understand the failures of western medicine to connect the body-mind-soul dots which often perpetuate and even spread disease rather than curing it.
Thankfully, her pilgrimage takes us into the exciting and quickly evolving world of neuroscience and “energy as medicine” therapies, as well as ancient healing strategies which incorporate body-mind-spirit.
Even Dr. Mehmet Oz, cardiothoracic surgeon, Columbia University professor, author, and television personality has repeatedly touted that the “the next frontier in medicine is energy medicine.” Fortunately for us, Gail shares a unique and intimate view as a patient using it.
Despite Gail’s obvious frustrations with the status quo U.S. medical/hospital diagnosis/treatment systems, I appreciate her inclusive perspective, which embraces both traditional and alternative medical treatments – rather than seeing healing modalities as “either-or” she presents them as “both-and.”
I especially liked her short “tips” inserts throughout each chapter, which are perfect for those who want to quickly reference the practical applications of the treatments she covers as well as where to go for further information. In today’s busy world many readers want the bottom line as quickly as possible.
Gail’s writing style is easy to understand for all readers as she avoids highly technical terms, instead favoring down-to-earth-people language. This is a book worth it’s weight in gold, which by the way, science now also is finding has healing attributes. Get it, read it and give it to those seeking comfort and healing from cancer or any other disease of the body, mind or spirit they may be facing.
“Attitude means more in healing than DNA, genetic disposition or what type of treatment one uses or doesn’t, I was consistently told throughout my healing journey,” Gail shared with me. “So, part of my mission in writing this book was to help people create that mindset for thriving. And the sooner one can get into the mindset of hope and unlimited possibilities for health, the better.”
Here is a sampling of some early endorsements of the book, gleaned from Amazon and her book’s website, www.cancerasalovestory.com.
“Cancer as a Love Story is a very compassionate and educational book in which provides the right combination of medical information and options for personal actions and techniques… as an ‘insiders’ view of treatment options, it encourages people with cancer to change their past attitudes and beliefs, embrace a new and optimistic future, and live more vibrant lives…Gail’s book is a ‘must read’ for anyone with cancer, anyone who has a family member or a friend with cancer, and for healthcare providers. It will change their lives. Any reader will be inspired.”
-Dr. Ann Webster, health psychologist, professor and former director of The Mind Body Program for Cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Spoiler alert: Cancer as a Love Story is not just for people affected by cancer. Author Gail Kauranen Jones, a five-year survivor of breast cancer, takes on the central failure of western medicine: the role of emotions in health and disease. Her heartfelt, brutally honest story takes the reader through her amazing journey of building new brain connections to enable healing through connection to community, nature, and the divine. Her transformed mindset is focused on new possibilities and self-affirmation. The book offers an abundance of tools, tips, resources, and lessons learned from both western and alternative approaches. Gail points the way forward for anyone interested in a new American dream: life, liberty and the pursuit of neuroplasticity.”
-Phyllis Strupp, brain training expert and award-winning author of The Richest of Fare and Better with Age: The Ultimate Guide to Brain Training.
“When your soul and spirit are touched by God, your body and psyche responds. In turning everything over to God and having strong faith, you open a door for Him to walk in and perform miracles. Whether immediate or progressive, God’s healing hand is ready to transform your life. Gail Kauranen Jones has written a book of hope, healing and heart. Just by opening to the first page, Gail shows that she is willing to let light and love into life. Miracles await!”
-Sara Buckner O’Meara, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, renowned spiritual healer, and leader of The Little Chapel ministry, Paradise Valley, Arizona.