The Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, once said, "The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for."
Mark Twain also referred to this "mystery of human existence" when he said, "The two most important days in your life are the day that you are born and the day you find out why."
We all want to matter for something. We are all looking for our lives to have meaning. You can call it a sense of purpose, life's mission or objective, or even the why and wherefore of living - it makes no difference. What's important is that we all need a sense of purpose so that we can live a fulfilled, balanced, and healthy life. For example, having a sense of purpose decreases the risk of mortality and improves the quality of life. A strong sense of purpose drives our motivation to succeed. The American self-help guru Napoleon Hill said, "There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it."
A sense of purpose is one of the foundational principles to life in general. President John F. Kennedy said, "Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction."
I came across a very interesting study on "sense of purpose" earlier today. In full disclosure, I had dogleafed a reference to the study in a book I read this past year (given to me by one of my former physician colleagues in Cincinnati) called, How We Work:Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind by Dr. Leah Weiss. In the study ("Leveling Mountains: Purpose Attenuates Links Between Perceptions of Effort and Steepness"), researchers asked undergraduate college students at Cornell University to climb a famous hill on campus called Libe Slope (the hill is very steep - here's a link to an article called "Six Tips on Hiking Libe Slope That Will Save Your Life"). Before starting their long climb, students were asked to spend a few minutes writing about a recent movie that they had seen or a goal that they wanted to accomplish that same day. After walking up the hill, they were asked to rate their perceived exertion and degree of difficulty of the hill itself. Another group of students were asked to write about their purpose in life. They too were asked to rate their perceived exertion and steepness of the hill. Guess what these investigators found! Those students who had reflected upon their sense of purpose found that the hill was easier to climb and less steep! The study's lead investigator, Dr. Anthony Burrows had this to stay, "When confronted with challenges that would otherwise motivate avoidance, purposeful people may have another gear that helps them reap the benefits of facing those challenges head on. They don’t turn off, avoid it and find easier routes. They seem to stay the course." I wish I would have known about this study when I tried to climb up The Incline a few years ago!
If you aren't at least a little impressed, do me a favor and look up Libe Slope on the Internet and tell me if you don't think it looks like it would be a tough climb! Then just imagine what a sense of purpose can do for you today! Recall that some of the students were told to reflect on what they wanted to accomplish by the end of that same day - their short-term goals if you will. Reflecting on their short-term goal didn't really help - it all boils down to that all important sense of purpose!
Finding something to live for, having a reason to be, or knowing why you were born. It really is the mystery of human existence. Find THAT, and you will have unlocked the secret to a fulfilled, balanced, healthy life.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
"Make not haste in time of trouble"
There is a saying from the Book of Ecclesiasticus (also known as the Book of Sirach, which I just learned - who knew?) in the Bible that I recently heard (Ecclesiasticus 2:2):
Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble.
I have no clue about the original context of this passage (Sunday School was a LONG time ago), but I think the message in this passage is certainly applicable to crisis leadership. There are a number of important key principles to effective leadership during a crisis. For example, active, clear, and almost constant communication throughout the crisis is critically important. Crisis leaders should remain calm and stay positive, with the caveat that leaders should also be realistic and not sugarcoat the facts. As the leadership guru John Maxwell said:
"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."
Finally, crisis leaders need to be able to make the right decisions in the absence of perfect information. One of the paradoxes of crisis leadership is that there is often an incredible amount of information coming in, all at the same time. However, some of the information may be only partially correct or even completely wrong. Moreover, the amount of time that leaders have to make decisions is often compressed, and as a result, leaders may be forced to rely upon instinct more than ever.
Unfortunately, the "Goldilocks Principle" about the amount of information needed to make the correct decision applies here. Leaders must balance the need for information with the need to make quick decisions. Pure gut instinct isn't necessarily the right approach, though waiting too long to get the right amount of information or process the information that is available can lead to "paralysis by analysis." Therefore, the amount of information and analysis required to make the right decision lies somewhere in the middle ("Not enough" versus "Too much").
Most experts would recommend that leaders should slow down to make better decisions during a crisis (in other words, "make not haste in time of trouble). Taking a more measured approach, especially when a leader's emotions are running high can be an effective way for making tough decisions during a crisis. One of my favorite examples of this is a story from President Abraham Lincoln, who made many important decisions during a time of national crisis. The Union forces had just won an important victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, which was a critical turning point in the Civil War. Rather than pressing the Union advantage, the commanding general of the Army of the Potamac, General George Meade remained cautious - in Lincoln's mind, overly so - which allowed the Army of Northern Virginia to escape.
President Lincoln had been frustrated with the fact that many of his generals were overly cautious and conservative. Here was a general who had actually won an important victory, yet, again in Lincoln's mind, he had failed to follow his victory and deliver a decisive blow to the Confederate army. Lincoln wrote General Meade a letter in which he expressed his profound disappointment that Meade had let the Confederate army escape. The letter reads as follows:
Executive Mansion
Washington, July 14, 1863
Major General Meade,
I have just seen your despatch to Gen. Halleck, asking to be relieved of your command, because of a supposed censure of mine-- I am very -- very -- grateful to you for the magnificent success you gave the cause of the country at Gettysburg; and I am sorry now to be the author of the slightest pain to you-- But I was in such deep distress myself that I could not restrain some expression of it-- I had been oppressed nearly ever since the battles at Gettysburg, by what appeared to be evidences that your self, and Gen. Couch, and Gen. Smith, were not seeking a collision with the enemy, but were trying to get him across the river without another battle. What these evidences were, if you please, I hope to tell you at some time, when we shall both feel better. The case, summarily stated is this. You fought and beat the enemy at Gettysburg; and, of course, to say the least, his loss was as great as yours-- He retreated; and you did not; as it seemed to me, pressingly pursue him; but a flood in the river detained him, till, by slow degrees, you were again upon him. You had at least twenty thousand veteran troops directly with you, and as many more raw ones within supporting distance, all in addition to those who fought with you at Gettysburg; while it was not possible that he had received a single recruit; and yet you stood and let the flood run down, bridges be built, and the enemy move away at his leisure, without attacking him. And Couch and Smith! The latter left Carlisle in time, upon all ordinary calculation, to have aided you in the last battle at Gettysburg; but he did not arrive-- More At the end of more than ten days, I believe twelve, under constant urging, he reached Hagerstown from Carlisle, which is not an inch over fifty-five miles, if so much. And Couch's movement was very little different--
Again, my dear general, I do not believe you appreciate the magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee's escape-- He was within your easy grasp, and to have closed upon him would, in connection with the our other late successes, have ended the war-- As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely. If you could not safely attack Lee last Monday, how can you possibly do so South of the river, when you can take with you very few more then two thirds of the force you then had in hand? It would be unreasonable to expect, and I do not expect you can now effect much. Your golden opportunity is gone, and I am distressed immeasurably because of it--
I beg you will not consider this a prosecution, or persecution of yourself-- As you had learned that I was dissatisfied, I have thought it best to kindly tell you why.
[ Endorsed on Envelope by Lincoln:]
To Gen. Meade, never sent, or signed.
Lincoln was clearly upset. He wrote General Meade to express his profound disappointment, which in all likelihood, had it been received, would have led to Meade's resignation. Rather than send the letter, however, Lincoln placed it in an envelope and filed it away in his desk. He never sent the letter! He realized that it would have been a mistake to have send the letter. Better to keep his emotions to himself and keep Meade in place rather than sending the letter and losing a general who had won an important battle.
It's almost the same today, when leaders exercise restraint before sending an e-mail or Tweet about something. Better to let emotions calm and wait to send. The same is true for making decisions. Sometimes, the best approach is the cautious and conservative one. Don't make an important decision when your emotions are running high.
I believe that was what was meant by the author of the passage in the Book of Ecclesiasticus. "Make not haste in time of trouble." Just wait a little bit and see how you feel when you've calmed down. Then, and only then, make your decision.
Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble.
I have no clue about the original context of this passage (Sunday School was a LONG time ago), but I think the message in this passage is certainly applicable to crisis leadership. There are a number of important key principles to effective leadership during a crisis. For example, active, clear, and almost constant communication throughout the crisis is critically important. Crisis leaders should remain calm and stay positive, with the caveat that leaders should also be realistic and not sugarcoat the facts. As the leadership guru John Maxwell said:
"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."
Finally, crisis leaders need to be able to make the right decisions in the absence of perfect information. One of the paradoxes of crisis leadership is that there is often an incredible amount of information coming in, all at the same time. However, some of the information may be only partially correct or even completely wrong. Moreover, the amount of time that leaders have to make decisions is often compressed, and as a result, leaders may be forced to rely upon instinct more than ever.
Unfortunately, the "Goldilocks Principle" about the amount of information needed to make the correct decision applies here. Leaders must balance the need for information with the need to make quick decisions. Pure gut instinct isn't necessarily the right approach, though waiting too long to get the right amount of information or process the information that is available can lead to "paralysis by analysis." Therefore, the amount of information and analysis required to make the right decision lies somewhere in the middle ("Not enough" versus "Too much").
Most experts would recommend that leaders should slow down to make better decisions during a crisis (in other words, "make not haste in time of trouble). Taking a more measured approach, especially when a leader's emotions are running high can be an effective way for making tough decisions during a crisis. One of my favorite examples of this is a story from President Abraham Lincoln, who made many important decisions during a time of national crisis. The Union forces had just won an important victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, which was a critical turning point in the Civil War. Rather than pressing the Union advantage, the commanding general of the Army of the Potamac, General George Meade remained cautious - in Lincoln's mind, overly so - which allowed the Army of Northern Virginia to escape.
President Lincoln had been frustrated with the fact that many of his generals were overly cautious and conservative. Here was a general who had actually won an important victory, yet, again in Lincoln's mind, he had failed to follow his victory and deliver a decisive blow to the Confederate army. Lincoln wrote General Meade a letter in which he expressed his profound disappointment that Meade had let the Confederate army escape. The letter reads as follows:
Executive Mansion
Washington, July 14, 1863
Major General Meade,
I have just seen your despatch to Gen. Halleck, asking to be relieved of your command, because of a supposed censure of mine-- I am very -- very -- grateful to you for the magnificent success you gave the cause of the country at Gettysburg; and I am sorry now to be the author of the slightest pain to you-- But I was in such deep distress myself that I could not restrain some expression of it-- I had been oppressed nearly ever since the battles at Gettysburg, by what appeared to be evidences that your self, and Gen. Couch, and Gen. Smith, were not seeking a collision with the enemy, but were trying to get him across the river without another battle. What these evidences were, if you please, I hope to tell you at some time, when we shall both feel better. The case, summarily stated is this. You fought and beat the enemy at Gettysburg; and, of course, to say the least, his loss was as great as yours-- He retreated; and you did not; as it seemed to me, pressingly pursue him; but a flood in the river detained him, till, by slow degrees, you were again upon him. You had at least twenty thousand veteran troops directly with you, and as many more raw ones within supporting distance, all in addition to those who fought with you at Gettysburg; while it was not possible that he had received a single recruit; and yet you stood and let the flood run down, bridges be built, and the enemy move away at his leisure, without attacking him. And Couch and Smith! The latter left Carlisle in time, upon all ordinary calculation, to have aided you in the last battle at Gettysburg; but he did not arrive-- More At the end of more than ten days, I believe twelve, under constant urging, he reached Hagerstown from Carlisle, which is not an inch over fifty-five miles, if so much. And Couch's movement was very little different--
Again, my dear general, I do not believe you appreciate the magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee's escape-- He was within your easy grasp, and to have closed upon him would, in connection with the our other late successes, have ended the war-- As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely. If you could not safely attack Lee last Monday, how can you possibly do so South of the river, when you can take with you very few more then two thirds of the force you then had in hand? It would be unreasonable to expect, and I do not expect you can now effect much. Your golden opportunity is gone, and I am distressed immeasurably because of it--
I beg you will not consider this a prosecution, or persecution of yourself-- As you had learned that I was dissatisfied, I have thought it best to kindly tell you why.
[ Endorsed on Envelope by Lincoln:]
To Gen. Meade, never sent, or signed.
Lincoln was clearly upset. He wrote General Meade to express his profound disappointment, which in all likelihood, had it been received, would have led to Meade's resignation. Rather than send the letter, however, Lincoln placed it in an envelope and filed it away in his desk. He never sent the letter! He realized that it would have been a mistake to have send the letter. Better to keep his emotions to himself and keep Meade in place rather than sending the letter and losing a general who had won an important battle.
It's almost the same today, when leaders exercise restraint before sending an e-mail or Tweet about something. Better to let emotions calm and wait to send. The same is true for making decisions. Sometimes, the best approach is the cautious and conservative one. Don't make an important decision when your emotions are running high.
I believe that was what was meant by the author of the passage in the Book of Ecclesiasticus. "Make not haste in time of trouble." Just wait a little bit and see how you feel when you've calmed down. Then, and only then, make your decision.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!"
Comedian and former U.S. Senator (Minnesota) Al Franken used to do a sketch when he was on Saturday Night Live called "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley", which first aired in February, 1991 (by far one of the best skits was when NBA legend Michael Jordan had a cameo role). Smalley/Franken started the show with the daily affirmation, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." The sketch was meant to be funny, but here's the question. Could there be a serious side to the concept of a daily affirmation?
You've probably heard of an individual named Muhammad Ali, the legendary heavyweight boxer who frequently referred to himself as "The Greatest." He said it so many times, that it was almost his trademark. When you critically examine Ali's life, however, I think you will agree that he was probably right. Ali was an Olympic Gold Medalist (1960), two-time World Heavyweight Champion, with an overall boxing record of 56-5 (37 wins by knock-out), television and movie actor/entertainer, rapper (many musicians cite Ali as a major influence, and according to The Guardian, many musicians cite him as the first rapper), Grammy award nominee (twice), activist/humanitarian, philanthropist, and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2005). Ali famously was the last torch bearer during the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the flag bearer for Team U.S.A. during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Ali died in 2016 from complications related to septic shock following a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was, truly, one of America's greatest athletes and a hero to all.
Ali once had this to say about his daily affirmation, "I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was..."
He continued, "It's the repetition of affirmations that lead to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen."
It's pretty amazing when you think about it. One of the greatest - arguably, maybe THE greatest boxer and athlete - used a daily affirmation. Ali first had to believe in himself that he was the greatest before he could truly become the greatest.
The cognitive psychologist, behavioral economist, and Nobel laureate, Daniel Kahneman, tells us that the daily affirmation doesn't even have to be true: "A message, unless it is immediately rejected as a lie, will have the same effect on the associate system regardless of its reliability...Whether the story is true, or believable, matters little, if at all."
Kahneman goes on to say that "the aversion to the failure of not reaching the goal is much stronger even than the desire to reach it." In other words, using a daily affirmation (such as, "I am the greatest") will set a high bar which individuals will want to exceed. The fear of failing to achieve or attain that high bar is a powerful motivator. Words lead to beliefs. Beliefs lead to action. Actions lead to reality. "I am the greatest" leads to the reality that Ali was the greatest.
I am writing all of this, because I need to convince myself of something. I am in need of a personal affirmation. The last few weeks have been particularly difficult for me personally and professionally as I face the COVID-19 pandemic in a new position, at a new hospital, in a new city. I have struggled to remain optimistic at times, and even though I have not outwardly shown it, I have become more pessimistic and negative.
As I reflect on my attitude as of late, I have to admit that I don't have it so bad. Things could be a lot worse. I have a stable job, when many Americans do not. I have my health, when many Americans do not. My family is doing fine, again, when many Americans are not doing fine. I am thankful to be in the position that I am in right now. Really, I have no reason to be pessimistic or negative.
So here is my daily affirmation, starting with today. "We will get through this. We will be better and stronger for the journey. And I will help lead our way." It may not be a "I am the greatest" kind of moment, but my affirmation is that I will be the leader that my organization needs right now. In this moment. Moving us forward. To greatness.
You've probably heard of an individual named Muhammad Ali, the legendary heavyweight boxer who frequently referred to himself as "The Greatest." He said it so many times, that it was almost his trademark. When you critically examine Ali's life, however, I think you will agree that he was probably right. Ali was an Olympic Gold Medalist (1960), two-time World Heavyweight Champion, with an overall boxing record of 56-5 (37 wins by knock-out), television and movie actor/entertainer, rapper (many musicians cite Ali as a major influence, and according to The Guardian, many musicians cite him as the first rapper), Grammy award nominee (twice), activist/humanitarian, philanthropist, and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2005). Ali famously was the last torch bearer during the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the flag bearer for Team U.S.A. during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Ali died in 2016 from complications related to septic shock following a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was, truly, one of America's greatest athletes and a hero to all.
Ali once had this to say about his daily affirmation, "I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was..."
He continued, "It's the repetition of affirmations that lead to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen."
It's pretty amazing when you think about it. One of the greatest - arguably, maybe THE greatest boxer and athlete - used a daily affirmation. Ali first had to believe in himself that he was the greatest before he could truly become the greatest.
The cognitive psychologist, behavioral economist, and Nobel laureate, Daniel Kahneman, tells us that the daily affirmation doesn't even have to be true: "A message, unless it is immediately rejected as a lie, will have the same effect on the associate system regardless of its reliability...Whether the story is true, or believable, matters little, if at all."
Kahneman goes on to say that "the aversion to the failure of not reaching the goal is much stronger even than the desire to reach it." In other words, using a daily affirmation (such as, "I am the greatest") will set a high bar which individuals will want to exceed. The fear of failing to achieve or attain that high bar is a powerful motivator. Words lead to beliefs. Beliefs lead to action. Actions lead to reality. "I am the greatest" leads to the reality that Ali was the greatest.
I am writing all of this, because I need to convince myself of something. I am in need of a personal affirmation. The last few weeks have been particularly difficult for me personally and professionally as I face the COVID-19 pandemic in a new position, at a new hospital, in a new city. I have struggled to remain optimistic at times, and even though I have not outwardly shown it, I have become more pessimistic and negative.
As I reflect on my attitude as of late, I have to admit that I don't have it so bad. Things could be a lot worse. I have a stable job, when many Americans do not. I have my health, when many Americans do not. My family is doing fine, again, when many Americans are not doing fine. I am thankful to be in the position that I am in right now. Really, I have no reason to be pessimistic or negative.
So here is my daily affirmation, starting with today. "We will get through this. We will be better and stronger for the journey. And I will help lead our way." It may not be a "I am the greatest" kind of moment, but my affirmation is that I will be the leader that my organization needs right now. In this moment. Moving us forward. To greatness.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Finding solace in troubled times
As I have mentioned several times in the past few weeks, these are difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down. People are dying. Businesses are failing. Economies are heading towards recession. Everyone - literally everyone in the world - has been adversely affected by the pandemic.
Leaders everywhere are struggling to find the right thing to say, as well as the right time to say it. It’s hard enough to be a leader under normal circumstances, let alone during times of crisis. At times like these, it’s important for leaders to take time to reflect, relax, and recharge. Whether it’s spending time alone writing in a journal, exercising, praying, or reading, spending some thoughtful time alone at the end of a busy day is an important part of leadership.
Lately, I have found solace in reading about the ancient Stoic philosophers. Seneca, once said, “Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.” A (very) brief history lesson is appropriate here. Seneca (often called Seneca the Younger) lived from 4 BC to AD 65 during the time of the ancient Roman Empire. He was exiled to the island of Cordoba in AD 41 by the emperor Claudius (for reportedly having an adulterous affair), returning in AD 54 to serve as a tutor to Nero. Seneca later served as one of Nero's advisors once he became emperor. Seneca was forced to take his own life for allegedly conspiring to assassinate the corrupt Nero, though historians suggest that he was likely to have been innocent in this plot. Throughout his life, Seneca lived according to the precepts of the Stoic philosophy, and his letters and essays have been read throughout history and to the present.
What exactly did Seneca mean in the quote above, and what can we learn from him today? The Stoics would teach us that there's no point in worrying about the future. It will happen no matter what, and there's a good chance that we will have absolutely no control over it. In other words, why spend your time worrying about things that you can't control? When will the pandemic end? Will there be a so-called "second wave" of coronavirus infections? When will schools and businesses be allowed to resume normal operations? When will the economy recover? The Stoics would have us ask ourselves, first, "Are the answers to these questions within your locus of control?" If not, Seneca (and other Stoic philosophers) would tell us that we shouldn't spend our time worrying about them.
Seneca also says that we would perhaps do better to learn from the past. I have talked about this before (see most recently "...all of this has happened before" and "Study the Past"). It's easy to discount the past as the past, but there are clear lessons for all of us in what has happened before our time. For example, several individuals have been warning of a worldwide pandemic for at least the past decade. Would you believe that shortly after the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic of 2003, scientists predicted that a similar coronavirus would cause even worse disease in the future? Once the world recovers from the current COVID-19 pandemic (and we will recover), we MUST learn from our past mistakes so that we can be better prepared for the future.
Lastly, Seneca suggests that we should not neglect the present. We live in the here and now. And how we go about living our lives matters, now and in the future. How we react to COVID-19 matters. Unfortunately, we haven't always reacted in a humane way (witness the increase in prejudice against Asian Americans shortly after COVID-19 started spreading out of China).
I have found solace in the ancient writings of Seneca. There is a lot to unpack in this one quote. Basically, learn from the past, live for today, and don't worry about the future.
Leaders everywhere are struggling to find the right thing to say, as well as the right time to say it. It’s hard enough to be a leader under normal circumstances, let alone during times of crisis. At times like these, it’s important for leaders to take time to reflect, relax, and recharge. Whether it’s spending time alone writing in a journal, exercising, praying, or reading, spending some thoughtful time alone at the end of a busy day is an important part of leadership.
Lately, I have found solace in reading about the ancient Stoic philosophers. Seneca, once said, “Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.” A (very) brief history lesson is appropriate here. Seneca (often called Seneca the Younger) lived from 4 BC to AD 65 during the time of the ancient Roman Empire. He was exiled to the island of Cordoba in AD 41 by the emperor Claudius (for reportedly having an adulterous affair), returning in AD 54 to serve as a tutor to Nero. Seneca later served as one of Nero's advisors once he became emperor. Seneca was forced to take his own life for allegedly conspiring to assassinate the corrupt Nero, though historians suggest that he was likely to have been innocent in this plot. Throughout his life, Seneca lived according to the precepts of the Stoic philosophy, and his letters and essays have been read throughout history and to the present.
What exactly did Seneca mean in the quote above, and what can we learn from him today? The Stoics would teach us that there's no point in worrying about the future. It will happen no matter what, and there's a good chance that we will have absolutely no control over it. In other words, why spend your time worrying about things that you can't control? When will the pandemic end? Will there be a so-called "second wave" of coronavirus infections? When will schools and businesses be allowed to resume normal operations? When will the economy recover? The Stoics would have us ask ourselves, first, "Are the answers to these questions within your locus of control?" If not, Seneca (and other Stoic philosophers) would tell us that we shouldn't spend our time worrying about them.
Seneca also says that we would perhaps do better to learn from the past. I have talked about this before (see most recently "...all of this has happened before" and "Study the Past"). It's easy to discount the past as the past, but there are clear lessons for all of us in what has happened before our time. For example, several individuals have been warning of a worldwide pandemic for at least the past decade. Would you believe that shortly after the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic of 2003, scientists predicted that a similar coronavirus would cause even worse disease in the future? Once the world recovers from the current COVID-19 pandemic (and we will recover), we MUST learn from our past mistakes so that we can be better prepared for the future.
Lastly, Seneca suggests that we should not neglect the present. We live in the here and now. And how we go about living our lives matters, now and in the future. How we react to COVID-19 matters. Unfortunately, we haven't always reacted in a humane way (witness the increase in prejudice against Asian Americans shortly after COVID-19 started spreading out of China).
I have found solace in the ancient writings of Seneca. There is a lot to unpack in this one quote. Basically, learn from the past, live for today, and don't worry about the future.
Friday, April 17, 2020
"Failure is not an option!"
Thanks to my oldest daughter who reminded me that today, April 17th, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Apollo 13 mission. The three astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, left Earth on a mission to the moon (incidentally, only the third mission that was scheduled to land on the moon), but as was depicted in the 1995 Ron Howard film, Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, the late Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, and Ed Harris, the lunar landing was aborted when an oxygen tank in the service module failed two days out from Earth. Instead, the crew looped around the moon and returned to Earth, splashing down in the South Pacific on April 17, 1970.
It is an incredible story, perhaps best illustrated by Ed Harris' character Gene Kranz (Flight Director) in the 1995 film, who said, "Failure is not an option!" The phrase was certainly apocryphal, and even though Kranz never really said it in exactly the same way as depicted in the movie, the quote reflects the attitude of the entire team at Mission Control during the crisis. The full line goes like this:
We've never lost an American in spcace, and we're sure as hell not going to lose one on my watch. Failure is not an option!
Kranz reportedly liked the line so much, it became the title of his 2000 autobiography. But what is interesting here, and perhaps it is obvious, is that the "failure is not an option" wasn't always the creed by which Mission Control lived by at NASA. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I like to reference the concept that some organizations, called High Reliability Organizations, have an impressive track record of safety - close to perfection, really, in terms of serious accidents - yet operate on a daily basis under dangerous conditions. Examples of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) have included nuclear power plants, aircraft carrier flight operations, and commercial aviation, among others. What is interesting here, at least to me, is that these HROs not only tolerate failure, they take great pains to learn from every single failure. These organizations fully recognize that any operation that involves humans, by nature, is not going to perfect.
Learning from failure is one of the defining characteristics of HROs ("Preoccupation with Failure"). HROs minimize the impact of these failures by (1) learning from each and every single mistake (certainly by conducting an in-depth analysis of all failures, no matter how small, but also by understanding and comprehending what goes on throughout the organization - "Sensitivity to Operations"), (2) refusing to accept the simple answer ("Reluctance to Simplify"), (3) pushing down decision-making to frontline leaders whenever possible, but particularly during a crisis ("Deference to Expertise"), and (4) developing redundant and resilient systems to minimize the impact of errors when they do occur ("Commitment to Resilience").
Of course, the story of Gene Kranz and NASA goes deeper than just Apollo 13. Few of us remember (and maybe not all of us were alive at the time) what happened with Apollo 1. During a dress rehearsal of the Apollo 1 launch on January 27, 1967, a cabin fire resulted in the deaths of all three astronauts - Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White III, and Roger Chaffee. Manned Apollo flights were suspended for 20 months while both NASA and Congress conducted an Accident Review Board. The source of the fire was subsequently determined to be electrical in nature (very similar to what caused the accident on Apollo 13, I might add), causing a fire that spread rapidly in the pure oxygen atmosphere of the command module's cabin. The three astronauts were trapped inside because the door hatch could not be opened against the internal pressure of the cabin. In addition, the dress rehearsal had been considered low risk and not hazardous, so the team's were not fully prepared or ready to conduct rescue operations.
Following the accident (actually on the Monday morning following the Apollo 1 disaster), Gene Kranz famously said the following, which has come to be known as "The Kranz Dictum":
Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been in design, build, or test. Whatever it was, we should have caught it. We were too gung ho about the schedule and we locked out all of the problems we saw each day in our work. Every element of the program was in trouble and so were we. The simulators were not working, Mission Control was behind in virtually every area, and the flight and test procedures changed daily. Nothing we did had any shelf life. Not one of us stood up and said, "Dammit, stop!" I don't know what Thompson's committee will find as the cause, but I know what I find. We are the cause! We were not ready! We did not do our job. We were rolling the dice, hoping that things would come together by launch day, when in our hearts we knew it would take a miracle. We were pushing the schedule and betting that the Cape would slip before we did.
From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: "Tough" and "Competent". Tough means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do. We will never again compromise our responsibilities. Every time we walk into Mission Control we will know what we stand for. Competent means we will never take anything for granted. We will never be found short in our knowledge and in our skills. Mission Control will be perfect. When you leave this meeting today you will go to your office and the first thing you will do there is to write "Tough and Competent" on your blackboards. It will never be erased. Each day when you enter the room these words will remind you of the price paid by Grissom, White, and Chaffee. These words are the price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control.
"Failure is not an option" - indeed! "These words are the price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control." Today we honor the successful failure of Apollo 13!
It is an incredible story, perhaps best illustrated by Ed Harris' character Gene Kranz (Flight Director) in the 1995 film, who said, "Failure is not an option!" The phrase was certainly apocryphal, and even though Kranz never really said it in exactly the same way as depicted in the movie, the quote reflects the attitude of the entire team at Mission Control during the crisis. The full line goes like this:
We've never lost an American in spcace, and we're sure as hell not going to lose one on my watch. Failure is not an option!
Kranz reportedly liked the line so much, it became the title of his 2000 autobiography. But what is interesting here, and perhaps it is obvious, is that the "failure is not an option" wasn't always the creed by which Mission Control lived by at NASA. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I like to reference the concept that some organizations, called High Reliability Organizations, have an impressive track record of safety - close to perfection, really, in terms of serious accidents - yet operate on a daily basis under dangerous conditions. Examples of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) have included nuclear power plants, aircraft carrier flight operations, and commercial aviation, among others. What is interesting here, at least to me, is that these HROs not only tolerate failure, they take great pains to learn from every single failure. These organizations fully recognize that any operation that involves humans, by nature, is not going to perfect.
Learning from failure is one of the defining characteristics of HROs ("Preoccupation with Failure"). HROs minimize the impact of these failures by (1) learning from each and every single mistake (certainly by conducting an in-depth analysis of all failures, no matter how small, but also by understanding and comprehending what goes on throughout the organization - "Sensitivity to Operations"), (2) refusing to accept the simple answer ("Reluctance to Simplify"), (3) pushing down decision-making to frontline leaders whenever possible, but particularly during a crisis ("Deference to Expertise"), and (4) developing redundant and resilient systems to minimize the impact of errors when they do occur ("Commitment to Resilience").
Of course, the story of Gene Kranz and NASA goes deeper than just Apollo 13. Few of us remember (and maybe not all of us were alive at the time) what happened with Apollo 1. During a dress rehearsal of the Apollo 1 launch on January 27, 1967, a cabin fire resulted in the deaths of all three astronauts - Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White III, and Roger Chaffee. Manned Apollo flights were suspended for 20 months while both NASA and Congress conducted an Accident Review Board. The source of the fire was subsequently determined to be electrical in nature (very similar to what caused the accident on Apollo 13, I might add), causing a fire that spread rapidly in the pure oxygen atmosphere of the command module's cabin. The three astronauts were trapped inside because the door hatch could not be opened against the internal pressure of the cabin. In addition, the dress rehearsal had been considered low risk and not hazardous, so the team's were not fully prepared or ready to conduct rescue operations.
Following the accident (actually on the Monday morning following the Apollo 1 disaster), Gene Kranz famously said the following, which has come to be known as "The Kranz Dictum":
Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been in design, build, or test. Whatever it was, we should have caught it. We were too gung ho about the schedule and we locked out all of the problems we saw each day in our work. Every element of the program was in trouble and so were we. The simulators were not working, Mission Control was behind in virtually every area, and the flight and test procedures changed daily. Nothing we did had any shelf life. Not one of us stood up and said, "Dammit, stop!" I don't know what Thompson's committee will find as the cause, but I know what I find. We are the cause! We were not ready! We did not do our job. We were rolling the dice, hoping that things would come together by launch day, when in our hearts we knew it would take a miracle. We were pushing the schedule and betting that the Cape would slip before we did.
From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: "Tough" and "Competent". Tough means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do. We will never again compromise our responsibilities. Every time we walk into Mission Control we will know what we stand for. Competent means we will never take anything for granted. We will never be found short in our knowledge and in our skills. Mission Control will be perfect. When you leave this meeting today you will go to your office and the first thing you will do there is to write "Tough and Competent" on your blackboards. It will never be erased. Each day when you enter the room these words will remind you of the price paid by Grissom, White, and Chaffee. These words are the price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control.
"Failure is not an option" - indeed! "These words are the price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control." Today we honor the successful failure of Apollo 13!
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
"So came the Captain with the mighty heart..."
Today is April the fifteenth, and most Americans understand that under normal conditions their tax returns would be due today. As the Founding Father Benjamin Franklin once said, "...in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Well, even in spite of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has put our official tax day on hold for about 3 months, there's no escaping the fact that we will be paying our taxes this year. There is another reason that April the fifteenth is an important day in history. More than 150 years ago today, April 15, 1865, the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre on the previous night. Lincoln died, and a nation mourned (see Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! my Captain!").
For many Americans, Lincoln is the greatest President in history. He led the United States during and through one of the most turbulent times in American history. The American Civil War was a time of political and moral crisis. Through it all, Lincoln was a source of constant strength, resolve, and commitment to preserving our Union. In the end, he not only preserved the Union, but he also abolished slavery. He is the quintessential example of what it means to be a "crisis leader," and it would have been interesting to see how he would have led us through the Reconstruction period had he not been assassinated.
Lincoln, by far, is my favorite President. Whenever I am facing troubles in my professional life, I found solace in his words and deeds during his own personal crisis. He was far from perfect. No individual is perfect. But he was a leader for all. As the writer and Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn writes in her latest book, "Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times:
Abraham Lincoln was made into an effective leader - first from the inside out and then from the outside in - as he developed and changed throughout his life. That, as president, he refused to ignore the larger consequences of his actions on men and women who had little or no agency, that he saw beyond the immediate moment and owned the responsibility of affecting a vast future, and that he rejected an ethical callousness about the choices he made are demonstrations of leadership that we yearn for today.
Lincoln's crisis leadership is perhaps best described in a poem written by Edwin Markham, called "Lincoln, Man of the People" (one of my personal favorites!):
So came the Captain with the mighty heart;
And when the judgement thunders split the house,
Wrenching the rafters from their ancient rest,
He held the ridgepole up...
If, as Lincoln once famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand", it was Lincoln's leadership that kept the house from falling apart. He, as Markham suggests, was the ridgepole that kept the rafters from falling down, "when the judgement thunders split the house."
One could certainly argue that the kind of leader that Lincoln was comes along once in a hundred years or so. But for leaders facing the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis today, there is much to be gained from reading about Lincoln's style and brand of leadership. As Koehn concludes her study of Lincoln, "May all who aspire to lead with worth and dignity learn from the life and leadership of Abraham Lincoln."
For many Americans, Lincoln is the greatest President in history. He led the United States during and through one of the most turbulent times in American history. The American Civil War was a time of political and moral crisis. Through it all, Lincoln was a source of constant strength, resolve, and commitment to preserving our Union. In the end, he not only preserved the Union, but he also abolished slavery. He is the quintessential example of what it means to be a "crisis leader," and it would have been interesting to see how he would have led us through the Reconstruction period had he not been assassinated.
Lincoln, by far, is my favorite President. Whenever I am facing troubles in my professional life, I found solace in his words and deeds during his own personal crisis. He was far from perfect. No individual is perfect. But he was a leader for all. As the writer and Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn writes in her latest book, "Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times:
Abraham Lincoln was made into an effective leader - first from the inside out and then from the outside in - as he developed and changed throughout his life. That, as president, he refused to ignore the larger consequences of his actions on men and women who had little or no agency, that he saw beyond the immediate moment and owned the responsibility of affecting a vast future, and that he rejected an ethical callousness about the choices he made are demonstrations of leadership that we yearn for today.
Lincoln's crisis leadership is perhaps best described in a poem written by Edwin Markham, called "Lincoln, Man of the People" (one of my personal favorites!):
So came the Captain with the mighty heart;
And when the judgement thunders split the house,
Wrenching the rafters from their ancient rest,
He held the ridgepole up...
If, as Lincoln once famously said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand", it was Lincoln's leadership that kept the house from falling apart. He, as Markham suggests, was the ridgepole that kept the rafters from falling down, "when the judgement thunders split the house."
One could certainly argue that the kind of leader that Lincoln was comes along once in a hundred years or so. But for leaders facing the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis today, there is much to be gained from reading about Lincoln's style and brand of leadership. As Koehn concludes her study of Lincoln, "May all who aspire to lead with worth and dignity learn from the life and leadership of Abraham Lincoln."
Sunday, April 12, 2020
How 'bout those Heels?
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team has a long history of championship success. As of the 2019 season, the team has won 23 of the last 27 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and 21 of 38 NCAA national championships (they've been the national runners-up five times). The team has been coached by Anson Dorrance since 1979, whose coaching record currently stands at 1043-140-63 in NCAA games (he also coached the UNC men's soccer team for several years and has coached the U.S. Women's National Team for a number of years too (his winning record there is 66-22-5). Coach Dorrance has been the Women's Soccer Coach of the Year seven times and the Men's Soccer Coach of the Year once, in 1987. He coached the Lady Tar Heels to an unbelievable 101-game unbeaten streak, and 13 of his players have won the National Player of the Year. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008.
There are a number of reasons that explain why the UNC team has been so successful under Coach Dorrance. He can identify and recruit talent for starters, but he also knows the technical aspects of soccer really well. However, former players and coaches that have worked with Coach Dorrance consistently cite the team's winning culture. The elements of their winning culture boil down to Twelve Core Values. Every year, Coach Dorrance meets with the rising seniors in the spring to discuss how the team can continue to live the core values, both in their personal lives as well as on the soccer field. Here they are:
1. We don't whine.
2. The truly extraordinary do something every day.
3. And we want these four years of college to be rich, valuable and deep.
4. We work hard.
5. We don't freak out over ridiculous issues or live in fragile states of emotional catharsis or create crises where none should exist.
6. We choose to be positive.
7. We treat everyone with respect.
8. We care about each other as teammates and as human beings.
9. When we don't play as much as we would like we are noble and still support the team and its mission.
10. We play for each other.
11. We are well led.
12. We want our lives (and not just in soccer) to be never ending ascension, but for that to happen properly, our fundamental attribute about life and our appreciation for it is critical.
Sound familiar? I think you would find a similar list of core values (maybe a shorter list) for most highly successful sports teams. In fact, you'd likely find a similar description of these same values in highly performing organizations, no matter the industry.
There are a number of reasons that explain why the UNC team has been so successful under Coach Dorrance. He can identify and recruit talent for starters, but he also knows the technical aspects of soccer really well. However, former players and coaches that have worked with Coach Dorrance consistently cite the team's winning culture. The elements of their winning culture boil down to Twelve Core Values. Every year, Coach Dorrance meets with the rising seniors in the spring to discuss how the team can continue to live the core values, both in their personal lives as well as on the soccer field. Here they are:
1. We don't whine.
2. The truly extraordinary do something every day.
3. And we want these four years of college to be rich, valuable and deep.
4. We work hard.
5. We don't freak out over ridiculous issues or live in fragile states of emotional catharsis or create crises where none should exist.
6. We choose to be positive.
7. We treat everyone with respect.
8. We care about each other as teammates and as human beings.
9. When we don't play as much as we would like we are noble and still support the team and its mission.
10. We play for each other.
11. We are well led.
12. We want our lives (and not just in soccer) to be never ending ascension, but for that to happen properly, our fundamental attribute about life and our appreciation for it is critical.
Sound familiar? I think you would find a similar list of core values (maybe a shorter list) for most highly successful sports teams. In fact, you'd likely find a similar description of these same values in highly performing organizations, no matter the industry.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
"You don't have to call me darlin, darlin"
The music world is mourning the recent death of American country folk singer-songwriter, John Prine today. Prine died yesterday of complications related to COVID-19. He is frequently cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. He was particularly well-known for his often humorous lyrics about love and life in general, but he had a serious side. Some of his songs had a social commentary too. One of his most famous songs (which he co-wrote with Steve Goodman, who is perhaps best known for writing the song, "City of New Orleans" which was covered by Arlo Guthrie in 1972 and Willie Nelson in 1984) was covered by the country and western singer, David Allan Coe - "You Never Even Call Me By My Name" - if you spent any time in a roadhouse bar or listen to country music, you will recognize the chorus:
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
I never minded standing in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
But you never even call me by my name
It's a great song - and despite what David Allan Coe says, it has all the necessary elements of the perfect country and western song! Today, however, I want to highlight one of John Prine's songs, "That's The Way The World Goes Round" which he released in the late 1970's (both Miranda Lambert and Norah Jones have covered the song). The New York Times listed the song as one of Prine's "15 Essential Songs". The song's lyrics are a great example of Prine's unique ability to inject humor into a song that deals with a serious issue. As Rob Tannenbaum writes today in the New York Times piece, "Even when circumstances are bad in Prine songs, he favors optimism and acceptance."
That's the way that the world goes 'round
you're up one day
and the next you're down
it's half an inch of water
and you think you're gonna drown
that's the way that the world goes 'round.
In other words, you can't control all that is happening in the world around you. Not today. Not tomorrow. But you can control your attitude and how you react to what's going on in the world. You can either act like you're drowning in a half inch of water, or realize that it's just a half inch and you will be just fine - no need to panic. Stay positive. Be optimistic. What happens will happen. That was John Prine's underlying message. It's one that the ancient Stoic philosophers would appreciate. And certainly today, as we continue to deal with the illness that eventually killed one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, it is one we would do well to remember too.
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
I never minded standing in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
But you never even call me by my name
It's a great song - and despite what David Allan Coe says, it has all the necessary elements of the perfect country and western song! Today, however, I want to highlight one of John Prine's songs, "That's The Way The World Goes Round" which he released in the late 1970's (both Miranda Lambert and Norah Jones have covered the song). The New York Times listed the song as one of Prine's "15 Essential Songs". The song's lyrics are a great example of Prine's unique ability to inject humor into a song that deals with a serious issue. As Rob Tannenbaum writes today in the New York Times piece, "Even when circumstances are bad in Prine songs, he favors optimism and acceptance."
That's the way that the world goes 'round
you're up one day
and the next you're down
it's half an inch of water
and you think you're gonna drown
that's the way that the world goes 'round.
In other words, you can't control all that is happening in the world around you. Not today. Not tomorrow. But you can control your attitude and how you react to what's going on in the world. You can either act like you're drowning in a half inch of water, or realize that it's just a half inch and you will be just fine - no need to panic. Stay positive. Be optimistic. What happens will happen. That was John Prine's underlying message. It's one that the ancient Stoic philosophers would appreciate. And certainly today, as we continue to deal with the illness that eventually killed one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, it is one we would do well to remember too.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Do ordinary things extraordinarily well!
There's a scene at the end of the 2001 movie, Black Hawk Down that I found really powerful and think about from time to time. The character SSG Matt Eversmann, played by the actor Josh Hartnett is saying goodbye to a fallen comrade. He is telling a story about a conversation he had with a friend at home before he deployed to Somalia, "Why do you want to go off and fight someone else's war, do you think you're a hero?" Hartnett's character says, "I didn't know what to tell him at the time, but if you asked me now, I'd say, 'Hell no. No one asks to be a hero. It just sometimes turns out that way."
We are heading into the high school and college graduation season. I suspect that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of these will be re-scheduled or held virtually. Regardless, high school and college graduates everywhere are likely thinking about the next journey in their lives. Many want to change the world! I know that's how I felt when I graduated from college.
Unfortunately, too many of these young individuals think that the only measure of success is to do extraordinary things - perhaps be the first person to walk on Mars, become President of the United States, play professional sports, or even find a cure for COVID-19. Many of these same individuals think that if they don't do something great, they won't have lived a meaningful and successful life.
The problem is that the vast majority of these high school and college graduates will never become famous. Not everyone can be the first person to walk on Mars, of course. And the chances of becoming President are less than one in a million! But here's the thing, you don't have to be a hero to live a life full of meaning. As the writer Emily Esfahani Smith recently wrote in the New York Times, "The most meaningful lives, are often not the extraordinary ones. They're the ordinary ones lived with dignity."
You shouldn't measure your life by whether you do extraordinary things. Success should be measured by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Mother Teresa once said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
Emily Esfahani Smith writes further, "You don't have to change the world or find your one true purpose to lead a meaningful life. A good life is a life of goodness - and that's something anyone can aspire to, no matter their dreams or circumstances."
Let us all strive to live a life of goodness, by doing small things with great love.
We are heading into the high school and college graduation season. I suspect that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of these will be re-scheduled or held virtually. Regardless, high school and college graduates everywhere are likely thinking about the next journey in their lives. Many want to change the world! I know that's how I felt when I graduated from college.
Unfortunately, too many of these young individuals think that the only measure of success is to do extraordinary things - perhaps be the first person to walk on Mars, become President of the United States, play professional sports, or even find a cure for COVID-19. Many of these same individuals think that if they don't do something great, they won't have lived a meaningful and successful life.
The problem is that the vast majority of these high school and college graduates will never become famous. Not everyone can be the first person to walk on Mars, of course. And the chances of becoming President are less than one in a million! But here's the thing, you don't have to be a hero to live a life full of meaning. As the writer Emily Esfahani Smith recently wrote in the New York Times, "The most meaningful lives, are often not the extraordinary ones. They're the ordinary ones lived with dignity."
You shouldn't measure your life by whether you do extraordinary things. Success should be measured by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Mother Teresa once said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
Emily Esfahani Smith writes further, "You don't have to change the world or find your one true purpose to lead a meaningful life. A good life is a life of goodness - and that's something anyone can aspire to, no matter their dreams or circumstances."
Let us all strive to live a life of goodness, by doing small things with great love.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
"I wish"
There's a scene in the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring that someone reminded me of just the other day. The nine characters in "the fellowship" (the group that was assembled to destroy the "One Ring" - trust me, it's a GREAT story but even if you've never read the LOTR or watched the movies, you'll be able to follow my line of reasoning) have just entered the fabled "Mines of Moria." They are lost and waiting for their leader, Gandalf, a powerful wizard, to figure out how to lead them out of the mines. One of the main characters, Frodo, a hobbit, is lamenting the fact that he was tasked with carrying the ring.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
It is a powerful scene, and the statement made by Frodo is one that many of us are making today. But Gandalf's response is one of hope and reassurance. It is one of the pillars of the Stoic philosophy - that is, the fundamental notion that we can't always control - indeed, we rarely can control - the nature of the crises that we are forced to face. However, the one thing we can absolutely control is our response and attitude.
As one of the founders of Stoicism, the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus said, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning expands further on this theme, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
I have thought a lot about where I am today. I am here in Chicago, working long hours at a new job in a children's hospital in a brand new city and living, at least for the moment, without my wife and family. It would be easy for me to complain and feel sorry for myself, and indeed, there have been some times these past five weeks when I probably have done so. But here's the thing - no matter what I am doing now, I can be thankful that I am here, working with a great team of dedicated, committed, compassionate health care workers and administrators. I can be thankful that the vast amount of evidence suggests that children are less likely to have serious and significant illness from COVID-19. And, I can be thankful that our local and state government leaders are helping our community to be as absolutely prepared as we can be for something like a worldwide pandemic.
Could we have been better prepared as a country to deal with this pandemic? Absolutely. Do I wish that our nation's leaders were managing this crisis as well as some of our local and state leaders? Absolutely. But can I change any of that now? Nope.
So yes, while I do wish that all of us didn't have to be living through COVID-19, I am thankful that we are here now to make a difference. After all, it's really not up to us to decide whether we are here or not. But it is up to us to choose how we respond - with compassion, with grace, with commitment and dedication to our patients, and with professionalism.
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
It is a powerful scene, and the statement made by Frodo is one that many of us are making today. But Gandalf's response is one of hope and reassurance. It is one of the pillars of the Stoic philosophy - that is, the fundamental notion that we can't always control - indeed, we rarely can control - the nature of the crises that we are forced to face. However, the one thing we can absolutely control is our response and attitude.
As one of the founders of Stoicism, the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus said, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning expands further on this theme, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
I have thought a lot about where I am today. I am here in Chicago, working long hours at a new job in a children's hospital in a brand new city and living, at least for the moment, without my wife and family. It would be easy for me to complain and feel sorry for myself, and indeed, there have been some times these past five weeks when I probably have done so. But here's the thing - no matter what I am doing now, I can be thankful that I am here, working with a great team of dedicated, committed, compassionate health care workers and administrators. I can be thankful that the vast amount of evidence suggests that children are less likely to have serious and significant illness from COVID-19. And, I can be thankful that our local and state government leaders are helping our community to be as absolutely prepared as we can be for something like a worldwide pandemic.
Could we have been better prepared as a country to deal with this pandemic? Absolutely. Do I wish that our nation's leaders were managing this crisis as well as some of our local and state leaders? Absolutely. But can I change any of that now? Nope.
So yes, while I do wish that all of us didn't have to be living through COVID-19, I am thankful that we are here now to make a difference. After all, it's really not up to us to decide whether we are here or not. But it is up to us to choose how we respond - with compassion, with grace, with commitment and dedication to our patients, and with professionalism.
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