Yes, you can minimize the effects stress has on you, and, even better, you may make stress work for you! Over my lifetime, I have come up with steps to reduce stress, sometimes eliminate stress on particular situations, and occasionally make stress work for me. Here are the twelve steps I like to share with you. You can see for yourself why they work. Are they the result of extraordinary insight, shrewd philosophy or plain common sense? What matters is these steps will help you achieve your goal to minimize stress, and, when possible, to make stress work for you. 1. Accept you are human. The human nature and frailty have not changed much since the time of Adam and Eve’s fall from grace: “Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken. For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.” (Gen 3.17). How dreadful! Stress is the thorns and thistles we must deal with. 2. Realize you need help. You need the moral support of family, friends, and co-workers. If you’re religious, also pray. 3. List situations and people who cause you stress. 4. When possible, avoid situations and people who cause you stress 5. When you can, prevent the circumstances that lead you to stress. 6. Draft solutions for each situation and or person who cause you stress. 7. As you test the solution over a reasonable period of time, finalize the solution and live by. 8. Don’t be hard on yourself if you fail from time to time; just record the new stressful situation and repeat steps 3>7. 9. Turn the energy caused by stress and anger in your favor. Boxing the punching bag is better than beating the daylights out of that irritating, repulsive and good-for-nothing- individual/s you have to interact with. Use that energy to stay physical fit by dieting and exercising. 10. Do fun stuff with people you love and friends: sports, shows, gardening, reading, etcetera. 11. Talk to people you know how they cope with stress and share ideas. 12. Accept you are a wonderful human being! You have value. You are just the way God wants you to be; you just have to apply the skills you have to make yourself, your family and friends happier. You deserve happiness! Thorns and thistles in the form of stress will come your way, sometimes often and sometimes occasionally. You have the skills to attack any negative situation by applying the twelve steps. Have fun when you can, and, most of all, believe in yourself: the terrific individual who is inside your body and mind. You’re great! I say so.