“Just Move On”

Last month I had my one-year follow-up. All good, Alhumdulillah. I had a long list of questions for my doctor, but really I just needed the answer to this one: how do I keep this cancer from coming back a third time.

He said, succinctly: “Just move on.”

I’m taking his advice. And getting back to the work I love, including two books in the pipeline and a podcast and other projects for clients; and to doing the things that fuel me—traveling, cooking soup for others, spending quality time with family and friends.

One of the things that always energizes me is surrounding myself with inspiration—meeting inspiring people and hearing their stories lifts me up and helps put things in perspective. It’s scientifically proven: being around or learning about people who have overcome challenges or shown resilience triggers the release of dopamine and other positive neurochemicals, which regulates stress and boosts our immune system. Let’s just say I’ve been feeling particularly healthy the past couple of weeks, surrounded by an abundance of inspiration.

I had the privilege of being in the company of two extraordinary journalists and activists, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa from the Philippines and dear friend and extraordinary photographer Shahidul Alam from Bangladesh. Their relentless dedication to truth and justice, despite the odds, and while continuing to face prison sentences, is beyond inspiring. Their calls to action feel particularly urgent given the challenges we are facing in our own country; hearing their stories felt energizing and motivating.

The most awe-inspiring event just took place in DC, the National Geographic Storyteller’s Summit, which gathers influential photographers, writers, and filmmakers from around the world to celebrate the power of storytelling to affect change on critical global issues. Every presentation was breathtaking. Consider for example the story of photographer Rena Effendi whose mission was to track down a rare butterfly species named after her late father, an entomologist who had collected thousands of endangered butterflies, by retracing his footsteps through the war-ravaged mountainous region along the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Or the incredible story of marine biologist and photojournalist Thomas Peschak who has spent his entire life covering the ephemeral beauty of the world’s oceans, most recently documenting a year-long exploration of the Amazon River Basin. Wide-eyed and mesmerized, I watched each story unfold through captivating images and videos, shaking my head in wonder and awe.

Feeling a sense of awe also has incredible health benefits; our nervous system calms down and our heart rate and breathing deepen. According to Dr. Dacher Keltner, awe even has psychological benefits, quieting negative self-talk and helping us get out of our own heads. I can tell you for the two days of the Storyteller’s Summit, I didn’t feel my usual worries or aches. Instead, I felt a sense of calm, at the vastness of the universe and my small place in it; and at how brief our time on earth is compared to the age of mountains and oceans—and how we need to fill it with more wonder, curiosity, and awe.

In an uber ride to a friend’s daughter’s wedding a week ago, the driver was listening to an audio book about the Kennedys. My interest was instantly piqued as they were talking about Rosemary Kennedy’s lobotomy. I asked the young man if he was particularly interested in the Kennedy family. He said he loved history, all history. “Any particular region of the world,” I asked. “Everywhere,” he said. I told him I was from Pakistan. I could sense he was trying to make a connection. He said that one of the most inspiring people he’s read about is the Pakistani student who sacrificed his life to save his classmates from a suicide bombing. I was intrigued that he knew the story of 15-year-old Aitzaz Hasan from 2014. “There’s another inspiring person from Pakistan,” I said, “in fact I think he was the most inspiring person on the planet. Edhi. Do you know about him?” As we pulled up to the venue, I suggested he google Edhi. He did. And up popped a photo of me and Edhi (taken by Shahidul Alam). “That’s me!” I smiled. He clicked on it and my article about Edhi appeared. “I can’t wait to read this,” he said.

This articulate young man certainly inspired me with his passion for learning history as he drives people around town. Perhaps my story about Edhi will inspire him.

And I guess this is how we keep on moving on … by inspiring each other forward.

With love,

Salma