Jaclyn Smith Quotes

I feel so fortunate and grateful to be a survivor of breast cancer. I see it as a gift.

It gave me a chance to re-evaluate my life and my career. Cancer certainly gives things a new perspective. I would not have won the Tour de France if I had not had cancer. It gave me new strength and focus.

Ten years ago, if you asked me where I'd be now, I'd have said F-ing dead. But I'm not dead. I have an awesome life. And I'm just very grateful. That's the one thing I try to convey. Gratitude.

I wrote the book Don't Die, My Love as I was going through radiation, so it certainly has an air of authenticity about it because I was there. I think all of my books took on kind of a deeper tone when the lady who wrote about cancer all of a sudden had cancer. I'm doing well. I went through it all and they said, 'You're fine."

The quickest way to change your attitude toward pain is to accept the fact that everything that happens to us has been designed for our spiritual growth.

I guess that one of the most important things I've learned is that nothing is ever completely bad. Even cancer. It has made me a better person. It has given me courage and a sense of purpose I never had before. But you don't have to do like I did...wait until you lose a leg or get some awful disease, before you take the time to find out what kind of stuff you're really made of. You can start now. Anybody can.

Get through the agony and anger, the pain and strife, and take the necessary steps to try to change my life.

How great it is when we come to know that times of disappointment can be followed by joy; that guilt over falling short of our ideals can be replaced by pride in doing all that we can; and that anger can be channeled into creative achievements... and into dreams that we can make come true.

The first thing is how awful cancer was, the experience. When you first go through it, you're just trying to survive. But when I wrote about it, I really digested it. It was unbearable but I had practice behind me.

My goal is always transformation. I love to watch people transform their lives, which includes their inner world and their outer world.

Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different.

The greatest revolution in our generation is that of human beings, who by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.

Having thyroid cancer in 2009 really didn't change my life at all. I wish I could say that I had this epiphany. But I knew I was lucky before that, so it's not like I suddenly realised how lucky I am.

I'm one of those people that will say, 'My cancer was a gift.'

I had to find the courage to turn my life around.

I do fear God, but I will also tell you that when a doctor diagnoses you and the word 'cancer' comes out of his mouth, at that point, it changes your life and you do fear less and it also has allowed me to be a lot more open as a person. It's changed me.

I could be a bit of a pain in the arse. Since I've come out of my cancer, I must say I intend to be even more of a pain in the arse.

When you're no longer ill, and everyone's gotten over the fact that you've had cancer, that core of steel doesn't go away, and then I had to find other channels for it.

Cancer didn't change me at all. I know lots of people talk about the life revelation. I didn't have that.

I want to take all the pain that I feel and celebrate and turn it around.

Someone might come close to dying, and they'll enjoy life much more than everyone else. I came close to the death of my sports career, and I enjoy everything coming my way.

The brain aneurysm I had in 2006 put things into perspective. It made me understand what was really important - to enjoy life, take more risks and stop putting things off.

I'm the same person. I got a grenade thrown at me. Situation turned out how it did. Now I'm just trying to do good things.

I just don't want to be known as the face for cancer. It is one part of my life. Yes, it was a major part because it changed me a lot, but that is not all my life.

What cancer does is, it forces you to focus, to prioritize, and you learn what's important. I mean, I don't sweat the small stuff. I used to get angry at cab drivers. It's not worth it.... And when somebody says you have cancer, you realize it's all small stuff.