Well, slap me in the back of the head for not keeping up with my monthly story.  Every time I write one it brings back some very fond memories. Over the past several months the mood of the country has been pretty glum.  So, I think it's about time for a bit of levity.

When I was a young boy of 4, my family lived in a typical Baltimore neighborhood except we had grass, hedges and a front porch. My maternal grandmother who died at a very young age seemed to enjoy gifting me and my older sister.  She got a cat and I got the bicycle with no brakes 

Can you imagine giving a 4 year old kid a 14" bicycle with no brakes.  Well, actually, she didn't give it to me, my step-grandfather was the wise guy. Nevertheless, I was determined to enjoy this brake less bike so one day, off I went.  To younger people these days it may seem quite odd that a 4 year old boy, who lived near a hill, would be allowed to take off on his bike unsupervised. But, then again, I was no normal 4 year old. I was a free spirit who loved a challenge. To fully enjoy the ride that I am going to share with you we need to step back and take an admiring look at this masterpiece. The frame was yellow with hard rubber tires. I think they may have been spoked but who can remember all the little details. Now to the mechanism that was about to propel me and my brake less bike down a hill. This bike did not have a conventional chain. In place of the chain was a belt very similar to a fan belt that is used to drive the fan in your car. Now you can see why this beautiful yellow bike was brake less. A solid rubber belt required me to pedal continuously.

Slowly I drove the bicycle on flat surface past several homes.  When I got to the intersection that I was warned never to cross I stopped made a right turn and briefly examined the hill I was about to descend. As you probably know, a 4 year old has no concept of death or any ability to understand risk.  All I knew was the fun I would have barreling down the hill.  I paused for just a moment and then off I went. Okay, now I must keep pedaling even though I am going down hill. The pedals were turning faster and faster to the point that I could no longer keep up with the circular motion. I lifted my feet and was immediately beaten each time the pedals rotated past my feet. I was coming near the end of my ride and didn't know how I was going to stop. Remember, a 4 year old isn't too bright. I decided that I had to somehow stop the pedals from spinning. I made a failed attempt to stop the pedals and when the end was nearing I made one last effort to stop the pedals and was thrown from the bike.  Wow, what a way to stop.

I continued to ride that bike for a little while longer.  I think my parents recognized the danger in my new bike. I don't know exactly what happened to it. As I get older and look back on this event, I wonder just how much my step-grandfather cared for me 

We are all going to be hearing more about EMR (electronic medical record) in the next several months. Backers of this technology roll out a number of reasons that tell us this is a good idea.  However, I am a bit skeptical. 

In recent commercials they say the EMR will improve research and understanding of major diseases.  It will reduce costs and improve the quality of care...I say, will it?  I have often maintained that marketing and reality are two very different animals.  It's like, when you have a great idea, you are stunned by how simple it would be to invent the next great product. And then you begin to think about the pathway that will lead to the riches you will enjoy from your brilliant idea.  Oh no, I didn't realize how complicated this would be.  Then you realize it's time to move on!

I see the marketing effort by major players and the White House in the same light.  It all sounds so simple.  All we must do is put fancy new technology in every medical office, link to a nationwide mainframe and blamo...we have touchdown! The miracles of modern medicine and technology will explode onto the scene giving all of us a better chance at a comfortable disease free life.

Call me a skeptic but I don't see any of this bureaucracy improving healthcare and reducing costs.  Just think about this on a practical level.  How many mega systems do you know of that work as advertised? Have you ever tried to correct an error in the Social Security Administration statement that shows your contributions over your working life.  Not too easy.  Or, what about the multi billion dollar IRS computer system that had to be scrapped because it didn't work? In Baltimore, the City discovered more than $30 million that was sitting in an account for nearly a decade and no one knew it was there!  More recently, what confidence can you have that medical record information will be protected when the government can not tell you what has happened to trillions of tax dollars?

From where I sit, this bold grab at one third of our economy is about money and power!  Care will be rationed, information will not be collected in a manner that will improve your health, and this intrusion will create opportunities for greater regulation of your behavior. 

You want to save money, be healthier and spend less time in sick care?  Take responsibility for your own health.  There are many simple things that can be done to reduce risk factors for disease and illness.  All the research in the world and sophisticated technology won't mean a thing if you don't take responsibility for your own health.  And when you do need medical help, we have the best medical resources in the world.

IF you are paying attention to the doom and gloom news you wouldn't feel to good about the future.  It can feel like a real beat down; that is, until you begin to realize that you don't have to accept the news.

I think this is the perfect time to say wait a minute, I am going to do my part to turn things around for myself, company and the people I serve.  I am going to take a closer look at myself and really question whether or not I am doing my best, what can I do to improve my circumstance? 

Believe me I know how difficult it can be to put the brakes on and all of a sudden introspectively examine performance when it appears the end is near.  But you have to ask yourself what option do I have.  Will I continue being influenced and guided by the news and information that others give me OR stop, look, listen and act in a way that will completely change the course of events.  Big decisions must be made and action must be taken to move forward. 

It is my bet that you want to be successful and to that end it's time to take the high ground and get going.  First, change your reality. If you feel overwhelmed and negative it is because you permitted others to influence your reality.  Don't take advice and counsel from those who contradict your desire for success.  There are enough of those type around.  Find somebody who will help motivate you.  Success is hard work but it gets easier the more you work at it.  Be honest with yourself. If you are not as effective as you would like to be own up to that fact and do something positive about it.

In the course of a typical day your overworked little brain will be filtering a fast stream of messages from co-workers, business associates...you get the picture.  At some point, your overworked brain will begin sending signals to the body saying I've had enough of this.  Maybe a sore neck, could be you are getting a bit irritated or even sleepy.  But, you soldier on and ignore the signals.  In reality, FLAGs are going up all over the place warning you that something is wrong in control central.  The brain and body are teaming up against you to say STOP!!!

Now throw a CRISIS into the mix and whoa buddy we are in for one heck of a bumpy ride...or not.  A CRISIS is nothing more than the eruption of an event that has been brewing for a period of time.  If you take the time to examine the trail leading up to the eruption it will enlighten you and maybe help you create a strategy to head off the next one or minimize the impact of one that just happens to blind side you.  

Now back to my original thesis.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN A CRISIS, DON'T ACCEPT THE NEWS!

I can help you change your reality.  To you, I am an outsider who can see things that you may not recognize.  In my business we create business tools that improve productivity and profitability for our clients.  Every product and service we offer has been a direct result of spending time with our client organizing work flow strategies that cut down on overhead and drive efficiency. Our tool kit includes document scanning, web design and work flow management.  Every task within your company will be examined and along with you we will make things operate more efficiently, reduce stress and improve your bottom line.

Now is the time that you need to have a mechanism to STOP yourself and regroup.  If you want to spend some time chatting about your vision give us a call.

In a time of "crisis" you will either rise to the occasion and succeed or perish.