RECOVER: September 20, 2013

May the odds be ever in your favor.......

A week ago I was sitting in a meeting and I heard the phrase "do the right thing" more than a couple of times.  It was mostly related to people making the right choice in regards to safety, something which makes perfect sense, but it stuck with me some. It's so straight forward, and.......so spot on.  I started thinking about it some, and really, that's what so many issues related to safety, health, prevention, etc. are all about, aren't they? Making choices?  But what really got me thinking about the statement is the "do" part.  Doing the right thing is an action.....it's active......it's something in our control.  Of course no person can control ALL of the variables they're faced with, but when we control the ones we can (by "doing" the right thing), we certainly put the odds in our favor. 

In the wizardry of statistics they call this an "odds ratio" and it tells how "likely" something is to occur (or not occur)......and it is becoming the information that helps each and every one of us live a long and healthy life.......because when the odds get strong enough, a situation is generally predictable.....want to prevent heart disease?  Eat your fruits & veggies and move enough.  These choices don't guarantee anything, but they sure put the odds in your favor; the research clearly shows this. 

This ability is uniquely human - some call it the ability to reason, some call it the ability to do complex analysis, I like to think of it as the ability to predict the future......sometimes it helps us, sometimes it doesn't.  Don't think you can do it?  You can. Try it:  

Mary    had   a    little.....................................................................

What is the "right" next word? Why? How do you know?  Because you recognized the word pattern and filled in the gaps.....you went with the odds.......it was automatic.  But you didn't HAVE-TO.  You could've resisted and said "Mary had a little.....bean dip at the party" or some other equally odd-ball sounding response.......you had that choice......it would've taken mental energy to do so and probably not felt as natural rolling off your tongue......but you could've done it.  Most probably didn't do that work.....they probably simply said "lamb". 

Maybe health choices are the same way.  Maybe safety choices are too.  The ones that are easy and feel natural are the ones we're more likely to do.  The ones that require work and effort are still doable, but maybe less likely to happen.  So if we all know that we want to live long, healthy and safe lives......how can we all make it easier for each other to do the right thing?  How can we each help to create an environment at work and at home that makes the "right thing" the same as the "easy thing".  Hospitals that put hand sanitizer in every room near the door and tell people (staff and visitors alike) that it is the right thing to do upon entry and exit have shown impressive reductions in the spread of certain infections.   Workplaces that have made it "easier" to take the stairs (by making stairwells well lit and enjoyable) have increased activity......it's not always rocket science and statistical wizardry......sometimes it's about educating ourselves to know the right thing to do in the future......and then making it easy that we DO it......to put the odds in our favor.

Go ahead, try it and let me know how it goes......figure out a way to make one healthy or safe habit easier......I'd love to hear what you come up with. 

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.