STRESS MANAGEMENT - Don't let others set your agenda

By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

While returning a call to a colleague, I was intrigued by his voicemail, "... and make it a great day." In other words, don't sit back and just let things unfold. Instead, be proactive and take charge of your day.

It seems like a simple difference, but if you allow yourself to sit back you're likely to be buffeted by the demands of others and your own agenda will fall by the wayside.

Watching the Olympics brings home the message that we must set our own course. Without a doubt, these athletes wouldn't be competing if they hadn't taken charge of their destiny.

Take a page from their book: Don't leave anything to chance. Visualize your goal. Find a way to shift the odds in your favor. Oh and make it a great day.