Lessons from Dr. Carson: Be Nice
I heard a really good speaker the other day at the ACHE conference in Chicago. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson spoke about growing up as a poor black child in Detroit; how his mother inspired him to learn; his failures and ultimate successes in separating Siamese twins who’d been joined at the head; and how he’s promoting education and leadership skills among today’s youth through a scholarship fund.
This guy’s story is so good, they even made a movie about him starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
Other than being an inspirational speaker, Dr. Carson didn’t connect much of what he said to the audience of mostly healthcare executives. He could have told some stories about his experiences with administration or made some comments about our country’s healthcare system. But, as a luncheon speaker, maybe his role was simply to entertain and motivate.
The one thing that he said that has stuck with me is that he told us to be nice to people — for a whole week. We tend to get so caught up in our own struggles that we forget that everyone else is struggling, too.
And usually, if you’re nice to people, they are nice back. The woman behind the airline counter whose been there since 5 a.m. The taxi driver who’s trying to lose weight. The person sitting next to you on the plane. The waiter who’s serving you lunch. Your spouse. The people you work with (even the ones you don’t like).
You get the idea. Try it. Be nice. For at least a whole week.
