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y middle child exerts a lot of confidence. He’s a solid reader. He’s good with numbers. He can kick a ball onto the roof of the school – all areas in which a six-yearold wants to excel. Unfortunately, his confidence in the tasks he does well often causes him to be falsely confident in other areas of his life. And this is where a six-year-old becomes a ticking time bomb. He’s not as cautious as he should be when skiing or tobogganing down the ice hill at Green’s Creek. This is why a helmet is recommended. It turns out most of us are like my six-year-old. While confidence in our areas of expertise is generally regarded as a good thing, we have a tendency to allow our confidence to overflow into areas where it is unfounded – not so good. This is particularly true when we experience success. If I win a writing award, for example, and I happen to have an appointment with my financial advisor the same day, it’s likely I’ll select more risky investments than normal. This is based on the false belief that my success in an area where I’ve trained and
BRYNNA LESLIE Capital Muse practiced must naturally spill over into areas where I have no expertise. It’s like that scene in the movie Bridget Jones’s Diary, where, following a great first day as a television producer, Bridget has a “sneaking suspicion” she’s also a master chef. That she ends up making blue soup, orange pudding and green gunge for her birthday dinner demonstrates the folly of her thinking. But while overconfidence can be problematic, we can also take advantage of this tendency to experience new things and to keep our resolutions going beyond Jan. 31. January is a month when people are inherently optimistic. There’s something about the new year that has each of us pushing the reset button, ready for a fresh start. It’s the reason we use January as an excuse to resolve to go to the gym, quit smoking or save more
money. We all become a little nutty in January. Unfortunately, February is another type of month altogether. The confidence we felt as the calendar turned over to 2013 starts to dwindle, as we realize we’ve gained, rather than lost, weight, or that we’ve started drinking red wine in lieu of smoking. But perhaps we could use our tendency for overconfidence to carry us through. Try riding this high – on a good day, rather than reaching for a glass of wine to celebrate, head for the gym. If you experience some sort of success at work in February, try mastering a new recipe that evening in the kitchen. If you win a hockey game, try a new sport that very week. You may fail, but at least you had the confidence – or false confidence -- to try. As I say to my six-year-old, however, it’s best wear a helmet, just in case.
More Ontarians encouraged to get screened for cancer Initiative calls on 100,000 additional people to be checked EMC news - Cancer Care Ontario has launched Time to Screen, a call to action for at least 100,000 additional residents to screen for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer over the next six months. Time to Screen also encourages Ontarians to have open conversations with their family and friends about getting screened, as cancer screening will help save countless lives by enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment. Included in the initiative are creative e-cards about cancer screening for Ontarians to share with their loved ones. Residents are also encouraged to talk to their healthcare provider about being screened or visit the Time to Screen tool to find out the right time to be screened. Screens encouraged
Time to Screen specifically encourages: • Average-risk men and women, 50 to 74 years of age, to screen for colorectal cancer every two years using the fecal occult blood test. • Average risk women 50 to 74 years of age to screen for breast cancer every two years with mammography. • Women 21 to 70 years to screen for cervical cancer every three years with a Pap test. Women 30 to 69 years of age who have been identified as being at high risk for breast cancer should have a screening mammogram and MRI every year. “There is strong evidence that screening for colorectal, breast and cervical cancers can reduce mortality,” said Dr. Linda Rabeneck of Cancer Care Ontario. SEES WHAT YOU CAN’T
Cancer screening sees what you can’t and is proven to save lives by detecting precancerous changes or cancer at an early stage.
Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable with regular Pap tests, appropriate and timely follow-up and HPV immunization. When caught early, there is a 90 per cent chance that people with colorectal cancer will be cured. death decrease
And between 1990 and 2008, breast cancer death rates for Ontario women decreased by 37 per cent, which may be the result of better treatments and increased screening with mammography and a recent decline in breast cancer incidence. Recently, cervical cancer screening guidelines were updated outlining the right age for women to screen and the time interval between tests. In Ontario, cervical cancer screening is now recommended starting at age 21 and every three years until age 70 for all women who are or ever have been sexually active. Screening is not recommended for women under the age of 21.
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Resolve to tap into your unfounded confidence
Orléans EMC - Thursday, January 3, 2013
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