Any change in our lives -- going back to school, starting a business, pursuing a creative path -- provokes an identity shift, and even though the changes are often external, often it's more of an internal journey that we are taking also. Certainly that can be the case after a diagnosis of a life-threatening disease such as ovarian cancer.
The First 30 Days
Ariane de Bonvoisin's book targets a wide range of readers who face change in their lives. At first blush, you may ask how one can even compare a loss of a job to a life-threatening diagnosis. The coping strategies revealed in this book, however, are excellent and do apply.In particular, Ariane introduces a concept called the "change muscle." She discusses how to exercise it and get through literally anything. The First 30 Days is somewhat of a metaphor in that it is not a step-by-step action guide. Rather, it calls attention to the first 30 days as being pivotal in formulating your response and creating a future for yourself. The book also addresses how to combat your "change demons," the negative emotions that want to hold you back. Finally, her discussion of how to build a "change support team," critical in facing a change such as cancer, makes the most difference.
If you want to read an excellent contemporary book that is refreshing and upbeat, with from-the-heart suggestions and strategies on navigating change, this is it. I really only took a half star off for this particular readership, because the book is not cancer specific; however, in my opinion, that can be a plus.
For extra information, the author also has a blog and helpful website setup at First30Days.com.
