Life was going on just fine when I was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma. It hit my like a mack truck.

What I learned from that experience is still coming in waves and I wanted to share it.

First of all, since finding out that Ocular Melanoma is just a very dangerous cancer just like skin melanoma, only this was inside my right eye. I was told I was very young for this form of cancer and it happens in fair-haired, blue-eyed people most often. That's me.

We later figured out that is was most likely due to my attempts to get tan like all my friends. One year while in my early twenties, I went to a tanning salon often. I now know that tanning salons give out a lot of radiation. To make matters worse, I made the decision to not wear the eye protection a few times so I wouldn't get white areas around my eyes.

If I get anything across here, it the importance of protecting your eyes if you decide to go to a tanning booth or even sit on the beach. Our eye lids are only smalls bits of flesh and they most definitely cannot protect our eyes from the sun.

With that out of the way, I will move on to what happened next. I survived. I chose to and I did everything I had to in order to survive.

I ate nothing that wasn't meant to nourish my healing body.Mostly raw foods and things like carrot juice 4 times a day. I exercised. I visualized my body healing itself...attacking the cancer and escorting it on out of my body. I read the Bible and prayed...a lot. I had the elders of the church pray over me and... I believed. I read everything I could get my hands on.I rid my home of all toxic products and anything else that would compromise my healing power.And, I quit my job to reduce stress.

One of the most powerful decisions I made was that I decided that I absolutely would not die from cancer.

So, here I am 5 1/2 years later and I am now living on a beautiful horse farm living a dream I never thought would happen. I am a certified horse trainer and I had spent years of my life teaching people how to ride Dressage and jump. I managed show stables all around the country. I had given it up when I had my son, but when I was diagnosed with cancer, I decided that I was going to do things that I loved doing.

I have a small horse business that is thriving, but I know that I can't ride and train forever. My aches and pains keep me well aware of that. so, I chose be become more entrepreneurial and started a home based business with a company I adore.

Best decision of my life.

It allows me to be with my family, have time freedom, do things I love to do. I meet new friends everyday and I am blessed by them more than I ever imagine. I can ride my horses when I want to and take vacations. The stress is gone. My life is present.

Here are some of the things I have learned since being diagnosed with cancer....

~ Live everyday like you mean it.

~ Enjoy your family.

~ Get in touch with your spirit and keep tuned in to it...nurture it.

~ Don't listen to all the fears and excuses NOT to be successful. Set them all aside, get over it and just do it!

~ Dream BIG Dreams and go for them all the way.

~ Know what you want, create a plan and then work to make it happen. It can't happen if you don't know what you want.

~ Do what you love to do

~ Commit to Excellence- make sacrifices to be the best you can be in your field.

~ Throw your heart into it. Pay the price and do what it takes.

~ Time will pass anyway...when you look back in 5 years will you be satisfied with what you have accomplished or wished you had done more?

~ Develop your talents and abilities- God gave them to you...put them to use.

~ Become goal-oriented and develop a clear sense of the direction you are heading.

~ Refuse to consider the possibility of failure. Don't even let it enter your mind. The ONLY way to fail is to quit.

~ Take the feedback from the trials you endure and use them to your advantage.

~ Dedicate yourself to continuing education. Read books in your field, listen to audio tapes while driving in your car, attend seminars.

~ Work hard. don't quit until you reach your goals. There is a time when you can back off...

but that time doesn't come until you have reached your goals. Until then, work hard.

~ Work all the time you are working. Shuffling papers, talking to your friends, surfing the internet, watching TV will not produce results. Set work hours and stick to them.

~ Develop courage, resilience, persistence and learn how to bounce when life comes at you hard. Keep going and never stop. Never give up.

~ Be an optimist and feed yourself with the knowledge and desire that you can do anything you set your mind to.

~ Have the courage to begin knowing that there are no guarantees of success. Persist and endure.

~ Have self-discipline to the point where you become unstoppable.

~ Keep it simple. don't over-complicate what you are doing.

~ Be brave!!

" All Accomplishment Starts By Daring to Begin"

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Businesswoman, Friend, Collaborator, and Team player, Malinda Winn fulfills her Entrepreneurial Calling by offering a great service that enriches the lives of others. Together with other fellow BraveHeart Community members, her goal is to empower Women to be multi-dimensional success stories and inspiration to others. Be Sure to Visit: Be a BraveHeart Woman