A man, after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, returned home in shock and in fear. Along with traditional treatment for cancer, he also began to meditate and found himself saying to the Universe: "I want to live. I want to live. I want to live."

Then he "heard" a voice answer him
,saying: "You are alive!" And in that moment, the death grip of fear was released from him and he began to live more hopefully, optimistically and confidently.

From time to time, it can be useful for us to remind ourselves: "I am alive!"  That means, no matter what challenges and discouragements we face, we can make decisions, we can make changes, we can adapt and adjust, all the time moving our lives into desirable directions.

Reminding ourselves: "I am alive!" can break the stranglehold which fear has on our life. Ralph Waldo Emerson advised: "The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear. It is the storm within that endangers him, not the storm without." Add to that Franklin Roosevelt's wisdom: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

KITCHEN TIPS FOR RECENT WIDOWERS

Men who are widowed sometimes find it challenging to deal with daily meal preparations. Here is the way one man describes it: "Since my wife died my friends and neighbors have been bringing food to my house. I know this will soon stop and I am dreading the day. What do I do?"

You are not alone. Many widowers are strangers to the kitchen. "My wife knew my food preferences so well that when we dined at restaurants she would tell me what foods I would like and not like on the menu," admitted one man.

The good news is that there are many solutions to this problem. The Men's Bereavement Network provides these tips for men facing this issue:

· Try eating out with friends. If you are dining alone and feel uncomfortable eating at a table by yourself, try eating at the bar. It can help avoid the thought that people are looking at you when you are sitting at a table alone.

· Use a food service to deliver pre-cooked frozen foods which can be popped into the microwave.

· Many chain super-markets will prepare foods for you if you request it.

· Don't forget your charcoal grilling skills; it wasn't your wife who did the outdoor cooking: steaks, chops, chicken, fish, with a salad (which can be purchased at your market), potato and vegetable and you have created a mouth watering dinner.

· Remember, if you can read a recipe, you can cook!

Think Encouraging, Not Discouraging, Thoughts

"Like attracts like. Whatever the conscious minds thinks and believes, the subconscious identically creates."

-Brian Adams

"By choosing your thoughts, and by selecting which emotional currents you will release and which you will reinforce, you will determine the quality of your light."

-Gary Zukov

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become."

-Buddha

Those three quotes eloquently describe the power of our thoughts. The truth is that we can either be mastered by our mind or we can learn to become masters of our mind.

When facing any challenge, whether it is the loss of a loved one or the loss of health or the loss of employment, our mental outlook will determine our outcome.

Rather than engage in self-talk and self-thought which is discouraging, make the shift to self-talk and self-thoughts which are encouraging.