Tagged as: Inspiration

One of my jobs is to produce and write material for panel discussions.  One of these panels was on the subject of slowing the global spread of diabetes, and to prepare for the event I was interviewing a panelist who approached the issue not as an MD or scientist, but as an expert on business, management and policy.

I started asking the same questions I had asked the other panelists, going over all the huge challenges facing those who want to slow the epidemic-like spread of diabetes around the world.  But the woman stopped me, saying, essentially: If all we do in this discussion is talk about the problems, it will sound like every other panel discussion on the subject, and no one will learn anything.

What's the alternative? I asked.

She told me we should use a technique she uses with the corporate leaders she advises: Imagine it is several years in the future.  You are looking at the headline of a newspaper or something else reporting on the status of your project.  And the report is as positive as you could have ever imagined.  It describes a very specific result that is the best success possible for the project.

Now, answer two questions:

As I write this, there's a nice quote on the front page about how the belief in a thing makes it happen.  It's inspiring.  But what does it mean?  Does it mean that, as in a child's story, wishing really hard and believing in magic will make your dream come true?

Here's my inspiration for today: An amazing talk by a neuroscientist about her own experience of having a stroke.  It begins with science and ends with a deep and moving spirituality (that has nothing to do with religion).