This past Saturday I spoke to over one thousand cancer survivors. The audience consisted of men, women, and children of all ages. They were all present to celebrate their lives and the courage it took to get through their collective experiences. I got the opportunity to chat with many of them after my presentation and over and over I was in awe at the myriad of stories that showcased how resilient the human spirit can be. What powerful examples they are for me. Many of us catastrophise about the littlest inconveniences and these individuals have somehow learned to reframe and reinterpret what’s happened to them in order to discover more of a reason to live, not less. Through sheer internal fortitude, they developed the strength to just keep looking for meaning, even when things seemed hopeless. It made me think that someone should really create a channel that showcases heroes and heroines to allow us to witness people who are capable of living through difficulty, and becoming victorious as a result. I know this would lift our spirits on a daily basis. Much of what we see today on television , particularly realty TV is about individuals who have done nothing to make a difference other than to try to seduce the public into following them on twitter, become their face book fan or buy their stuff. I am frankly sick of the constant parade of idiotic people with little character becoming role models for the young. I often recommend that my audience read Dr. Victor Frankls’ book “Man’s Search for Meaning”. Dr. Frankl survived the concentration camps and developed a therapeutic model called Logotherapy. Dr. Frankl asks us to answer this essential question “ Can we say yes to life in spite of everything?” His query presupposes that life is meaningful under any conditions, even those that are the most miserable. And in turn, it acknowledges the human capacity to creatively turn life’s negative aspects into something positive or constructive. Frankl goes on to offer us his triad for tragic optimism: 1. Turning suffering into a human achievement and accomplishment. 2. Deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better. 3 Deriving from life’s transitory nature an incentive to take responsible action. It’s up to all of us to try to live our lives with more meaning, not only so that we can say yes to life, but also to honor those who are no longer with us.