Reece, personal musings - Life's Little Instruction Books

If you seek moments of truth and instructions to pursue it, read Life’s Little Instruction Book (Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, Tennessee) It comes in two small volumes and contains 1028 pieces of distilled wisdom from a father to his son, who was departing for college.

Here are 35 of my favorites, followed by 12 of my own making.

1. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.

2. Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.

3. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.

4. Never resist a generous impulse.

5. Leave everything a little better than you found it.

6. Give people more then the expect

7. Don’t think expensive equipment will make for lack of talent or practice.

8. When you make a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

9. Listen to your critics. They will keep you on your toes.

10. Accept the fact that regardless of how many times you're right, you will sometimes be wrong.

11. Remember the 3 Rs: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

12. Take off the convention badge as soon as you leave the convention hall.

19. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

20. Love someone who doesn't deserve it.

21, Have a firm handshake.

22. Look people in the eye.

23. Sing in the shower.

24. Keep secrets.

25. Always accept an outstretched hand.

26. Make it a habit to do nice things for people.

27. Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's.

28. Keep it simple. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

29. Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.

30. Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

31.Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

32. Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table.

33. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

34. Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on our ability to deal with people.

35. Don't expect life to be fair.

And here are a dozen of my own.

1. Health care costs will not grow to the sky.

2. Listen to your spouse and your nurse. They are giving you honest opinions
you won't get elsewhere.

3. Not everything in health care computes.

4. Buy a huge wastebasket. Keep it full of material you’ll never read again.

5. It’s never too late to innovate.

6. For the health care entrepreneur, there are always niches and sons of niches.

7. Click often on Sermo, Google, and Wikipedia. They will tell you most of what you want to know – early, soon, and quickly.

8. He who constantly throws dirt loses ground but gains a sense of humus.

9. Be skeptical of information technologists doctors don’t use. If doctors don’t use it, patients will not benefit.

10. Your patient’s time is just as important as yours.

11. Universal coverage without access to primary care doctors is meaningless..

12. To patients, convenience means not waiting to receive care.