“Me and the Big Bang Theorist”: Less Cancer Founder Bill Couzens writes about meeting me
Bill Couzens founded Less Cancer. He also founded National Cancer Prevention Day & Forum and initiated the US Congressional Cancer Prevention Caucus.
In other words, he cares about an important issue and gets things done.
He was also recently diagnosed with diabetes. He sought medical and dietary help. He also sensed he could use help with motivation and leading his life. Type 2 diabetes often results from behaviors that, when you change them, the condition stops, at least as far as I know.
His web search found me. He contacted me shortly before business brought him to New York City. We met in person the other day.
Between our call and visit, he pointed out quickly and several times that no one gave it to him straight like I did, which he said he needed. People were forgiving and accepting of behavior that contributed to diabetes.
Diabetes doesn’t care about his feelings. He wanted support that would work, not spare his feelings. He ate plenty of sugar, but was, in my opinion, lying to himself and others that he was still eating healthy. He knew what he should stop eating intellectually, but when intellect faces off against the sweet taste of sugar, or almost any other physical pleasure, intellect usually loses. Unless you’ve developed skills to handle the challenge, which is what I teach.
Still, he seemed to feel vulnerable about the diagnosis, so he needed sensitivity and empathy.
I sensed he needed tough love, which I gave him.
He also writes for Thrive Global and yesterday he published his account of our interaction. I’m honored and flattered at his account.
I should mention that he was serious about change and ready to commit. It’s unfortunate that it took such a dramatic problem to jolt him to reconsider his behavior. Like many of us, he followed what society told him about eating, to accept engineered food as healthy, and to accept excuses instead of responsibility so much that he didn’t realize it.
He has a lot of unconscious habits to make conscious and then replace. I don’t think it will be easy, but I also expect the rewards will be greater than he expects. Besides the medical condition, I think he’s going to enjoy a more delicious diet and a life of more responsibility and therefore integrity.
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