Double lesson from "Once"

Original post:  Jan 13, 2014

Over the weekend, we went to see the musical "Once." It's the story of a chance encounter between a guy and a girl in Dublin who help change each other's lives in ways they could never predict or expect. Despite the torrential rains on the way into the city, our mood brightened immediately once we entered the theater to the raucous party onstage.

The show itself talks about the need to live our lives passionately and without fear of failure. The staging was quite simple and spare. Most of the time, tables and chairs were about the only things on the stage other than the actors themselves. There were no elaborate set pieces or scene changes. We were forced to focus solely on the actors and their words and movements. The simplicity of the staging forced us to use our imaginations to fill in the blanks. There is a lesson for us there should we choose to receive it.

The second lesson was about focus. Since it was Saturday night, the play was competing for attention with the Patriots games. Every so often, there were the dull glow of tiny screens around me. It was particularly noticeable since one of the main offenders was seated in the row ahead of me. While I may have been tempted a time or two to join them, I decided against it. I reminded myself that I was here to get lost in the show and I was determined to do so. It wasn't really difficult. The actors and the story did an amazing job of drawing you into their story and allowing you to share their emotions.

I was doubly rewarded for my efforts. I was able to enjoy a tremendous night of entertainment. On the way to the car, we also learned that the Patriots were well on their way to victory (despite my lack of investment or cheers). I think there is a lesson in that as well.

Viewing the future through the lens of the past

Original post:  May 9, 2012

We are often limited by our history. The lessons that we have learned imprint us powerfully. We often assume that what has succeeded for us in the past will always succeed for us in the future.

Much of that is inevitable. It's hard to imagine a world that takes our comfortable world views and completely inverts them. I can imagine that it is really hard for someone who is working at a newspaper trying to deal with the threat of online news. Yet that is the reality we are faced with today.

The theme of the GHX conference is "Shape What Comes Next." Bruce Johnson, the CEO of GHX, challenged us to collaborate towards a new, more effective healthcare supply chain in order to sustain the growing demand for affordable treatment. He cautioned that we should avoid "acting with yesterday's logic."

When I look at my boys adapt so quickly to new technologies and new ways of thinking, I begin to realize that it is much easier to adapt to change when change is all you have ever known. You don't have years of hard won lessons to rewrite.

The future will have many difficult lessons ahead for us. The only certainty is that it will arrive whether we wish for it or not.