Who Am I Now? (post cancer) Why we should all write a “Me Bio”
Unknowingly, this was a much-needed exercise! One that I recommend anyone do after any transition point in their life or career. Whether you’re a working Mom, moving to a new city, a recent retiree, widower or cancer survivor, writing your bio can be almost as cathartic as writing your obituary! But given I was too close to death for comfort, I choose bio! 😂 That said, I’m sharing with you my recently penned Bio for LinkedIn. Most interesting is the conclusion that I’ve come to in writing it, and why I think that everyone should write a Me Bio, too!
What is a Me Bio?
Simply put, a ME BIO is all about you. It's not just what you do, but who you are. So many of us have been defined for years by what we do for a living, or as someone's parent or spouse, and very few of us have thought about who we really are for years. Cancer makes you take a step back and really examine life from a different lens. When I was going through treatment I couldn't work very much, so I had to begin to re-define my life and my identity not based on what I did for a living, but by WHO I am, authentically, at my core. What did I believe? What were my likes (and dislikes)? What do I value? And how did I want the world to see me, now? Being a survivor was only part of it.
Your Me Bio exercise may not be written for professional reasons. It might be solely personal, written to friends or family or maybe just for you. It doesn’t matter what theme it takes on. Just sit down and write about who you are today because of and in spite of your experiences. What led you to the place you are at now. What are you doing in the moment? How are you coping? How are you elevating yourself? What are you doing to feel good each day? What makes you amazing? Strong? Resilient? What do want other people to know about your experience?
Seeking Clarity
Apparently, I have been seeking clarity. It’s as if by simply sitting down to write this bio, it helped to give me a clearer perspective on where I’ve been and where I am now. It’s a road map of sorts. It somehow focused my always-ON brain and made it wind down and take stock, just a tick slower than usual.
This bio has been percolating, and today was simply the manifestation of sentence fragments that have been rolling around in my brain for a while. Something in a mediation I did today sparked the writing. I think the question was: What does your heart need? My answers were peace, stillness, contentment, joy, understanding, and healing. 🙏🏻
Even before cancer and approaching early retirement, I was re-examining my identity. It’s funny too, because even though I was in a state of transition before cancer, after cancer is a whole different brand of identity crisis. Many of my cancer friends post about how we assume everything will go back to “normal” after we’re cured. But it doesn’t. You know what they say about ASSuming! 🤦♀️ This often takes people by surprise — both survivors and those who love them. EVERYONE thinks and wants things to go back to status quo after the crisis of cancer abates, but the reality is, even for those who have milder treatment experiences, this is not the case. Because cancer is well, cancer. It infects your brain as much as your body! It gets into your psyche like a cult leader with some red fruity Kool-Aid, and as such, requires de-programming.
For me, that means a lot of meditation and continued inner work on the me I want to be now that I’ve gotten a second chance at life. Even if I’m not crystal clear on the details yet, I’m clear on the intent.
Questions Cancer Survivors Ask Themselves
Cancer survivors, especially those in remission, ask themselves all kinds of existential questions (usually in the wee hours when trying to sleep).
What should I do now that I’m cured?
How can I/should I give back?
Am I really cured?
I have a fresh start, a second chance, what do I want to do with it?
What do I want my future to look like? How long will my future be? What will the next scan look like?
Should I deal with that work or family issue that keeps cropping up that really annoys me?
Should I eat ___X___?
Should I speak my mind more?
Why did I survive when someone else with my same diagnosis didn’t?
How do I stop worrying about XYZ and just live each moment?
What will tip the scales to keep me alive (or the other thing)?
Given the magnitude of those questions, this Me Bio exercise may seem a bit silly. But for me it was medicinal. This is my life to redefine. Writing a Me Bio, really allowed me to take back my power and re-affirm my health (again — every day). I didn’t even realize how clarifying it was until after I wrote it and sat down to share it here.
As you will read, this narrative of my life, originally intended for professional social media site, LinkedIn, you will see it is also deeply personal. I share glimpses into all aspects of my life and my journey. It makes me human. And, while I am past the days of trying to impress with all of my professional wisdom or credentials, some of that still has a place in this instance.
So without further ado…
My BadASS Me Bio
Cindy Coe, a.k.a. “CC”, currently living bold in the tranquility of Southern Colorado’s Spanish Peaks Country, is a sought-after (now semi-retired) CEO, executive coach, speaker, author, blogger, podcaster and digital creator. Find all of her adventures at Linktr.ee/ccndoc. 🏔️
She is best known for her work with InsideOut Discovery™, Inc., an international organizational development firm she started in 2002. Though over the years she has also been involved in a few side hustles — A popular food and travel blog, a website design agency, and an online entertainment platform.
CC is an experienced executive coach who holds a degree in journalism/communications, teaching certifications, and multiple training, leadership, team building and assessment certifications. She has 30+ years experience working with people, leaders, executives and families.
Her published books include: Courageous Money: Your Adventure through Money National Park (Zehnder, Coe), Coaching for Commitment Simplified (Coe, Zehnder), The Big Book of Southern Colorado Wildflowers: For Kids of All Ages (By CCnDoc), and Coaching for Commitment: Achieving Superior Performance from Individuals and Teams, Edition 3 (Coe, Zehnder).
In addition to taking on a select few clients each year, Cindy and her longtime business partner/spouse, Amy, also host a Podcast, “CCnDoc Talk,” on miscellaneous topics. But don’t expect buttoned-down corporate professionalism here! CCnDoc’s blog is full of unapologetically eclectic, unscripted and uncensored conversations from this ex-corporatron, cancer surviving, re-evaluate your life, live bold, be authentic, never stop exploring, LGBTQ couple.🎙️ Listen at your favorite podcast subscriber or on the CCnDoc Website.
Having recently experienced profound healing from Stage 3b rectal cancer, CC has embarked on a holistic journey of mind, body, spirit and soul. Because she was blessed to be exposed to so many complementary healing modalities such as reiki, spiritual healing, medium trance healing, prayer, therapy, meditation, etc. She is currently taking courses to hone her own spiritual/metaphysical abilities so that she may soon pay it forward.
Read more about CC’s badass life after cancer by visiting her NEW blog, “My BadASS Life! (‿!‿)” on Medium. What started out as a way to give back to the Colorectal Cancer community, has morphed into a passion-project of continuous healing. You can find Cindy’s writing on Medium at mybadasslife.medium.com — and/or the blog at medium.com/mybadasslife. While CC’s blog stories have a foundation in her cancer journey, she also discusses her spiritual journey, healing experiences, complementary medicine, complications and side effects from treatment, in addition to tips, tricks and recipes (for everyone) as well as how to feed a semi-colon (very carefully 😂), help for caregivers and more! All are welcome to SUBSCRIBE, especially if you or someone you know has cancer. If you are a colorectal cancer survivor who is interested in doing a guest post, please get in touch. 💙💪
I’d love to read your Me Bio in the comments!
BadASS Bio Theme Song
This is actually my overall My BadASS Life theme song! "BadASS Woman" by Meghan Trainor
Comments