My “Radical” Healthcare Solution
January 30, 2010
Okay, but face it, Michael… you’re a radical, Jim said to me the other night at dinner. The first time I recall being called a radical was back in grade school. It was also the first time I had ever heard the word, and I didn’t know what it meant. Based on my teacher’s tone, and the fact that my thinking didn’t align with others, I assumed it meant something bad. Over time I learned its meaning and looking back on that first experience, my teacher’s use of the word was pretty accurate. It seems I was, and according to Jim, still am a radical.
His accusation came during a discussion concerning healthcare. Jim’s position was pretty simple: Government should stay the hell out of healthcare… period. After a few more statements along the same vein, I realized Jim, like many U.S. citizens, had taken the bait. By bait, I mean the propaganda that has become the faulty cornerstone of the so-called “healthcare” debate. What made me a radical in his eyes is that I didn’t accept it. I was interested in discussing “health” care… not “sick” care. Jim wanted to argue about government involvement, insurance companies, hospitals, drug companies and so on… politics.
When you stop listening to rhetoric and start looking at reality (facts and evidence), most “problems” start looking different. Healthcare is no exception. It has little to do with the issues being discussed in Washington or in the media. Read more
Solutions That Stick
January 23, 2010
In 1942 when researchers were searching for a way to make clear plastic gun sights, they formulated a substance called cyanoacrylates. It didn’t work. In fact, they considered it a big problem. Why? It stuck to everything! Based on this, they rejected it.
In 1951 a new team of researchers rediscovered the formula. But this time, rather than reject it, one of the scientists was intrigued with its bonding properties. By viewing it for what it really was (and by contrast, seeing it for what it wasn’t), he set his imagination to work and saw it for what it could be.
His solution? Cyanoacrylates made for an amazing SUPER GLUE! In fact, it could bond almost anything you could imagine. The stickiness problem became the solution… or so it seemed.
Paradoxically, when it was discovered that the formula really did bond nearly anything, including human skin, its strength quickly became its perceived weakness. For the company planning to produce this new product, the potential legal issues and dangers far outweighed the benefits. Once again, cyanoacrylates became a problem.
That is, until the U.S. military heard about it. At the time, doctors in Vietnam were looking for a quick way to suture wounded soldiers. This “problem” substance once again became a great solution and saved many people’s lives in the process. Cyanoacrylates in one form or another are still being used today in medical applications around the world. Read more
Purpose + Passion = Mario Andretti
January 6, 2010
To me, Mario Andretti is more than a racing legend… he’s also a friend. I met Mario several years ago when we worked together on his book, “Andretti.” You don’t need to spend much time with Mario before you realize he’s a quality person… and someone who truly understands the power of purpose and passion.
One night over a glass of wine (or two), I asked, “Mario, before or during a race, do you ever think about the possibility of being seriously injured… or even dying?”
It was later explained to me that asking a professional race car driver such a question was inappropriate at best. Perhaps so, but Mario didn’t seem to mind. “I try not to think about it, Michael,” he responded.
I took another sip. “I understand, but isn’t it hard not to think about it at times?” Read more
Me and My Drum
December 25, 2009
Yesterday I was in a store doing some last-minute holiday shopping when The Little Drummer Boy started playing. It’s magical how music can shift your mood and reconnect you to people, places, situations and feelings you thought you had forgotten.
When I was around six years old, my sister and I used to perform The Little Drummer Boy together. Connie is seven years older than me and played piano. I sang and operated the sustain pedal. Since The Little Drummer Boy was the only song we performed, December was our busiest month. Connie had a larger musical repertoire, but most of her songs didn’t require vocals… or so I was told. Had I only known “Alley Cat” had lyrics, we could have doubled our set list.
Our primary audience consisted of my mom, dad, brother and dog—in various combinations. (Note: Were it not for my love of animals, Punky, the meanest dog I’ve ever known… may he rest in peace… would not be included in this story, nor considered an audience member.) Since the piano was adjacent to the kitchen, my mom heard us perform the most. Read more
Does Your Map Align with Reality?
December 5, 2009
It’s no secret… I am directionally challenged. More times than not, I’m lost. Unlike some people (typically men), however, I have no problem stopping to ask for directions. In fact, I’ve been known to stop at a couple gas stations in a row just to confirm that the first person’s directions were right. Knowing this, you might imagine how elated I was when GPS (Global Positioning System) became available. No longer was I stressed out by looking at maps, calling the office for help, or pulling over at gas stations. For the first time, I always knew where I was, the route I was traveling, and approximately how long it would take to reach my destination. GPS had solved my problem… or so I thought.
Believing I knew the quickest route to and from my office, I decided one night after work to see if my GPS concurred. I touched the “Home” button and in moments a pleasant female voice announced, “Please proceed to the highlighted route,” so I did. As predicted, the route it had calculated was the same as mine… until I reached a particular intersection. It was then my cheerful navigator confidently said, “Turn left in 500 feet – turn left.” This made no sense.
Turning left would have taken me the long way home—several miles more. Knowing this, I ignored her advice and took my regular route. Her response? “When possible, make a legal U-turn.” To reinforce her point, a U-turn arrow was displayed on the monitor. When I ignored them both, she started repeating, “When possible, make a legal U-turn,” and the arrow flashed. It was probably my imagination, but each time she repeated herself, I swear her voice seemed to grow more irritated.
Within two miles of my home, both the verbal and visual GPS commands abruptly stopped… then something unbelievable happened. It was a miracle! Read more
Improve Your Creative Ability: Embrace the Golden Rule
December 3, 2009
Late one fall evening, I was in Alaska delivering a speech to about 500 people. My challenge was to motivate them to embrace creative thinking and to be open to new possibilities. The event theme, “Flying Outside the Box” (the subtitle of my book “Paper Airplane”), seemed especially fitting, considering the audience consisted mostly of pilots and aviation experts.
Having spoken for 45 minutes, I was nearly finished when I said, “Before I close, does anyone have any comments or questions?” A woman toward the back of the auditorium stood and raised her hand. “Thank you for coming to Alaska and sharing your inspiring insights on creativity with us… I have thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. But I do have a question for you.” With everyone’s undivided attention, she continued, “What can we do right now to improve our creative ability?”
Before I share my response, there are a few things I need to tell you:
1) I had just arrived in Alaska that morning. 2) Chicago is 3 hours ahead of Alaska… and while the clock read 9:30 pm… to me it was 12:30 am. 3) This was not a religious event. 4) I am a truth seeker and don’t like being misled. 5) Sometimes when I’m tired, my brain filters stop working properly and I become brutally honest. Read more
Beware the Semmelweis Reflex!
November 6, 2009
Metaphorically and literally speaking, the healthcare debate today is totally ill-focused. When it comes to implementing real solutions, it seems most people suddenly decide they’d rather argue, live in denial, and defend the status quo than accept reality and take action. It’s true. They’d rather fight than switch (can you older readers visualize the black eye?). Given the choice of accepting empirical evidence or clinging to misguided beliefs, many… if not most… people will choose misguided beliefs.
The act of automatically rejecting facts without thought or real consideration is sometimes referred to as the Semmelweis reflex… or “Semmelweis effect.” The name comes from Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician who, in 1847, discovered that when maternity doctors washed their hands with a chlorinated-lime solution, the incidence of a type of sepsis related to childbirth was significantly reduced. So here’s where the “reflex”/“effect” part comes in: Despite his efforts and the obvious evidence showing that hand-washing reduced mortality below 1%, Semmelweis’ practice wasn’t accepted until years after his death. Furthermore, in 1865, Semmelweis had a mental breakdown and ended up in an asylum, where he died at age 47.
How could this happen? It’s simple. During his lifetime, Semmelweis’ observations and evidence conflicted with the established beliefs of the day. Medical books and doctors back then were focused on bloodletting as a primary treatment for disease… and in contrast to the evidence, they “believed” bloodletting was the best treatment. Read more