I came across this quote by a Twitter follower and it completely intrigued me. Upon doing further research,  the quote came from Roger Van Oech, a creative academic and inventor. The original quote is as follows:

"It's easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date."

Hmmm, two years and things are out of date? It is hard for me to believe, but there is some truth in the two years. My phone is new and if we have stay connected through this newsletter, blogs and the website, the formats and templates have changed! And my thoughts on life in general are ever-evolving, sometimes becoming clearer, yet sometimes shadowed by ambiguity.

Why is it so much harder to release the old? Perhaps our brains are hard-wired for security and to fear the unknown. We feel safe in the familiar so we create the familiar with mental or tangible processes and procedures. 

This is particularly true in healthcare. As healthcare providers, we are trained to look for signs of change in our patients. We look for abnormalities and have process maps to assess and treat. In nursing school and as a practicing respiratory therapist, I was trained to quickly observe breathing patterns, skin color, vital signs, wounds and other signs and symptoms of improving or deteriorating medical conditions.  Although data was important, I was trained to also always look at the patient. 

This tendency for following patterns and processes conflicts somewhat with being change ready. In healthcare, we strive for a construct, a process and procedure, a pattern or "best practice" to achieve quality and best outcomes. We are trained to attempt to sustain a change. But perhaps another best practice is to be fluid - to be OK with change that may come tomorrow or even today. 

Healthcare is evolving rapidly. Clearly, the Star Trek Tricorder will be a thing of reality and personal healthcare accountability will be supported by integrated technology.  Jobs will change or go away. Letting go of the past will be increasingly important as two years of "doing the norm" may become one year, or less. We may have previously shunned the "flavor of the month" but the future, indeed, may hold many new flavors, every month, week or day. 

Be ready. 

Be fluid.

Just for today, consider the following:

Where was I two years ago and what was I doing?

What am I doing differently?

How am I thinking differently?

How do I see things differently?

What have I held on to that really needs to move on and out of my unconscious and conscious life?

Best wishes in living bold, living brilliant, living balance!