One month ago, on Sep. 29, I met with an “old friend” of the Devils Lake Journal at the new coffeeshop in City Plaza, Bully Brew Coffeehouse. That old friend was Harris Jensen, who had spent two years as a reporter and writer for the Devils Lake Journal under the guidance of Jack Zaleski.

Jensen had graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Communications with a degree in Journalism but after hunting for a job for three months he’d had no luck. The country was in a recession and newspapers were not hiring, he explained. But his dad stepped in to help his son out. He met with Zaleski, the editor of the Devils Lake Journal, just down the road from their hometown of Leeds, ND. There was an opening for a general assignment reporter at the Devils Lake daily newspaper and Jensen nailed the interview in spite of being “so nervous.”

Jensen credits his time at the Journal for learning many valuable things about how a community supports the people in it and how being involved in that community helps shape your experience and attitudes. He performed with the Fort Totten Little Theatre in “Annie Get Your Gun”, enjoyed hunting and canoeing on the Sheyenne River, wrote numerous stories about the life and people making their living in the outdoors around the Lake Region. He interviewed game wardens, local politicians, daycare providers, farmers, portrait photographers, teachers, business owners, housewives and nursing home residents.

“The people of Devils Lake are resilient. Each person had faced extremely difficult issues like sexual abuse, losing a family farm, battling cancer or fighting back after a heart attack.” He was amazed by the mental toughness he saw in the people of Devils Lake.

One person who influenced his life significantly was Dr. Richard Johnson, who was a longtime radiologist from Devils Lake who had played “Pawnee Bill” in the FTLT musical. As Jensen interviewed Johnson, doing a “day in the life” story of his work as a radiologist, seeds were planted that would lead Jensen to a medical career.

He says to this day that his time in Devils Lake gave him some of the tools he needed to go forward in life. “People from all walks of life in Devils Lake came across to me as well read,” Jensen said. “They were also optimistic and often willing to help out a neighbor in need. I felt like I needed to spread stories with that message.”

One night, Jensen recalled, he was that neighbor in need when he lived in Devils Lake. “We got hit by the blizzard from hell one night and I was driving in downtown Devils Lake – and my Toyota Tercel got stuck!” A few minutes went by and a tall four-wheel drive pickup pulled alongside Jensen. “The truck looked as big as a tractor,” he recalled. Jensen was easily pulled out of the snowbank. When he thanked this stranger he asked, “Were you just driving by?” He was told, “No, I’m just driving around looking to pull people out who got stuck.” Then he asked the man his name, it was Gordon Berg, a local politician whom Jensen had written about numerous times. This incident changed his personal view of Berg, “I’d written a number of stories about him [previously]. In this incident, he taught me he was a good man with a heart of gold!”

Those stories became something of a trademark for Jensen as he shares stories he’d accumulated in his journey through the next 40+ years as he became first a medical doctor, then a psychiatrist and now a best selling author.

Earlier this fall Jensen toured the country, including his home state of North Dakota, promoting his best selling book, “Prescription for Positivity – Life Skills to live your Best Life.” As an author, Jensen has compiled a practical, step by step way that anyone, yes, I said anyone, can change their attitude from one of pessimism to positivity.

Dr. Harris Jensen has practiced in the U.S. for 25 years teaching people a set of life skills that has helped thousands of people overcome depression, anxiety and addictions. These principles have helped people succeed in their personal, educational and work lives.

Jensen explains, “It’s not a bunch of rules or do’s and don’t’s – this book helps you become aware of how life works and how an attitude works. The rest is up to you.”

From the book’s cover, “What has your attitude done for you lately? Do setbacks put the brakes on your dreams? Are “to do lists” piling up at home? Do worries keep you up at night? Do you blame yourself for not doing more to get progress going in your life?”

“You are not the problem! You might have “unhealthy pessimism.” That’s an attitude that problems are bigger than you and you can’t learn from setbacks. This bad attitude leads many people to feel hopeless about their future.”

“Lucky for you, “healthy positivity” can cure this bad attitude!”

Dr. Jensen presented an autographed copy of his best seller with the inscription, “For Devils Lake! You in this great community helped me so much, so I can help others. Sincerely, Harris Jensen, MD.” This book will be donated to the Lake Region Public Library as a gift to the community where “it all began” for this local man and his amazing career of helping people throughout the country.

Shortly after November 1, 2024, it will be available to be checked out from the library. For your own copy it is available as an ebook, paperback, hardcover and audiobook on Amazon. “If people from North Dakota get a copy of my book,” Jensen said, “I will send them an email of thanks – since I can’t sign the book.” Email that request to Jensen’s business email at hjmedicalpractice@outlook.com