In November 2013, Giulia found out that she had breast cancer. The following March she had a mastectomy and, by May 2014, she started chemotherapy.
In our society cancer is often associated with death. But this is a story about life. For her, cancer was literally a re-birth. Prior to the illness, she didn’t know how to grant herself unconditional love. Then the diagnosis and the realization that in every test lies an opportunity. The only condition is being willing to learn.
Most of the time, attitude is a major indicator of how events will unfold. Reaction is instinctive but choice is the way out and we can choose the way we react. Through cancer Giulia learnt how to always look after herself first and how to use empathy. With the therapies over, however, she realized that there was yet another challenge to face: people assuming that she could just be her old self in a world that had all changed. Thus she made the decision to become the super brave warrior of her life. True peace can only come from the inside out, and this is as true for an illness as it is for any other challenge.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx Giulia Muntoni has worked for the English Civil Service for nine years after completing her degree in Greek Archaeology. She recently returned to her native Italy after overcoming breast cancer in 2014, a true “watershed” moment in her life. Ever since, she has been talking, writing and publishing about her experience, giving voice to a passion for communication that had always inspired her to reach out to others with empathy. Her positive approach to life keeps motivating her to embark on new adventures, such as the TEDx talk, hoping to inspire her generation and the new ones to be proactive builders of their own world. Amongst her many dreams, there is the desire to help raise awareness of cancer, and also the aspiration to become a motivational speaker. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx