With Mayo Clinic oncologist Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

Permit me to weigh in on a crucial recurrent theme from our blog communities.

I can relate to many of our participants who acknowledge that we are in a unique time in history. Never before has a generation of adults been "sandwiched" between the crushing needs of elderly parents and the profound physical, economic, and psychological needs of children in the setting of constant expectations from corporate America. It is indeed a wonder that we all do not wind up in a psychiatric hospital.

Let me reflect for a moment on my grandparents. They were hard-working, first-generation immigrants who were essentially promised the American dream. Show up, work hard, have some basic education and almost anything is achievable. Now look at today.

With the bewildering pace of technology and with the globalization of commerce, events and circumstances around the world can impact each of us in a second. So what can we do from a practical perspective to keep us focused and on task? For many of us, it is the acknowledgment that yes, it is OK to take care of ourselves. Yes, it is OK to get a good night's sleep. Yes, it is OK to turn down that business luncheon or that early morning meeting and simply say, "Thank you, but this will not work with my schedule."

We are clearly hearing very loudly that if we continue to give and do not replenish our minds, bodies, and souls our tank will be dry, the reservoir of energy runs out and there is nothing left.

So we can take a lesson from the playbook of great spiritual thinkers from a variety of faith systems. Yes, it is OK to take care of ourselves, and yes, it is OK to recognize and acknowledge that like the camel there is a limit to what we can do.

So please share with us how to creatively and effectively say "no" to those bewildering tasks and individuals that absolutely drain our vitality.

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