You Get to Choose

Hi Friends,

Have you ever reached a place in life where everything finally seems to be falling into place, only to have something happen that changes everything?

This week on Dallas the Podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Courtney Benson, a successful entrepreneur, nationally recognized real estate leader, speaker, and breast cancer overcomer.

Courtney has such an incredible personality. She's funny, honest, full of energy, and has a way of finding humor even in some of life's most difficult moments. But what I found most inspiring about our conversation was her perspective on the circumstances we cannot control.

Before her cancer diagnosis, Courtney had spent years building a successful career. She had achieved things many people only dream about, yet despite her accomplishments, she struggled to find genuine happiness.

She eventually began working on herself, learning to let go of fear, change negative thought patterns, and find joy in the everyday journey rather than constantly chasing the next achievement.

And just when she felt like she had finally found that happiness, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

What followed was a journey filled with unexpected challenges, difficult treatments, and moments when her future felt incredibly uncertain.

But during one of those difficult moments, someone asked Courtney a question that changed her perspective.

"How do you want to experience cancer?"

I love that question because it speaks to something much bigger than a cancer diagnosis.

Courtney couldn't choose what had happened to her. She couldn't control every treatment, every test result, or what the future might hold. But she realized she could choose how she wanted to live through it.

And that decision changed everything.

Rather than putting her life on hold, Courtney continued working, traveling, speaking, spending time with her family, and finding reasons to laugh. She even created Just a Girl with Cancer, a community where she shares her journey with honesty and humor, helping others feel seen, encouraged, and less alone.

As someone who has personally walked through breast cancer, I connected with so much of Courtney's story. Although our experiences have been different, I understand the fear, the uncertainty, and the emotions that come with hearing those words.

What I appreciate about Courtney is that she doesn't minimize the difficulty of what she's experienced. She simply refuses to allow cancer to take away the life she still has in front of her.

And I think there's something we can all learn from that.

We may not get to choose the circumstances we face, but we can choose what we allow those circumstances to take from us.

We can choose to look for the good, even when things are difficult. We can choose to keep pursuing the things that matter. And we can choose to find joy along the way, rather than waiting for everything to be perfect.

Life doesn't have to be free of challenges for it to be full of purpose, meaning, and joy.

I hope you'll take some time this week to listen to my conversation with Courtney. Whether you're walking through a difficult season yourself or simply need a reminder to embrace the life in front of you, I believe you'll find something meaningful in her story.

And if someone comes to mind while you're listening, please share this episode with them. You never know when a conversation might be exactly what someone needs to hear.

Thank you for being part of our Dallas the Podcast family. I'm so grateful that we get to share these stories and continue finding hope together.

With love and gratitude,

Dallas

Dallas the Podcast