Sage advice from a rookie coach
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-blog/MY01621
- With Mayo Clinic oncologist
Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
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Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Edward Creagan, M.D.
"The magic of the electronic village is transforming health information. The mouse and keyboard have extended the stethoscope to the 500 million people now online." — Dr. Edward Creagan
The power of the medium inspires Dr. Edward Creagan as he searches for ways to share Mayo Clinic's vast resources with the general public.
Dr. Creagan, a Newark, N.J., native, is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice medicine and palliative care. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1973 and in 1999 was president of the staff of Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, was honored in 1995 with the John and Roma Rouse Professor of Humanism in Medicine Award and in 1992 with the Distinguished Mayo Clinician Award, Mayo's highest recognition. He has been recognized with the American Cancer Society Professorship of Clinical Oncology.
He describes his areas of special interest as "wellness as a bio-psycho-social-spiritual-financial model" and fitness, mind-body connection, aging and burnout.
Dr. Creagan has been an associate medical editor with Mayo Clinic's health information websites and has edited publications and CD-ROMs and reviewed articles.
"We the team of (the website) provide reliable, easy-to-understand health and wellness information so that each of us can have productive, meaningful lives," he says.
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Stress blog
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Dec. 15, 2010
Sage advice from a rookie coach
By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.
Professional sports are a reflection of society, whether it's football, basketball, tennis or ice hockey. Crammed into a 60- or 90-minute contest are the hopes, dreams and fears of everyone watching. We look to these games, and the gladiators who play them, to give us guidance and comfort in uncertain times.
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A particular American football franchise had world class players at each position yet the team was miserable. The coach became the scapegoat and was dismissed, and a loyal assistant became the head coach. Miraculously, the team's fortunes improved, and they went undefeated for four straight games.
There was nothing particularly magical in the new coach's execution and organization of the game. It was his philosophy that was the catalyst for the team's success. The coach gave his players this advice:
- Keep your focus sharp. Eliminate distractions.
- Focus on the present. The past is past. Don't waste energy on what has already happened. The future is a distant vision. All you have is this game and this play in this moment.
Now, this is hardly rocket science or brain surgery (my apologies to my neurosurgery colleagues). But everyone can profit from following this coach's commonsense advice.
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has regrets. But if you dwell on the past, you rob yourself of the magic that is the present.
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