Zorba’s Stress and Coping Strategies Tested

When life hands him lemons, Zorba Paster doesn’t just make lemonade. The co- host of On Your Health also makes lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, lemon vinaigrette and then still has a slice left to squeeze over his salmon and another to plunk into his water. In other words, Paster can find the sweet spot in life’s sourest moments.

But that outlook was clearly put to the test when he was held up at gunpoint after delivering a keynote address at a medical conference in Caracas, Venezuela.

The good doc was heading back to the airport when his van was forced off the road by three armed bandits, who hijacked the vehicle and drove Paster and his cabbie to the Caracas slums where they were held up at gunpoint. With the barrel of a gun resting against his temple, Paster decided to follow his own advice: he resisted the natural urge to let his adrenalin surge and chose to stay calm and totally compliant.

The strategy worked. The hijackers eventually released him and the cab driver unharmed. The driver was so shaken that he had to be taken to the hospital, but Paster, who as a Buddhist has long practiced mindfulness and meditation, emerged from the incident relatively unscathed. After all, he reasoned, the bandits made off with his passport, wallet, briefcase, and cell phone, but they spared his life. “A friend told me, it’s as if I won the lottery,” he says, “And, you know, that’s right. The robbers got my stuff, but I still have my life. Now, I just have to figure out the best way to spend my good fortune, to make the most of it.”

While he had his share of nightmares after the incident, Paster says he’s adjusting better than even he expected. “I hold no malice toward these people,” he says, “and I do realize that, objectively, that might be seen as odd. They have my stuff. But they also have a miserable life, and I have a great life … Maybe that’s part of the lesson.”

Fans of On Your Health, the lifestyle/entertainment show produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed by PRI, know that Paster advocates forgiveness, anger control, and a positive attitude as keys to a long, sweet life. So series co-host Tom Clark says it’s really no surprise that Paster would turn a life-threatening experience into a life-affirming one. “It’s easy to see how something like this could make someone bitter or fearful. But Zorba’s always been a glass-half-full kind of guy,” Clark explains. “So this actually has made him more of an optimist than ever. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, he’s celebrating his good fortune at surviving the experience, and relishing every moment of every day.”

Paster also credits the advice of close friend and nationally noted psychiatrist, Ken Robbins. “He said, ‘Set aside some time every day to tell your story to yourself every day, in as much detail as you can, to make it your own,’” Paster says. “That way, you own the thoughts; they don’t own you.”

Once you make the story your own, Paster explains, you’re no longer a victim. You control the event, and you can use it any way you like. Paster hopes his story will help others realize what a gift life is. “I know it sounds clichéd,” he says, “but every day does count.”

So just days after the carjacking, Paster was back on the road to give a keynote speech at a longevity conference in Australia and then on to China to begin researching his next book. His first book, The Longevity Code: Your Personal Prescription for a Longer, Sweeter Life, looked at what Paster calls the five spheres of wellness; his next book will focus on the emotional and spiritual sides of good health.

Still, like others who go through traumatic events, Paster did find himself taking stock of his life. He remembered that he’s blessed with an abundance of riches: A loving family and friends, meaningful medical work that takes him around the globe and, of course, a great radio show that he loves. And it made him more determined to maintain that healthy balance of work, play, family, and spiritual life.

The past few months also have reinforced his belief that the right attitude can see you through most any situation, any challenge. So now, more than ever, Paster wants to reach out to his patients and his public radio audience to help them think positively and make good choices that will lead to longer, happier lives. “It’s really up to us,” he says. “We have far more power than we might think.”

Then again, Zorba Paster would say that.