Tribute to Stephen Covey

'7 Habits' author Stephen Covey dies after 

cycling accident on 7/16/2012

For those of you that are not familiar with Stephen Covey and he book 7 Habits, in some ways it was the book that changed my outlook on life. I was one of those overachieving, high stressed teacher that had to run every after school activity, tutor every student, spend countless hours working and just never stopped working. I'm not sure if stress contributed to my cancer but it just wasn't healthy.

I remember ready Covey's book about a year or two prior to my diagnosis. Ironically, I never finished his book. His first two habits changed my outlook on life.

Habit 1: Be proactive and not reactive

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

Habit 1 basic tells us to take responsibility for our life. Instead of blaming others, what can we do to make things better? Instead of being angry and reacting, what can we do to actively change things? What can we change and what can we not change? Worry about we can control rather than things that we cannot control. I treated my diagnosis this way. I had cancer but instead of blaming others and moping around, I made the best of my situation.

Habit 2 makes us visual who we want to be. What do we want people to say about us at our funeral? Who do we want to see at our funeral? It's almost like Socrates' "The unexamined life is not worth living." It's like be the change you want to see in this world. I hope through my teaching and my work as a patient navigator and my volunteer work I am doing this.

I actually read to my students this book that was written for teens. I'm not sure if it impacted my students the way it impacted me but hopefully at least one student was inspired by it.

Covey died yesterday in a cycling accident. He made a lasting impact on me so job well done with Habit 2 if that was his intention.