Today I have the day to work on myself. As I wish.

Yesterday evening I met with some close friends about our fears. It was a conversation focused on what we were most fearful of and each person took a turn. I can say I was most concerned about reverting back to my previous behaviors of drive, drive, drive.

The cancer journey with it’s forced pace of sleep and recovery has had a powerful impact on me. And that effect has been to really take a looong step backwards to think about why at this point in my life I still feel the need to drive. I’m realizing my life experiences are important enough to take the time to share with others. The last thing I want to do is die and not have shared my hard earned learnings with young women.

Earlier this week I had lunch with someone who I had been advising informally as she struggled with her young tech startup. For various reasons we had not spoken in a couple years. We finally reconnected and she wanted to thank me for a couple thoughts I shared with her about her talents. Those thoughts enabled her to make it through the major challenges she was dealing with in the two year gap since we last spoke.

It was so gratifying to see how my hard earned lessons were benefiting someone who will be changing, who is changing, the very one-sided venture/startup world.

Cancer is now another experience I can use to add another notch on my belt of powerful experiences.