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

As we head into the holiday season, we would like to wish each member of our community peace, health, and serenity.

Let me share with you an interesting story. Last week, my wife and I were visiting family in Colorado, and we walked into a health food store to buy some vegetables. There was a stenciled sign on the cash register which went something like this: "The best way to survive is to simplify."

I did not think much of that comment until I returned to work and was bludgeoned with the kind of issues that we struggle with each day. Disappointments, frustrations, the times when things just do not go the way we had expected. Then I thought back to that very simple phrase.

What we are hearing through members of our community is the struggle of keeping focused, staying in the day, dealing with problems as they arise, and then moving on with grace and poise.

But to do so, there are some fundamental principles which are recurring among members of our community. Namely, the importance of a good night's sleep; regular and conscientious physical activity; and remembering that if we do not care for ourselves, we certainly can not care for others.

So, what emotional, spiritual, and physical tactics have each of us found most successful in dealing with some of the unpredictable challenges that life throws at us?

We learn from each other.

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