Hear my discussion with WCBS radio personality Pat Farnack on Peaks and Valleys principles. Click here.

Dr. Spencer Johnson’s latest book continues to speak to a public reeling from one of the most difficult years we’ve seen in a while.

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The musical “Fiddler on the Roof” features a lot of singing about the importance of tradition as societal glue. Fiddlers of the rural American variety honor the old ways, too. But for any good tradition to endure, it has to evolve.

Rhiannon Giddens performing at the Dotmatrix Project, Greensboro, NC. Photo by John Leonard.

Mary Pilon writes in The Wall Street Journal about the challenge of keeping American square dancing alive. Without new dancers, musicians and callers, it’s a legacy that may very well die out. So a number of square dancing clubs in Oregon—a hotbed of the formalized favorite of pioneer barn dances—are making big changes that sometimes step on the toes of the purists.

It turns out rock and hip-hop tunes work just fine for youthful recruits to a hipper version of square dancing. Consequently, dancers with an average age closer to 60 sometimes get more of a contact sport than they’re accustomed to when 20-somethings speed up the tempos and do-si-does.

Pilon’s story is a fun take on “adapt, adopt, improve,” but a lot of change in our lives can be as difficult as it is necessary. When we rethink a career that may have suffered from the recession, or face life after a divorce, or get a directive from a boss that it’s time to shape up, we can go into denial, dig in and resist or give up. Why? Change is sometimes painful. But it’s almost always necessary for growth and survival.

Square dancing in Oregon may survive. The Wall Street Journal article tells us youngsters are discovering the tradition on their terms because the old timers have read the writing on the wall and are willing to make room on the floor for a new breed of enthusiast.

Ready to change? Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

“Square-dancing here isn’t really what people imagine it to be,” Mr. Silveria says of the hybrid rock and square-dance moves he does. “It turns into a hoedown mosh pit.”—Wall Street Journal

“The errors you make in today’s good times create tomorrow’s bad times. The wise things you do in today’s bad times create tomorrow’s good times,”

That’s one sage passage from Dr. Spencer Johnson’s latest book, Peaks and Valleys: Making Good and Bad Times Work for You – at Work and in Life

Listeners are eager for ideas on dealing with fear and uncertainty.

Spencer and I are colleagues, where he does most of the writing and I do most of the speaking. As such, I’ve been on a media tour of the talk radio circuit over the past few weeks talking about Peaks & Valleys. The message is a powerful prescription for a nation reeling from some of the toughest economic times most of us have seen. And with the holidays upon us, a lot of listeners are struggling to be thankful for anything.

Martha Zoller, talk show host.

The on air hosts I’m talking with, from Lynn Rivers on Detroit Public Radio to Martha Zoller on Atlanta’s WDUN, are interested in how their listeners can survive these down times. We talk about the need to try and relax while coming to terms with the fear associated with the “valleys.” One way to do this is by remembering the simple fact that every valley has a peak at the other end. Another way is to create a “sensible vision,” a view of your future that makes sense to you and that you can almost see, touch, taste and feel. Striving towards this vision will help move beyond your fear

Lynn Rivers, talk show host.

and help you exit from the valley quicker.

And, when we do make it to the peak, we need to manage the good times wisely. That means staying humble, appreciative and grateful while you enjoy the view. It means remembering how you got there, and thanking those who helped you along the way.

Be sure to read Peaks and Valleys. Spencer has a message that resonates for all of us and I am pleased to partner with him once again on this topic.

Kate Delaney, host of the syndicated radio talk show “America Tonight” interviews Dr. Bradt on Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson.  “America Tonight” is syndicated on stations in 80 markets, or you can click here to listen online.

DATE: Thursday, December 3
AIRTIME: 12:15 am EASTERN / 9:15 pm PACIFIC