His personal mantra is WWLD or "What would Lassie do?" he told the laughing crowd.

Dogs aren't weighed down by intellectualizing. They just feel, Siegel said, suggesting that many adults have lost the ability to just "play."

People with dogs in their homes live longer in some situations, Siegel told the crowd, referring to making connections.

Many of his anecdotes involved cancer survivors who had strong ties to family and pets.

"What would you do if you had 15 minutes to live?" he said.

He peppered his talk with reminders that people should live life doing what makes them happy - whether that final 15 minutes is spent gorging on a quart of chocolate ice cream or planting in the garden. . . .

Sunday wasn't the first time Enfield resident Daniel Wright had heard Siegel speak.

He'd first heard of Siegel about 10 years ago, Wright said Sunday, adding that he often attends Siegel's events because he gets to meet up with people he doesn't see very often - referring to Siegel's local fans.

At age 76, Wright has survived colo-rectal cancer for five years.

He was diagnosed shortly after his wife died of cancer, he said.

"I don't ever realize I have cancer," said Wright, who recently ran a half-marathon and who hits the trails to run four miles every day.

He's back on a cycle of chemotherapy but said he just gets a little cancer-related fatigue right after his treatments.

Otherwise, he's virtually unaffected. "I eat like a pig," he said.

Wright's success with handling the cancer is in line with Siegel's message, which is that attitude matters.

"Eliminate what's killing you, and start living your life," Siegel said.