Do What You Really Want to do!

"Think About What you Really Want to do?"

- Paul Gahlinger

Do What You Really Want to do!

I've been spending the last few weeks working with Dr. Paul Gahlinger and his company MediCruiser. It's been a great learning experience for me. You see, Dr. Gahlinger is what I would call "The Father of Modern Telemedicine."

Do you remember old movies where Doctors would come to a patient's house and treat them in their home? Well, that's exactly what MediCruiser does; sort of. Dr. Gahlinger has outfitted a PT Cruiser with two Nurses and modules of medical equipment. The Nurses drive the Cruiser to provide care to patients and they use a computer to bring Dr. Paul, as he is called, along with them.

When the Nurses get to the patient's home they set up the computer and then "teleconference" Dr. Paul with the patient. So, the patient gets personal care from two compassionate Nurses in person and the full attention of a physician for live consultation all at the same time for less cost than a visit to a clinic! The patient doesn't get exposed to other people with illness, doesn't have to go to the hassle and expense of travel, and perhaps best of all doesn't ever have to sit in a waiting room. It's a great advancement in medical care.

You know I am always looking for ways to advance my own life so when I get a chance to sit and talk with someone who has cultivated a talent for innovation I always take it. We had just finished a meeting with other people on our Mentoring Team. The conference room had cleared out, the office was empty and Dr. Paul and I were just talking. We spent about an hour in dialogue where I was able to catch a glimpse of how a luminary thinks. I really didn't know what to expect but whatever my expectations may have been, they were not even close to what I learned in reality.

We talked about what he's been doing over the last few years. I found that he's written eleven text books, helped develop the telemedicine program for the U.S. Army and NASA, created a training college to give a better education for Nurses, worked in several countries as a telemedicine consultant and has started MediCruiser as a vehicle to revolutionize medical care in the United States. Talk about a world changer!

What I was hoping to discover during our conversation was some bit of information that would help you and me transform our lives; something we could hold on to. I wanted to make sure I could mine just one nugget of knowledge that could act as a catalyst to a better way of life. And, I found it!

Dr. Paul said, "Don't think about what you can do. Think about what you really want to do!" He went on to say, "This isn't much. But, it's what people should do. Most people set their sights too low."

I've been able to spend the last few days pondering this conversation and what it could mean to you and me and I've developed some steps you may want to consider.

First, look out in the world and see something you want to change. I call this step, "finding your life's mission." At first glance this may seem a little silly. I mean, what can an everyday common person like me do to change the world? Really?

The key here is to follow Dr. Paul's advice exactly. What do you REALLY want to do? If you don't really, really want to do it, you'll never have the fire in your belly to accomplish it!

Second, focus on developing the skills to make your mission a success. If you never learn to fly or about aviation engineering, you'll never be able to create the next generation of aircraft, if that's your mission.

Third, make sure you talk to everyone you meet about your mission. You'll never know who may want to be involved with you. There may be lots of others who would like to walk with you down your path. Remember when I said I was meeting with Dr. Paul and our Mentoring Team? Now we have a few really good minds working together to help change the way medical care is delivered in the United States. Let other people help you to see what you can't or wouldn't see without their help.

Fourth, know that there are people all around the world who share your vision. Dr. Paul is headed to Mongolia in the next few weeks where he'll be using and teaching what he knows to likeminded people. That sounds awfully one sided. The truth is that he'll learn as much from them as they'll learn from him if he just opens his eyes, heart and mind.

Fifth, recognize that your mission is a lifelong pursuit. It won't happen over night. Dr. Paul once said, "I just want to get moving on this!" As you can see, he is moving; just not as fast as he had hoped, or would like to. It will be the same for you and me. Count on it!

Finally, enjoy your journey. Savor every moment of your life. Enjoy each small victory. Love the people you work with and meet along the way. After all, that's what your life really is, a wonderful journey.