Here are ideas for how to transform your life in positive ways. Thriver Soup appeared on Fix it with Faust (Faust Ruggiero) Radio Show via healthylifenet. Enjoy!
All posts by Heidi
“Be Your Authentic Self”
Hey everyone, I was interviewed on Deborrah Cooper’s Debruary 2022. My topic was
“Be Your Authentic Self.”
Deborrah writes, “Are you comfortable enough to show the world your real, your true, your authentic self, or do you hide and pretend to be what others want you to be? Heidi Bright is our Debruary 2020 guest tonight, and shares a wonderful story of perseverance, determination and survival.
“Heidi found her way to authenticity after successfully battling a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2009. She realized that being her authentic self was the greatest gift she could give both to herself and others. Learning to manage her emotions in healthy ways was, as Heidi says “a game changer.” Listen to this interview to learn strategies to get in touch with who you are, and how to honor and respect your true self.”One of the comments was “Absolutely INCREDIBLE! Outstanding interview!”
Watch it here:
tinyurl.com/4znsw5br
Love You
Are you alone this holiday season?
Maybe covid is keeping you isolated. Or the cancer tore your marriage apart. Or you have been ill for a while and your friends have moved on.
There seems to be a big hole in your life where love once seemed to live.
It can feel so terribly lonely.
Yet that love still lives, inside of you. You are that love. Please do not abandon yourself.
Just think. You are the magnificent result of two tiny cells you can’t even see. Those cells joined together in an incomprehensible union that multiplied and multiplied and multiplied. Imagine the tremendous amount of life-force energy expended to create … you.
Amazing you.
Incredible you.
A you who is utterly unique.
Look at your hands. What beautiful things they have done for you all your life. Think of a few of them. They serve you nearly every moment of the day, without question, without asking anything in return.
Look at your legs. They have carried you all through your life, without question, without asking anything in return.
And your heart. It pumps life-giving blood into every cell of your body, dozens of times every single minute. Without question. Without asking anything in return.
Look outside at the plants. They grow, they create leaves, they bless the world with blossoms. Without question. Without asking anything in return. They are worthy of appreciation just by being what they are.
How much more worthy of love, gratitude, and care are you? By yourself? Without anyone else in the picture?
If no one else is around to offer it to you, offer it to yourself.
Maybe spritz on a nice fragrance and focus on the aroma.
Maybe make yourself a special meal or order out your favorite foods.
Maybe take a warm, comforting bath and add fresh blossoms so they float around you.
You are the center of your universe. Love you. Appreciate you. Care for you. The universe is cheering you on, and so am I.
NED… Now What?
So you are told you are free of evidence of disease.
YIPPEEEE!!!
And…
What do you do now?
How many people are told they have no evidence of disease, only for the cancer to come roaring back months, or even years, later?
Knowing this, do you go back to living the way you did when you were diagnosed? Or do you change your life on a permanent basis to increase your chances for long-term survival?
When I struggled for 2 terrible years to get into remission, I understood that any change I made most likely needed to be permanent. I knew that the way I had been living had contributed to the development of the cancer; the logical choice was to change my life so the cancer would no longer feel at home in my body.
I know my life patterns led to the collapse of my health. They had to be changed for me to get permanently out of trouble. One aspect was my diet. Before the cancer, it was pretty good–lots of certified organic produce–but after the end-stage diagnosis I ramped it up considerably.
One permanent change was creating a daily green smoothie. Soon after the diagnosis, my brother Walter gave me a Vitamix, a high-speed blender I wanted so I could make those sludgies.After 12 years of daily use, sometimes hard use, sometimes 3-times-a-day use, my Vitamix finally gave out.
I have lived longer than my Vitamix! That is truly miraculous.
I immediately bought another machine and plan to continue using it daily for the rest of my life. Unless I outlive this one, too. Which, of course, I fully intend to do.
It’s already getting hard workouts. After only a week the pitcher has a slight fogginess to it, because my smoothies are full of minerals and vitamins. The cloudiness bears witness to all the nutrients I’m getting. Weeds in my garden are fair game. Today’s sludgie was blanched dandelion greens, stems and flowers, concord grape seeds, red clover flowers, and eggshell membranes. Not at all delicious, but that is not my goal. I aim for maximum nutrition for maximum health.
That was my goal during the cancer treatment, and everything else I did was aimed at my goal of survival. I changed every other aspect of my life to improve my chances of living. Once I had made enough changes–to everyone’s amazement–I went into radical remission.
And have stayed healthy for ten full years, receiving no treatments at all and showing no evidence of any disease.
So I am keeping these changes because I like being healthy and alive! And I am delighted to have outlived my blender.
If you are looking for guidance on how to get out of cancerland, perhaps we can work together to free you so your body can do what it does naturally–heal itself. As a Champion in Cancer Care, I can offer insights and wisdom to ease your way.
Please Contact me today for a free consultation:
513
444-0190
Perfect TEN!
Ten years ago, my CT scan showed a cancerous half-inch nodule squatting on the pulmonary vein next to my heart.
SHT.
After two years of sarcoma treatment, I had just used up my last chemotherapy option. Now what? I felt so screwed.
Five weeks later, when surgeon Patrick Ross operated, that bugger had swollen to 2.5 inches.
That’s aggressive growth.
I can’t tell from the surgical report if he even got clean margins. Who could, with such a dangerous location?
During my post-operation appointment, the nurse practitioner told me she’d seen situations like mine for thirty years. “You need to get back on chemotherapy or get ready for Hospice.”
My mouth went dry, my throat constricted, and my pulse raced. If the nurse was right, I would probably be dead within a few months.
OMG, NO… I had boys to raise and books to write and life to live.
I soon saw my psychotherapist, who witnessed and guided me as I allowed the terror to simply be in my body. Then it flipped into anger, and I stopped breathing, except for quick gasps. Finally, she returned my mind to the room. I shook and shuddered, then relaxed. My chest tingled and emotionally I felt nothing. Then I moved into peace.
Tai Chi Grandmaster Vince Lasorso later pointed out to me how easy it is to slip into feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, emptiness, loneliness, and being forsaken. No one can face death with you—it’s a solitary assignment. A dark depression, induced by the chemicals of medicine and mind, can extinguish all faith.
“It’s during these times when one must look to the light,” he wrote. “Reliance on God can change your course at any second.”
He was right.
Despite the dire warning, I continued healing my life in every way I knew how, clearing out emotional garbage and removing what Vince called “bad thinks.” Generous and gentle people helped me every step of the way.
Ever since that terrible day in 2011, my scans have been completely free of any evidence of cancer. And I have also been completely free of all cancer treatment.
This month it’s the Perfect Ten (years)!
I find this truly miraculous, not only because of the deadly and persistent diagnosis I had, but also because I have remained healthy despite going through a divorce and losing my 19-year-old son to a heroin overdose in 2015.
Medical treatment bought me time. All the inner healing work I did, and my deepening connection with the Divine, kept me sane and safe.
I now offer what I learned through Cancer Survival Coaching. If you or someone you know would like a free initial consultation, feel free to call me at 513 444 0190.
I also will be speaking on “A Conversation with Dis-ease” at noon on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at the Body Mind Spirit Expo, Sharonville Convention Center in Cincinnati.
I look forward to connecting!
The Sun Makes Me Sing
Brood X male cicadas are vigorously singing their little tymbals out, calling in mates so the cycle of life can continue.
To me, their drone is the beautiful music of summer, having formed one of my first firm memories of warm Kansas days.
Now they represent far more to me.
Cicadas spend more than a decade underground—in the case of Brood X, a seemingly endless seventeen years in darkness and silence. Then they crawl to the surface, break 
through their shells, warm up in the sunshine, and fly with golden-tinged gossamer wings.
They live only a few weeks in the sun. During this time they crawl and fly, sing and flick, dance and mate. When they are done with their shining moments, their legacy continues in their gifts of fertilized eggs, food for songbirds, and nitrogen for forest floors.
Just like we humans who choose to transform our lives. When we have late-stage cancer, we spend a long time—sometimes more than a decade—in the Underworld. For me it’s been 12 years since my end-stage cancer diagnosis. This darkness involved two years of medical treatment, and then continued through the collapse of my marriage, multiple moves, dealing with my son Brennan’s years of drug addiction, the death of my father, and then Brennan’s overdose death at age 19.
Years of suffocating in the terrors of human Hell.
And now—a dozen years and dozens of processes later—I am finally emerging into the light. Into dancing. Into joy.
Just like the cicadas, I am spreading my own golden gossamer wings and learning how to fly. Nourishing others who also want to sing again in the light of the sun. And leaving my own legacy for future generations.
Would you like to join me? I offer cancer survival coaching for those who want to thrive and fully embrace life again. Contact me at
heidi
(at)
thriversoup.com
I look forward to talking with you!
Source for title:
Frédéric Mistral from Provençe, France, coined the phrase, “Lou soulei mi fa canta,” Provençal for “the sun makes me sing.” https://www.thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/la-cigale-why-the-cicada-became-the-symbol-of-provence
Cancer Survival Coaching
Are you looking for a little more guidance regarding cancer survival for yourself or a loved one?
Or maybe some suggestions for how to better manage a chronic illness?
I’ll offer short Cancer Survival Coaching sessions Sunday at the Universal Energy Expo, Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington.
For a 50-minute session, including a discount on a copy of Thriver Soup, please feel free to contact me.
Simple satisfying recipe: Roasted radishes with leeks
Sometimes I just want chips, dang it. Ever feel that way?
I don’t buy them except on rare occasions, so I make my own, thanks to a great tip Kathy Nace gave me a few years ago.
You can use pretty much any root vegetable. Add a leek, olive oil, salt and pepper, and it gets delicious.
All root vegetables are buried treasures, virtual storehouses of potassium, vitamin C, and other minerals. I don’t think I’d get any of those goodies from a bag of chips.
Last week, I picked up some beautiful purple radishes at a local farm and decided it was time to bake with leeks.
I sliced them evenly for even backing and preheated my oven to 350 °. 
I mixed them in a bowl with olive oil. I am very picky about my oils. The seals on this bottle’s label tell what I look for when at the grocery store. You might have to hunt to find a bottle showing the California Olive Oil Council Certified Extra Virgin seal on the left of this label.
I added salt and pepper. You can try adding a variety of things to change up the flavor–herbs like thyme, spices like cumin, and garlic is yummy … this time I just wanted something quick and simple.
I spread the roots on a baking sheet.
I roasted them for about 30 minutes, stirred, and roasted for another 20 or 30, until crisp-tender.
Mmmm!
Source: Thriver Soup, pg. 143-144.
“Thrive Global” interview on cultivating well-being
Heidi Bright of ‘Bright Concepts’:
“Exhale slowly through your right nostril”
When I feel good, I find it much easier to eat nutritious foods. When I feel like crap, I am drawn to crappy food to self-soothe, but it always backfires and I end up feeling worse. One way to circumvent this tendency is to allow myself a small amount of the junk food — like a small handful […]
Brain Hackers and I discuss “brain training” to manage emotions
Two-time Guinness Record holder for greatest memory, Dave Farrow, and I discuss
- how to manage emotions from a brain perspective;
- managing stress; and
- reducing inflammation
in this 18-minute episode. Enjoy!