According to Ingredients of Outliers, the first ingredient of the best leaders and high achievers is humility. While we should always practice humility, today is the day to hone in on that skill. Be Humble Day, on February 22nd every year, is a time to not boast, brag or let ego get in the way. It is a day to focus on others’ accomplishments and pat people on the back for their successes. It's a day to get right alongside your employees and remind yourself what it's like to do their job. It's a day to pick up a piece of litter, or strike up a conversation with the server and ask them how their … [Read more...]
Stay Positive and Look on the Bright Side
This roller coaster we call life is full of ups and downs and everything in between. Although some of the twists and turns can cause heartache or stress, it is important to find the silver lining. This may seem hard during your lowest of lows; however, a positive outlook on life can truly make a difference. By being able to look on the bright side and become more positive, people are able to shift their perspective and better aim for success. As funny as it may seem, there is a day that is dedicated to this entire philosophy. December 21st, 2015 is recognized as Look on the Bright Side Day. … [Read more...]
Change Your Perspective, Change Your Life
From Chapter 11 “Perspective” in Ingredients of Outliers. Life is simply about perspective. If ranked, this is the most important of all the lessons I’ve learned. Simply changing your perspective changes everything. For example, I recently had a patient who was in moderate respiratory distress from the pulmonary embolism we diagnosed in the emergency department. He was also dying of colon cancer. When I told him about this latest diagnosis, he said, “Whew, at least I’m still on the right side of the turf.” For most of us—me included—the thought of a pulmonary embolism would be … [Read more...]
Look on the Bright Side
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. I imagine that, at one time or another, you’ve read or heard various definitions comparing optimism and pessimism. Perhaps the oldest and most familiar one involves a glass of water (or other beverage), which the optimist describes as half-full, and the pessimist as half-empty.Well, I recently heard of a young boy who turned that comparison upside down. After drinking half of his glass of milk, he set it down and announced: “I’m an optimist. My glass is half-empty.” Told that his view was pessimistic, he replied: … [Read more...]
Ingredients of Outliers Summary, by Dr. Douglas Winslow Cooper
What better way to look at your own work than through a fresh set of eyes? We found a summary of the foundational book in the Outlier Series, Ingredients of Outliers, not written by the author, Dr. John Shufeldt, but by another doctor, Douglas Winslow Cooper, PhD. He put the summary together for Asiance magazine, in an article titled, "How to be Outstanding". Check out his synopsis with a few of our instagram photos (follow us at @outlier_series) here: In his recently published The Ingredients of Outliers, physician-lawyer-businessman John Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, has written a succinct … [Read more...]