Broken Heart Syndrome, 4

Epictetus, a 2^nd century Greek philosopher, is credited with saying: It’s not so much what happens to you that matters as what you think about what happens to you. That’s one of the 20:80 Rules, so called. Only 20% of the negative effect to your brain and heart is due to the event; while 80% is due to what you think about the event and the weight you give to it. Even when you had nothing to do with the event and didn’t cause or trigger it by your own choices, you can do almost everything about the 80% because that has to do with personal perception—and your brain creates your perceptions. Implementing this 20:80 rule has been lifesaving for me. It has allowed me to make presentations after just hearing bad news about a loved one. My brain’s opinion is that living the 20:80 Rule, along with finding something for which to be grateful, may be a key part of a ‘prevention strategy’ for this strange Broken Heart Syndrome.