Stress is never a given. There are people who get divorced amicably. There are people who pack up and move with no emotional toll. There is no stressor 'out there' in the world. We experience stress - or we don't - depending on what we believe.

The hero is valorous because he stands up to every threat directed against his values. Heroism requires value conflict.

People often say that stress is a motivator. What we're referring to when we say this is really better described as stimulation and engagement.

The elusive truth is that there is nothing stress-producing in the physical world. Things simply are. Molecules move. Light and sound appear.

Even in this secular country, the threat posed by religious fundamentalists is never very far away. Every major religious text exhorts the same principles - that of unyielding obedience to a supernatural being, and renunciation of the intellect and personal aspirations.

Remember that stress doesn't come from what's going on in your life. It comes from your thoughts about what's going on in your life.

The more you worry, the more you throw off the delicate balance of hormones required for health.