I recently saw the film, Million Dollar Baby, the story of a woman whose biggest goal in life is to become a professional boxer. Clint Eastwood plays the part of her manager and trainer, and tries to impress Boxing's #1 rule upon his fighter - PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES.

We should all try to apply this rule to ourselves as it only takes an instant for our lives to change drastically. Whether it is a slip on the ice, such as the one that happened to Dr. Robert Atkins, the founder of the Atkins Diet, that eventually claimed his life when he hit his head, or some other life altering event. We should be ready.

I spent 20 years as a member of the New York State Police and we were trained in driving defensively. Simply stated, that means being alter to your situation and the people around you, while anticipating what someone might do that could result in an accident. Things like people failing to stop for STOP signs or passing red lights. It happens and you can be in the right, but you might end up - DEAD RIGHT.

Don't live in a vacuum, be aware of the situation around you and be mindful that people do dumb things- try to be ready for them. This rule also applies to your health and in particular to your medical records.

One of the largest causes of death in the country is medical errors. If doctors do not have vital information about you, they may make assumptions that are incorrect. For most people having an allergic reaction, they are given Benadryl. In my case, I am allergic to Benadryl! So, making sure that this information is in the hands of the EMS people is crucial.

Remember: You are in charge of your life - take charge - today!!!