
So the other morning, while I was cleaning up some cat barf, I got to thinking (probably not a good idea)… cats are really smart. They know to go in the litter box. So, why don't they use the litter box for barf and hairballs?
Realistically, I know that it would take a lot more time to try to train three cats to barf in the litter box than it does to just clean up a bunch of hairballs each week. So I'm going to let it go.
But as I said, it got me thinking. What would you do differently if the idea struck you and it actually were a reasonable thing to do?
The truth is, most of us—especially those of us who’ve had our lives flipped upside down by cancer—have a mental list of things we wish we could do differently.
Boundaries we wish we could set.
Workloads we wish we could reduce.
Guilt we wish we could ditch.
We’ve thought about them… maybe even imagined what life would look like if we made the change.
But then we look at the reality of it, and think, “Ugh. Too much work. I’ll just deal with the mess.”
Just like the hairballs.
But here’s the thing: the emotional hairballs in your life? They don’t just sit there. They build up. And eventually, they start to stink.
You’re a high achiever. You’re used to figuring it all out, being the one everyone relies on. But cancer shattered that illusion of control. It cracked the foundation you built your life on. And now, even as you try to get back to “normal,” you’re realizing that normal doesn’t fit anymore.
And yet… you keep cleaning up the mess instead of questioning why it’s there in the first place.
So what if you didn’t just keep wiping up the mess?
What if you actually got curious? Asked yourself what you’re tolerating that you don’t need to? What patterns you’re stuck in just because they feel familiar—even if they’re exhausting?
What would you do differently… if you believed it was actually possible?
This isn’t about suddenly overhauling your entire life.
It’s about noticing. It’s about giving yourself permission to want more—ease, joy, time, peace.
And it’s about believing that your needs matter too, even now, maybe especially now.
So tell me—what’s your version of the hairballs?
And what would change if you decided they weren’t just part of the landscape anymore?
If you're ready to stop just managing the mess and start creating something different, I’d love to support you. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Let’s talk about what’s possible for your life—on your terms, in your time. Reach out when you’re ready. I’m here.
To receive the blog and content like this right to your inbox, click here:
Write to me at [email protected] to let me know what you'd like help with, or book a call:
Click here to book a "From Surviving To Thriving" Breakthrough Call
Thriving Beyond Cancer
...With Dr. Jill Rosenthal
Email: [email protected]
Copyright 2025 Release It!...Forever LLC