If you haven’t read it - David Platt’s book “Radical: Taking back your faith from the American dream” is well worthwhile!

When vices are renamed virtues; it is the beginning of the end for a society.

For all interested in vaccines - a new society has started www.edwardjennersociety.org

Someone said it best: We are drowning in data and thirsty for knowledge!

Back from medical missions trip lecturing in Ecuador - outstanding experience and an audience hungry for information!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am gratefully aware of the blessings me, my family, and nearly all of us share. Also aware of the men and women who are away from their families and loved ones serving our country in dangerous places - we had best remember them and the need for eternal vigilance if we are to continue to enjoy our hard won freedoms. God bless our Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers!!

Just returned from giving a keynote address to the US Air Force Space Command medical folks on innovation in healthcare.  Wonderful professionals who are engaged and passionate about doing everything they can to insure the health and well-being of our troops.

One of the most effective ways to leverage your effectiveness is to learn how to effectively work with and led your team.  Simple advice - make clear the team goals and vision, and reinforce it every day.  Insure the tools your team needs are readily available, and move non-contributing members off the team as rapidly as possible.  Listen, be involved and available, and make team members a part of the process.  Share the rewards and credit liberally.  Most important - be sure YOU aren’t the problem the team isn’t functioning effectively.  If you’re not leveraging the power of TEAM, you have effectively made the decision to limit your effectiveness!

Had a great time being interviewed on Dr. Kiki’s Science Hour at live.twit.tv  on flu and flu vaccines, as well as vaccine development and use.  Look for it in the archives!

It’s clear many of us suffer a new disease - “hurry sickness”.  We rush through our activities anxious to get to the next one.  Soon our lives become an endless stream of activities - none of which produces any lasting happiness or peace.  What’s the hurry? is a question worth asking - and worth thinking about.  Why not make it a goal, schedule it if need be, to spend 5 minutes - only 5 minutes - in quiet meditation and thought about something important to you.  Science shows that your heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety levels almost immediately drop.  Covenant with yourself to do this one simple act each day - and be ready to resp the rewards!

You know you should - what’s holding you back?  START TODAY!  Is it a healthier diet?  Exercise program?  That project you’ve talked about?  That dream you’ve dreamed?  Here’s 4 steps to success:  1)  Write it down.  Be explicit about what it is you want to do and why. Put it on an index card and carry it with you.   2)  Share it with someone close to you.  Someone who can encourage you and also (gently) keep you accountable.  3)  Think about the steps it would take to achieve it. Write them down - but make each step specific, feasible, and something you can accomplish - remember - baby steps!  4)  Make a conscious effort to achieve one of those steps each day.  Now START TODAY!

How do you get where you want to go without a map or a compass?  While that’s obvious to most people with physical directions, it’s less obvious with success in work and life in general.  Maybe spend some time this weekend creating a physical “map” of where you want to go in life and with your work.  Just the explicit act of framing in written terms has benefits.  Pin it up on your wall.  Your choice…

Wanting to be more successful - and happier?  Try a new strategy.  Instead of avoiding those issues that are the most challenging and difficult for you - move toward them!  This may be especially important for those things you fear.  Facing those fears - even just being explicit about them - may be one of the most important strategy you have in your journey toward success!  Do it - be fearless in this regard!

Some say you have to beat the best, in order to be the best.  Maybe it’s true in sports and other areas, but I propose it is not a healthy ideal for life.  Being the best really means doing the best with the gifts (and limitations) you have - and challenging yourself to achieve higher goals.  It is an inner focus, and not an outward focus of simply trying to out do or out perform others.  An outward focus soon leads to unhealthy behaviors.  This is worth deep self-reflection and thoughtful intention on what “being your best” means for you!

Like the song says you only get one shot - how are you going to play it?  Your life is for real and I am daily impressed how few have any real plan for success!  And they suffer because of it.  My motto is Purpose, Passion, Plan, Performance.  Think deeply about what those mean for you and to operationalize them in your life.  The truth is no one can really tell you how to do it - we can only give you principles - you have to put energy into this - every single day and every single hour!   The other choice is to be a victim - one of those many people who complain every day about how unfair everything and everyone is.  You choose…