Chronic Wisdom
One Woman’s Story of Survival, Strength and Self-Discovery, Chronic Wisdom is not a story of triumph over illness.
It is a deeply honest reflection on what it means to live fully when life does not unfold as expected - when illness becomes ongoing, identity is disrupted, and certainty is no longer guaranteed.
Karen Humphries’ work is informed by university studies in the field of Health and Social Care, Art and Creative Therapies, and Wellbeing. Alongside decades of lived experience with chronic illness, disability, and rare cancer.
Chronic Wisdom offers a grounded, compassionate exploration of survival and meaning - not through quick fixes or forced positivity, but through wisdom earned.
Written from lived experience, Chronic Wisdom offers a grounded, compassionate exploration of life alongside chronic illness, disability and rare cancer. It invites readers into a quieter, more truthful conversation about survival, meaning and humanity - without urgency, denial or forced positivity.
This book does not offer quick fixes or motivational slogans.
It offers wisdom earned.
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Chronic Wisdom is written for:
People living with chronic illness or disability
Cancer survivors and those living with incurable or life-limiting diagnoses
Carers and loved ones
Health professionals and clinicians
Anyone navigating grief, loss or a life that has changed unexpectedly
This book meets readers where they are - without judgement, pressure or expectation.
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Written from ongoing lived experience, not hindsight
Rejects “fight” narratives and toxic positivity
Grounded, reflective and deeply human
Suitable for readers at any stage of illness or change
Designed to be read slowly, returned to, and reflected upon
Chronic Wisdom honours complexity - and the many ways people continue living alongside it.
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At the heart of Chronic Wisdom are seven core wisdoms - reflections shaped by decades of living, adapting and continuing on.
These wisdoms explore:
Identity after diagnosis
Grief for the life imagined
Acceptance without resignation
Agency in the face of limitation
Living with uncertainty
Redefining strength
Finding meaning beyond outcomes
Together, they offer language and perspective for navigating profound life change with honesty and self-compassion.
Seven Wisdoms Workbook
A Companion for Reflection, Integration and Meaning
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The Seven Wisdoms Workbook is a practical companion to the book Chronic Wisdom, created to support deeper reflection and integration of the Seven Wisdoms into everyday life.
Designed for those living with chronic illness, disability, rare cancer or profound life change, the workbook offers space to pause, reflect and make sense of experiences that are often complex and difficult to articulate.
This is not a productivity tool or a prescriptive program.
It is an invitation to slow down and listen more deeply to yourself.
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The workbook helps readers:
Reflect on identity, loss and change
Explore personal meaning alongside illness or disruption
Develop agency without pressure to “fix” or improve
Integrate insights from Chronic Wisdom into daily life
Honour emotional complexity with compassion and honesty
Each section is designed to be approached at your own pace, with no expectation to complete the workbook in a linear way.
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The Seven Wisdoms Workbook includes:
Guided reflection prompts aligned to the wisdoms
Space for personal writing and note-taking
Gentle questions that encourage insight rather than answers
Optional exercises for grounding and perspective
Pages designed for revisiting over time
Readers are encouraged to return to the workbook as life evolves, rather than “finish” it.
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This workbook is suited to:
Individuals living with chronic illness or disability
Cancer survivors and those living with life-limiting diagnoses
Carers and loved ones seeking understanding and reflection
Support group participants
Workshop and program attendees
It is appropriate for use on its own, alongside the book, or as part of facilitated workshops.
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The Seven Wisdoms Workbook is used:
As a personal reflective companion
Within support groups and survivorship programs
As part of Karen Humphries’ workshops, including GUTSY
By clinicians, facilitators and support professionals as a reflective resource
There is no right or wrong way to engage with the workbook — only what feels supportive in the moment.
Pairing with Chronic Wisdom
While the workbook can be used independently, it is most powerful when paired with the book Chronic Wisdom.
Together, they offer:
Insight (the book)
Integration (the workbook)
This pairing supports deeper understanding and long-term reflection.
This book does not promise answers. It offers something quieter - language for what you are living, permission to feel what you feel, and wisdom that meets you where you are.