In June 2022, following a discussion with a wise friend about where she wanted to spend her time, I identified my priorities. I settled on eight: sleep, health, family, friends, writing, food, organizing and learning. In July 2022, I added a ninth priority: peace.

Today, I am adding one more—community—which brings my list of priorities to an even ten. This new area of focus captures my contribution to Ovarian Cancer Canada as a director on its Board of Directors, as well as volunteering, donating, fundraising, delivering speeches, supporting local businesses, and providing advice to strangers who reach out to me because they or a loved one is going through cancer treatment.

I was able to identify my priorities fairly readily in part because I had been recording my achievements in a daily accomplishments log since April 2022. Once I had articulated my priorities, I started linking my accomplishments to the priorities with which they were associated. Many activities satisfied several areas of focus. For example, a walk with my daughter aligned with health and family, speaking Brazilian Portuguese with my neighbour aligned with learning and friends, and adding recipes to my recipe file aligned with food and organizing.

For some time, I've been tagging various activities in my accomplishments log to "community" even though that wasn't yet an official priority. But with my new role on the Ovarian Cancer Canada Board of Directors, I feel that my contributions to my community are now significant enough to justify their own category. And though I have, until now, linked my blogging exclusively to my writing priority, I will now connect it to my community priority as well.

Since I retired in November 2021, various opportunities have come my way, but none felt in sync with my priorities, especially the importance I place on peace. But getting involved with Ovarian Cancer Canada in a direct way seemed like a logical extension of the work I've done in Jenesis to raise awareness about ovarian cancer. It's also consistent with the mission I articulated just weeks after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer: to wring every positive thing out of cancer, grow from the experience, and be an even brighter light in the world, both during and after treatment. It's easier to shine when dedicated to a cause that's meaningful.

Today, among the many kind words people sent to me since last night's announcement was this gem: "I am so inspired by you because you took this difficult thing and turned it on its head. You changed the narrative. You grew flowers from the compost. And through your blog, you have shown me (and I am sure many others) the power of positivity and resilience. I wish you the very best on this inspiring next step of your journey." I loved the mental image that came to mind when my friend said, "You grew flowers from the compost."

Why articulate priorities? Priorities remind me of what's important to me and provide a framework against which I can track where I spend my time. They also help me to move away from activities that conflict with what I've identified as important, such as a chaotic, frustrating or stressful situation that goes against my desire for peace. Finally, priorities help me to ensure that I'm living the life I want to live.