The following is a letter Spencer composed in the final stages of his illness, showing just how much he had embraced the principles in this book.

A Letter to My Tumor

Hello Tumor,

I love you now! I used to fear and fight you, so that I could defeat you. Then I looked at my beliefs to see if they were more about what I loved or what I feared.

Clearly they were about what I feared. 

And I love how I have learned to love you, which seemed like a strange idea to me. How much richer my life has become. Because, while I am sick and realize I could die soon, I have become a much more appreciative, loving person, much closer to my family and friends, with a greater sense of purpose, and have accelerated my spirituality.

So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

— Spencer Johnson, M.D.