My cancer diagnosis changed everything...

In June of this year I discovered that I had a large cyst on my left ovary. While many ovarian cysts go away on their own, mine was unfortunately not one of that kind. So after countless doctors visits, blood and genetic testing, we made the decision to surgically remove the cyst.

The hope was for a simple surgery that would remove the cyst, left ovary and fallopian tube. But when I awoke from surgery, I learned that the cyst was cancerous. So a more aggressive & proactive surgery was required, and I had a total hysterectomy. This was a very real scenario I had discussed with my doctor before surgery, but that didn’t lessen the intensity of learning I had cancer. 

About a week after my surgery the full pathology results came in. The ovarian cancer was a Stage 1A which meant that it was contained to the ovary and had not spread any further. Because of this I did not need radiation or chemotherapy. THANK GOD!

So why am I sharing this very raw, personal story with YOU?

It was a REAL wake-up call for me. And I don’t want you to have to go through the same thing to have this kind of awakening.

There’s a strange thing that happens when you’re faced with a life-altering or life-threatening circumstance. It reminds you that life is actually finite. The days you get on this Earth, in this human body, are numbered. You don’t know exactly how many days you’re going to get, which makes every day extraordinarily precious.

But just because you and I both know our days are limited, that doesn’t stop us from wasting them.  I had some very real & raw moments where I wondered if I’d been wasting my time on Earth. 

Wasting time worrying about what people think of me, if people like me, if I’ve said or done the right thing.

Wasting time being afraid of big decisions, of failure, of making mistakes.

Wasting time doing shit that simply doesn’t add joy to my life, like binge-watching Netflix and shopping for crap I don’t need.

Wasting time saying “yes” to shit I want to say “no” to.

Wasting time living a life that truly wasn’t aligned with my inner heart & soul.

The truth is, life IS short. And if I’m honest with myself I have wasted some time. We all have. 

But what was most alarming to me was realizing...

I’ve been taking for granted many of the things I’ve worked so fucking hard to create as a business owner. 

I sought this path for the freedom and independence it promised. The ability to choose what I work on, and when. The opportunity to work with people and projects I love. 

And I have that. I’ve worked hard for that. I love my work, my life, the people I get to spend time with. And I really needed that wake-up call to realize how incredibly grateful I am for THIS life.

There’s a quote that says...

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

I wholeheartedly reject this premise. Entrepreneurship is not about grinding yourself into the ground, and hoping for the chance to live your life later. You may never get that chance.

Entrepreneurship is one of the greatest paths in life you can choose. It’s one that allows you an extraordinary amount of freedom. But with freedom comes responsibility, and it’s up to YOU to design the life you want, and that includes your business.

You have a choice in how you build your business. You have the freedom to build your business in a way that truly allows you to live the life of your design. 

So if you’re looking around at your life & business and not LOVING where you’re at, the good news is you can CHANGE it. It’s a choice. And it’s one you have control over as a human...and especially as a business owner.

This is one of the things we do inside the CEO Society Mastermind. I help women entrepreneurs tap into their own definition of success and build a business around that. And to be clear “success” isn’t just about work, but rather tapping into the array of experiences that make being human really beautiful.

Enrollment is open right now for the 2022 CEO Society Mastermind, so if you’re interested in learn more click here.

If you’re still reading this, I want you to ask yourself this one thing…

If you knew your life was going to be cut short, what would you do MORE of? And what would you do LESS of?

Tap into that intuition and remember…

This day is absolutely precious. Make it count. And all that worrying won’t matter in the end...and it probably doesn’t even matter right now. 

XO, Hilary Johnson | Hatch Tribe Founder, CEO & Business Growth Coach