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What happens when you allow yourself to interpret all news through the same, negative lens?

You miss the most life-giving insights and world-changing, profitable opportunities. 

Implementing the concepts behind this post can be difficult. I mean, I now skip down the stairs to my office at 3:30 AM because I make the insomnia-laden trek so frequently. And when my friend, Omarr, called to ask how well I was doing with the kids home 24/7, I started this bubbling giggle that made him hang up. Ten minutes later when Omarr called back, I was still laughing. 

Yet I also know I benefit from a powerful sense of community. I’m increasingly connected with my family. 

And as a society, these wholesome connections may be saving us from thousands of heart attacks: treatment associated with such life threatening incidents is down 38% in the US, with other countries also reporting steep drops. 

The New York TImes article I read about empty emergency rooms suggests stressed Americans avoid ‘covid-laden’ hospitals even during heart attacks. I’m sure some such cases exist, but that story implies 5,000 Americans die every week from heart attacks at home due to covid-hospital fear. That is an almost unbelievably negative reading of the data. 

In contrast, consider the Roseto effect popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, studied over 50 years in peer-reviewed academic research, and highlighted by Harvard’s Chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Ichiro Kawachi. The town of Roseto, PA suffered record low numbers of heart attacks (myocardial infarction), despite high-levels of risk factors such as smoking, excessive drinking, unhealthy eating, and limited exercise. Rosettans, however, benefitted from the type of strong social connection and solidarity that I recognize today: Kawachi describes how patios in Roseto were built facing each other on the front of the house, not away from each other in the back. It was such human ties that protected Rosetans’ health.

And consider how American minorities came together during the Great Depression. African American and other minority communities suffered higher than 50% unemployment rates and harsh racism during this period. Yet those groups were able to develop a greater sense of community and collaboration, and their life expectancy actually increased by eight years over the five years of greatest economic hardship.

Social connection doesn’t replace a quality healthcare plan. Yet we will need creativity to deliver well-being to all Americans in a crisis aftermath environment. So let’s be innovative. For some communities, strengthening bonds may be an integrative piece in an effective health strategy, and so will other solidly science-supported technologies for better health such as improving nutrition, off-label pharmaceutical therapies, and medicinal herbs. Billions of dollars of health-focused spending and millions of years of high-quality life are available with your leadership. So let’s #ReverseAging by increasing life expectancy faster than time passes.

During days that seem dark, it’s too easy to read every piece of data as a threat to our livelihood and survival. Yet considering alternate interpretations may provide key insights and tools to preserve your current position and allow you to reboot successfully. 

When was the last time you missed an incredible opportunity because you only saw the peril in a new situation?

Send me your thoughts or write a comment below. Safeguard your future today. And position yourself to thrive for your children tomorrow. 

Rod

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Dr. Rod Wallace​ is an economist, consultant, and speaker who helps businesses make more money by solving society’s problems. A Fulbright Fellow, he has led multi-organization billion-dollar initiatives worldwide and partnered with a Silicon Valley pioneer to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society. 

Rod speaks about how to integrate social responsibility into business to maximize profit and purpose. He highlights digital technology’s impact on society and the strategies and tools with which business can solve our big, systemic problems.

Contact Rod at ​info@RodWallacePhD.com​.