My Two-Week Lesson

The cancer I didn't plan for

Special announcement:

At 11am PST, Friday, Feb. 27, I will be hosting a live Q and A for all paid subscribers.

(That’s in two days!) It will be 45 minutes long and should be recorded in case you miss it.

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On January 20th, 2026 I was diagnosed with cancer.

It was not my favorite way to spend a Tuesday morning. You know, wake up, brush the teeth, walk the dog, get the cancer, head to the coffee shop. It’s especially my un-favorite when I’m busy, when I have a lot of plans and hopes and dreams… which is, well, every day.

In my last post, I talked about what to do when disaster strikes. I said, first we need to know what your dream is so we can sort out what’s good or bad, so we can be happy or sad. From there we can decide what constitutes a disaster.

For my life, I’ve spent most of it trying to make it better, which I usually translated as easier. I wanted really great results and circumstances so I could worry less, have more great experiences, and do something good with my life.

But the truth is, we don’t know what’s good or bad circumstance-wise. Was it a good thing that Mikaela Shiffrin won an Olympic gold medal last week? Was it a bad thing Ilia Malinin, the overwhelming favorite to win gold in figure skating, placed 8th? All we know is that Mikaela got what she wanted and Ilia did not.

Well, we also know that they both put in long hours to achieve a goal, but the thing is, for countless reasons, Ilia may have gotten the better result. Better for his life, his family, and his future.

Was it bad that I got cancer? Was it good? The question is not good or bad, but the question is… if all things are here to teach me and help me, and they’re all working for my good, what’s the learning? How do I respond? Often times we don’t have the answers, but we do know that it’s all working for the good, and in the end it WILL all be good, and if it’s not good, it’s not the end.

I’ve got a book coming out next month…

Pre-order your copy of The Best Possible Life here… ❤️

And I believe this book (God-willing) is going to change lives all over the world. But, and here’s the painful part, if you want to be used by God, you have to have an accurate view of self. A selfless and therefore fearless view of the world. And if you want to do great things for others and change the world, you have to get out of the way.

Two weeks after my diagnosis, my amazing surgeon at Clayman Thyroid Center in Tampa, Florida, Dr. Rashmi Roy, took out half my thyroid and all the cancer. In one of the many miracles I’ve experienced in the last 14 months, there was no pain post-surgery. zero. What a gift.

Dr. Roy was explaining to me how surgery went afterwards as I sat on the edge of my rolling bed. All I heard was lots of words, then “perfect,” lots more words, then “really good.” (I was a little groggy). Now she could have been talking about how well she tied her shoes that morning, “perfect,” and how her co-workers called it “really good,” but personally I think she was talking about how the surgery went.

Either way, when I think about the cancer, I think about how God chose me to share his message of love, wisdom, and courage with the world, and the two weeks from diagnosis to removal was all training for me. I’m so grateful he chose me.

Love Jim

PS

The Inner Excellence YWAM Retreat is still on!

Here’s the official statement from YWAM San Diego/Baja regarding the violence in Mexico. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you posted. If the violence spreads to the west coast of Mexico, we’ll sort it out (everyone will get a refund if we cancel or postpone). We also know, no matter, those in Mexico needing a house will still be in need.

Registration is open! ❤️ Watch the last build here.

The next Inner Excellence YWAM Homes of Hope retreat is April 9-13 in Ensenada, Mexico. Check out the ​Inner Excellence Freedom Project website​ for more information. Likely it will change your life. No experience necessary. Kids welcome.

YWAM (Youth With a Mission) is a non-profit organization that has a ​Homes of Hope division​ where they/we build a house for a family start to finish in two days. ​This is the only chance for the public to do an Inner Excellence retreat (you get both the full Inner Excellence retreat and YWAM house build) until November 2027. The spots fill fast so don’t hesitate (20 people is the cap). It’s possible we’ll build two houses (if there’s 40 of us) but that’s TBD.

Substack paid subscriptions are open!

My team is still dreaming of how to make the most impact for all of you that want more Inner Excellence. It’s $7/month (USD) or $75/year. Likely be monthly Q and A (at a minimum) and more sharing of the routines of thought and action that I do, as well as audio journals.

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