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

Every once in awhile there is a quote or a series of quotes shared by members of our blog community. Two of these especially come to mind:

• As we think so we become, and
• Our attitude creates reality

In other words, our reaction to a situation determines the amount of stress we will have. So, what does this mean from a practical standpoint?

If we become upset, angry, or disappointed over an event, a person, or a circumstance, we are giving up our peace of mind and our serenity to that person, to that event, or to that situation. If I am stuck in traffic and I am running late for an appointment and if I am frustrated and angry, I have given up my serenity and my peace of mind to a traffic jam over which I have no control.

If any of us doubt this wisdom, let us repeat tomorrow morning, "I will have a lousy day," five times. Guess what, this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, if we tell ourselves this will be a day of miracles and something wonderful will happen, the probability is much greater that yes indeed it will be creative and a fulfilling day.

So, I think we are learning from each other that there are no simple solutions, there are no quick fixes, but by reframing the way we view a problem we can better retain our serenity and peace of mind because after all, if our health deteriorates, nothing else really matters.

The buck does stop with us and to a very real extent we need to be proactive and assertive in securing, maintaining, and nurturing our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being.

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