Greatness Prescription

We all with for mentors in life that embody all of the characteristics of greatness to observe and emulate. Sure greatness is a perception of one's self, but it is a composite of learned skills and discipline that provides the pathway to, even private, greatness. I see those characteristics in the many medical professionals around me: colleagues, administrators, attending docs, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and other health care professionals. I've even seen it in the non clinical staff...campus security, maintenance, housekeeping folks. Some of those characteristics I've noticed:

1. Relaxed confidence - It's both in skill and emotional maturity that relaxed confidence exudes. More than a look or feel, it allows one to think logically, respond appropriately and overtly remained balanced in this unbalanced life.

2. Knowing what's really important - Se never learn this skill in school but some learn it on the street or at home. It's the ability to honestly follow one's heart, mesh it with education and experience, and figure out what's really important. More than anything, this allows releasing anger or frustration for those thing that aren't really important.

3. Focused activity - I've heard it indirectly referred to as "doing what's important" but it's really doing those things that feed what's important once you've identified that (see #2). When we become in "other" things we are distracted from the path to that success we seek.

4. Play - You've heard work hard, play harder? Well more than having the capacity and finding the time to play, it's also about seeing the fun in the everyday. It's easy to focus in the negative and what's wrong, but when we consciously understand that bad stuff happens, and deliberated search for the "present(s)", the good, the playful, the fun... our whole outlook improves and we become better at playing in the off time.

5. Positive expectations - A program director MD has never complained about what's not. But he constantly searches for ways to positively identify what's possible in the future. His expectations are verbalized in his statement of every problem that arises, offering solutions and positive outcomes as a probability.

6. No excuses - "I couldn't because..." is not helpful. Identifying what needs to be done and understanding our limitations, expressing them to others, is conquering over ego and stubborn pride. Excuses are mental obstacles that keep us in the past.

7. Balance - Life at home, work, play, gym, eating etc...all in balance. If it's not "peaceful" than you are out of touch with what's the right reality for you (from a nurse who smiles all the time).

And so it is, I've got lots of work to do.