Terry Healey recovered from a rare cancer and the resulting disfigurement, which lead him to helping others deal with appearance-altering conditions.
Who/what contributed to your inner strength?
I often refer to my "survival kit."
First and foremost, it includes my religious faith that gave me tremendous courage and strength to get through my ordeal. My medical team and the trust that I had in them to cure and reconstruct me to the "old Terry" was significant. I also trusted my family and friends, and believed they would help me to make the right decisions about my treatment options.
My unending positive attitude was something I was blessed to have, above all else. I looked at the bright side as much as I could, and tried not to focus too much on the negatives.
When in your life was your inner strength particularly tested and how did you deal with the incident?
When I was 20 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer (fibrosarcoma) that created significant disfigurement in my face. At an age when appearances matter so much, I struggled to maintain my optimism, my confidence and my self-esteem. What really worked best for me, though, was to have another purpose in life beyond my cancer and beyond my reconstruction. Having another purpose, and having personal and professional goals, really helped me to rebuild myself.
What suggestions do you have to help people realize their capabilities?
As tough as it might be, whenever we are confronted with adversity, I think we have to try to envision the positive outcome that will result. If we live through our adversity, we become stronger and better people, and ultimately grateful for the experience. We are all capable of confronting our challenges, too. If we can focus on addressing one challenge at a time, I think we can manage it more easily. Each time we confront and overcome a challenge, it gives us that much more strength to face the next challenge.
Why is it important to focus on inner strength?
It is important to focus on inner strength, because it really is a natural human instinct. We all have it inside of us; we just need to focus on being sure we know what is included in our personal "survival kits." We have to remind ourselves of the tools we have to help us find our inner strength.
What are your next goals and what positive thoughts or activities keep you striving toward your goals?
Life is full of challenges. I like to think of challenges more as opportunities, though. I look forward to making a positive impact on society and helping people to become more tolerant, to learn the value of trust and to learn how to overcome their challenges. Through my book, "At Face Value," and my public speaking career, I hope I can continue to accomplish that mission. Whenever I hear about the impact I am making on someone's life, I feel like I have a tremendous opportunity to broaden my impact, and that really drives me.
