This morning, I met a precocious boy, who was walking at the Bruce Pit dog park with his mom and two dogs.

— "Hello," he said before I had a chance to greet him.

— "Hi," I replied, pleasantly surprised by how social the child was.

— "That's a nice toy," my son, Shane, commented.

For the next few moments, the young boy explained all the things he could do with his toy backhoe. I marvelled at how expansive his vocabulary was and how easily he expressed his thoughts.

— "How old is he?" I asked his mom.

— "Three."

— "Wow. He's so articulate. You must talk to him a lot."

The mom acknowledged that she does talk to her son a lot. She also credited her caregiver, who she said is amazing with her son. She exuded gratitude. I wanted to know the boy's name so that I could say goodbye to him by name.

— "My name is Jen," I said to him. "What's your name?"

— "Christian."

— "Oh my goodness! My husband's name is Christian," I exclaimed, pointing down the path to where Chris was walking.

— "And my name is Jen," the mom added, with a broad grin.

— "I like Christian and Christian and Jen and Jen," little Christian said. He made me smile.

It is helpful to remember that self-doubt is rooted in fear: fear of failure, fear of being exposed as not up for the job, fear of disappointing others. A lack of confidence can be paralyzing. It can send you into an unending search for perfection, which can drive your employees crazy. So, whether you’re a new leader or an experienced manager heading up a new team or an employee trying to advance in your career, strive to boost your self-assurance. Pay attention to your self-talk, remind yourself of past successes, and stay in touch with people who know your work and believe in your competence.

While the path I'm on as I face ovarian cancer is not one of my choosing, the approach I am taking to walking that path—sharing my story to shed light on the disease and its symptoms for those who come after me, remaining positive and optimistic unless I have evidence to the contrary, and processing my emotions through daily writing—is one that is entirely of my choosing.

Writing on curetoday.com, Amy Paturel acknowledges that while studies looking at whether optimism improves cancer and helps people with cancer live longer are largely inconclusive, scientists do recognize plenty of perks associated with positive thinking. She notes: "While there are no data to suggest that staying on the sunny side improves outcomes, there’s no doubt that if you have hope, you’re more motivated to try complementary treatments, ask questions and get second opinions. You’re also more likely to advocate for yourself."

"What I didn't know then was that Mom had breast cancer way back in 1957, and had undergone a mastectomy and radiation treatment. I don't know quite how this was kept from me, but in 1950s households it wasn't uncommon for illnesses, especially those with the word cancer in them, to be kept very hush-hush."

— Martin Short

My coach noted that, sometimes, coaching is about giving coachees an opportunity to hear their own voice.

If I've learned anything in my time in communications and subsequently facing cancer, it is this: take care of yourself. You can be replaced at work but you are irreplaceable at home.

I wanted you to be respectful, so I showed you respect.

I think that good people should be celebrated. I never take for granted a positive exchange with a service provider, knowing that many such conversations are, at best, neutral and, at worst, negative. In most cases, it's not their fault. The customer before me may have been rude or curt or simply wanting to be served with no regard for the person doing the serving. That's why I try to be a little sunshine to others, especially service providers. It often takes so little.

My boundaries are as much about me as they are about the other person, my limits are a contract I make with myself regarding what I will and won't accept, and communicating my needs is about respecting myself as well as the other person.

"Sharing experiences with each other can help destigmatize mental health disorders. The more we share stories of the challenges and difficulties we’ve overcome, the easier it is to talk about such conditions and disorders."

— Canadian Mental Health Association

There are times when we contribute to the greater good and times when we draw from the greater good. I have done both—sometimes at the same time—for almost three years. While Jenesis readers may see the positive contribution I've made through my blog, they may not realize just how much I've taken from the good that they and others have shared with me personally or simply put out to the world for all to benefit from. You will never know just how much support I took from all of you. Your strength sustained and restored me.