Perhaps that sounds like a two-year-old grabbing at a toy and yelling, “Mine!”

It might seem strange, but sometimes I wish more adults would say, “Mine!”

Of course I’m not talking about the immature grabbing at toys. But I AM talking about a sense of personal ownership for the “stuff” that is in our own sphere of influence.

Think of it from the standpoint of a consumer. You make a purchase, and then have a problem. You go to someone for help, and their response is, “I’m sorry: I can’t help you. That’s not my job.”

Most of the patients I see as a doctor are coming to get help too late. They don’t come until the problem is already so far along. By too late I don’t mean they are about to die: it’s just that often the problem didn’t need to happen in the first place!

Yes, the health care system has become a sickness-care system. It can be difficult to afford medical care, and difficult to access care as well. And yes, there are some medical problems that cannot be prevented.

But too often I see patients who want a magic fix for something they spent a long time causing themselves, knowingly or unknowingly. And sometimes there’s just no good fix available!

Yet even when we’ve made a mess of things, it’s never too late to make positive changes. And seemingly small changes