Joan Lunden's Healthy Living

Some questions for Joan Lunden, and her honest answers about dealing with a very busy and challenging life: If you were to summarize your life philosophy, what would it be? Several phrases and concepts have had a large effect on me in recent years. One of my best friends, Scot Evans, told me just before New Year's 1996 that his goal was to "always take the higher road." I couldn't get over the impact his statement had on me. As the new year began, every time a tough situation cropped up, those four simple words, "take the higher road", entered my mind and each time I followed that formula. For me, taking the higher road means that you have to be the bigger person and make the first move. It eliminates the temptation to make foolish choices out of pure stubbornness, and it encourages me to keep asking myself questions about the motives behind my reactions and behavior. And, after challenging myself last summer by climbing the Grand Tetons in Jackson, Wyoming, I proved to myself that self-limits were just that, self-limits. When it was over, I was so proud of myself: proud that I had broken out of self-doubt and continued against the odds, proud that I could share this experience with friends, proud that I had gone beyond my own threshold. No more self-limits -- that would be my new philosophy. How do you keep from letting daily worries, large and small, make you frustrated or upset? I have come to the realization that if you can let go of things like anger and frustration, instead of losing control, you actually gain it. We're all afraid of releasing negative thoughts -- as if they were some kind of precious jewels we have to hang on to -- but letting go is the key to liberation. If you understand the basic principle of what "letting go" means, it will become a very powerful tool for growth and happiness. While it's important to deal with your anger, it's just as important to remember that anger is a human feeling, and all feelings, positive or negative, are normal. The issue really becomes a problem when we find ourselves taking it out on innocent people in a totally unrelated experience. Letting go, despite the cliche, is not the process of allowing a harmful or unpleasant feeling, emotion, or thought simply to leave your mind. It is your ability to believe that you can change your negative perceptions. Simply put, you are letting go of the power these negative thoughts have on your life. What are some of the things you like to do to relax? I use several relaxation and visualization exercises to help me relax. One of the easiest techniques was taught to me by fitness trainer, Barbara Brandt. I like to use it with my kids, and I'll bet if you think back, your mom and dad probably did this with you when you were a child. Barbara would have me sit on the floor and close my eyes. Then she would very gently draw letters on my back. I was to concentrate on nothing but feeling each line on my skin, and guessing which letter was being drawn. It sounds very simple, but it takes concentration and is an easy introduction to how visualization can help you relax. What are you thankful for? I am thankful that I found a healthy way of life, which ensures that I nurture my mind, body, and spirit. My new strength feed my positive outlook. I feel I can now pass on to my daughters this value of being confident and yet sensitive and caring to others. From the Hardcover edition.Lunden, Joan is the author of 'Joan Lunden's Healthy Living', published 1998 under ISBN 9780609001264 and ISBN 0609001264.