becomes,	evoking	fear	and	even	a	little	panic.	The	solution:	Push	the	fingers
toward	the	center	of	the	tube.	The	tube	becomes	slightly	bigger	and	then	it	is
easy	to	wiggle	the	fingers	out.
When	we	continually	push	away	and	avoid	our	experiences,	we	become
increasingly	afraid	of	the	negative.	Over	time,	we	stop	knowing	our	feelings
altogether.	Even	pleasant	experiences	like	joy	become	blocked.	We	are	no
longer	present	but	instead	live	in	a	survival	state,	waiting	for	the	next	shoe	to
drop.	This	crisis-state	existence	leaves	us	with	an	emotional	blind	spot.	After
all,	if	you’re	completely	focused	on	bailing	water	out	of	a	sinking	boat,	you
might	not	notice	the	life	preserver	at	your	side.	In	my	case,	spending	time
processing	and	ultimately	accepting	my	genetic	cancer	risk	as	a	reality	led	to
the	decision	to	undergo	an	elective	mastectomy	with	reconstruction—a	literal
life	preserver	that	I	was	unable	to	see	or	even	consider	until	I	accepted	my
situation	as	it	was.
Our	emotions	provide	valuable	information	and	guidance.	They	tell	us
what	we	want	out	of	life,	what	we	don’t	want,	how	we	feel	about	the	people
we	are	close	to,	and	what	we	need	to	work	on	within	ourselves.	Acceptance