“The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.” Norman Cousins Norman Cousins was a writer, editor, citizen diplomat, promoter of holistic healing, unflagging optimist and creator of The Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. In researching a talk I am presenting to a group of breast cancer survivors, I wanted to draw on the wisdom of this wise pioneer. Having survived several serious illnesses he credited to adopting a positive attitude (among other things), Cousins was recruited to UCLA to help create a program that would prove that “a patient’s psychological approach to illness could have an effect on biological states and health. He was particularly interested in the impact of positive emotions and attitudes, such as purpose, determination, love, hope, faith, will to live and festivity.” Scientific evidence abounds demonstrating the link that exists in choosing to be solutions oriented, hope-filled and the resulting increased capacity to cope. Choosing to be solutions oriented can be as simple as finding something small in your life that you can control. If life seems out of control, set a goal that is measurable and achievable. Commit to yourself that you will set a task and complete it. Reward yourself when you do. Tell yourself, “I did this. I’m proud of myself. I can handle something bigger tomorrow.” Give yourself the confident feeling of accomplishment and recognize that you do have control and that you are strong and that you can handle the challenges life presents. Little by little, step by step, you can achieve your goals. Remember, as simple as finding some measure of control in an out of control situation will help you feel internally stronger and able to handle greater challenges that present. Some simple ideas to get started: Commit to drinking ____ glasses of water. Commit to smiling/interacting with one person. Commit to doing some form of exercise. Commit to learning something new. It doesn’t matter what goal you set for yourself…what matters is that you find something to control in an out of control situation.