Happy birthday! That’s correct, it’s your birthday right now. Enough cancer crap. This is your day and you deserve a prezzie. For crying out loud, you’ve been through a heck of a lot, and if you’ve finished this book then you’ve been through a lot more. Go on a holiday in the Riviera. Even if it’s just for a long weekend, change your environment and recharge your batteries on a soul vacation. If you can’t afford it or don’t feel well enough to voyage too far from home, treat yourself to a more low-key getaway: an overnight at a friend’s house; a day trip or a long walk on an open road. Even spending an afternoon not talking about cancer can give you a healthy break. Mental vacations are just as powerful. Take this advice very seriously.

IF YOU DON’T SCHEDULE FREE TIME, YOU WILL NEGOTIATE YOURSELF OUT OF IT.

If you can’t afford or don’t feel well enough to take an extended vacation far from home, treat yourself to a more low-key getaway: a day trip antiquing or a long walk on a dusty open road. Even spending an afternoon just lying on a soft blanket in a pretty meadow can do wonders for the soul. What’s the saying? “Sometimes you have to leave home to find it.”