Motivation Through Poetry and Music

When a person goes through problems or struggles in his/her life, he/she must find that special something that will help him/her to overcome his/her obstacles. In other words, people need some kind of motivation that will give them strength and prevent them from giving up.

Motivation can develop from anything; it can range from a person's interests and hobbies. In fact, if there is an activity that a person loves or enjoys doing, such as painting, writing, or reading, it's important that the person never gives up this activity because it can help to keep the mind relaxed, and also motivate him/her.

Two things that motivated me throughout my battle against cancer were poetry and music. As a child, I always had a passion for writing. I began to write poems when I was 7-years-old and I still write poems to this day. I write about everything, especially about situations or obstacles that take place in my life. I find writing poems a good way to express oneself because a person can just write down on a piece of paper all of his/her thoughts and feelings. I think that the way words, images, and emotions flow on paper helps a person to understand better the situation they are in.

I wrote several poems during my chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Some poems (the ones I wrote when I was feeling down) are a little bit depressive; others (the ones I wrote when I was in a better mood) display faith, courage, and motivation to win my battle. Then, there are those weird poems that I wrote after I was given pain killers, such as Morphine, or anti-nausea medicines, such as Benadryl. Although these poems are "out there," I have to say that they are my best work because they incorporate more imagination compared to my other poems.

I loved writing poems throughout my battle. It was a great way for me to express my thoughts and feelings. It's not easy to talk to others about what you are going through, especially if it's something serious like cancer. Also, if the person you talk to has never experienced what you are experiencing, then they will not be able to understand where you are coming from. Therefore, sometimes it was difficult for me to express myself with my family members or my friends. However, when I wrote poems, all of my emotions poured out in that white, blank piece of paper and I did not have to worry about explaining in details how I felt because the words that I chose for a specific poem described what I was going through.

To me, writing poems was therapeutic. I could just write down whatever passed through my mind—whether they were good, bad, happy, sad, or angry thoughts. I tried to write as many positive poems as I could, and those are the ones that motivated me and that helped me to fight.

Besides writing poems, I also listened to music. I never listened to the same genre; it mostly depended on my mood. When I was feeling down, I would listen to artists such as Evanescence. The songs that I listened to the most from the band during my treatments were "My Immortal" and "Bring Me to Life." For some reason, these songs filled the hole that I had deep inside.

When I was more cheerful, however, I would listen to artists such as Madonna and Christina Aguilera. I loved listening to "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera because I felt like I could relate to that song. Even to this day, I can still relate to it. It seems like this song was written just for me...the fighter that I have become.