As I think about my journey with prostate cancer and how God has blessed TEN with the success it has had over the years, my mind goes back to a quote that I have often heard, “No man is a failure who has friends.” It’s a great quote from Mark Twain, and it was used in the movie classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
It’s a movie that tells a story that is similar to the story of The Empowerment Network (TEN).
The Empowerment Network has become the angel and helper in the lives of so many men and their families in times of trouble, encouraging them to see a brighter tomorrow. This story is the guiding principle for TEN, with the goal of re-shaping the futures of cancer survivors. It changes survivors’ stories from being hopeless to hopeful and helpful as they share with others.
In times of trouble and despair, friends are those you can turn to for help. Our greatest resources and investments in life are not always the plastic charge cards in our wallets, the stocks, the mutual funds or the CDCs that we have stacked up in our retirement accounts. It’s being our brothers’ keeper.
What makes the world around us so wonderful and the pains we have bearable, is when friends come to our rescue, offering support, sharing a kind word, a helping hand, a prayer, or a hug.
When you have the support of a friend, a diagnosis of cancer does not have to leave a scar on you psychologically or emotionally that remains with you the rest of your life.
As TEN befriends many of the men that have been diagnosed or have survived this disease, the offering of needed moral support helps to reshape the lives of the newly diagnosed men and the survivors to have a new sense of confidence to bounce back.
They see success not failure.
They are able to embrace their situation and circumstances from making a bad decision of going down a one- way street into on-going traffic, to making a U-turn and surviving a life threatening illness. That’s what friends are for!
They are there through good times and bad times in our lives, standing side- by- side as we travel this rough road of uncertainty with cancer. Real friendship is the glue that helps to bond life and faith together.
Many relationships in our organization started as strangers helping strangers; but they have grown into friendships, and now we are a family. This common bond is something that we all need when we are faced with an insidious disease or the ups and downs of this life.
Since my diagnosis with prostate cancer, a disease that comes to steal the life of a man, I have been blessed with many great friends that I would have never met from all walks of life at TEN. But with great friendship by our side, and sharing stories of our journeys, it is easier to see that you can survive and you can win.
This approach has changed and re-shaped the thinking, mentality, and behavior of men living with this disease, to help them become exemplary models of strength and courage. It’s helping the survivors in our organization to take action and make positive decisions about their life and health.
At TEN, failure is not an option; it’s not a way of life, and it’s not acceptable under any circumstance. We fight back to win!
The Empowerment Network has become a camp of friends and a safe haven of support to fight against cancer as this demon tries to possess us.
We strike back and fight back with love at every opportunity and every chance we get.
For more information about The Empowerment Network, visit www.TheEmpowermentNetwork.net or call, 314-385-0998.
