Notes from Dr. Lee

Dear Colleagues,

I recently came across this story, and it truly made me think about what I appreciate in this world. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders Of The World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:

　　1. Egypt 's Great Pyramid
　　2. Taj Mahal
　　3. Grand Canyon
　　4. Panama Canal
　　5. Empire State Building
　　6. St. Peter's Basilica
　　7. China 's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet, so she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read her list. Her Seven Wonders Of The World were:
　　1. To touch
　　2. To taste
　　3. To see
　　4. To hear
She paused, then added:
　　5. To feel
　　6. To laugh
　　7. And to love
The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and “ordinary” are truly wondrous!

This little story was a big reminder that I often overlook what's truly wondrous in our world.

Sincerely,

Winston Lee M.D., Ph.D.

Tips To Save Time

Need more leisure time? These days that's a pretty common problem and goal. We're working more hours and spread pretty thin, but don't despair. Here are a few time management tips that work well in both your business and personal life:

Use a daily planner. Electronic or paper, it doesn't matter. Choose one that gives you at least one page per day, and then make sure you always keep it with you. Jot down your commitments as you go.

Get rid of your to-do list. Why? To-do lists often end up being frustrating and futile, something you never quite get to. Transfer the items on your to-do list to a particular time and day in your daily planner. You'll be amazed at how much your stress level goes down and how much you accomplish when you do this.

Set aside a block of time to return phone calls and answer emails. Choosing early morning to do this is often best since the other person will have the rest of the day to respond. Of course, return urgent messages and phone calls in a timely manner.

When talking on the phone or in face-to-face conversations, give the other person your full attention. Don't scroll through your email inbox or fill out your daily planner when you're talking to someone. Make sure that your communication is clear and focused, which will reduce the need for clarification and other time-wasters in the future. Don't multitask when you deal with people; it never pays off.

Do You Watch Body Language?

Crossing your arms seems to be a worldwide body language symbol of defensiveness, according to communication and negotiation experts Gerard Nierenberg and Henry Calero in How to Read a Person Like a Book. Often, when people cross their arms during a conversation it can indicate that they've withdrawn from communicating and are locked into their position. While you can't assume that someone's body language indicates exactly what he or she is thinking, you can use it as a signal to pay attention to your own communication.

Think of the times when you've crossed your arms. When did you do it? Did it mean anything? When you're engaged in conversation with someone and they cross their arms, do a mental checklist. Are you communicating in ways that are causing the person to shut down or feel defensive? Be honest with yourself, and do what you can to get the person to relax and communicate with you again.

How To Pick A Good Password

The Federal Trade Commission says you should avoid using the following information as your password for accessing your online accounts:

• Your mother's maiden name.
• Your birth date.
• The last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Your phone number.
• Your address.
• A series of consecutive numbers.
• A single word that would appear in a dictionary.

Your best bet for creating a strong password: Use combinations of at least eight to 12 letters, numbers and special characters. If possible, add capital letters in unusual places.

Before You Get Angry…

Before the next time you get angry, consider this idea.

Whether the situation involves your child, spouse, colleague, boss, or another driver, when you're angry, it's probably not a good idea to make a decision until you're past the initial stages of the emotion. This is a great way to avoid making decisions you could end up regretting, and you'll garner respect for your position of non-reaction while you're processing your feelings.

Love Those Riveted Waist Overalls!

Mix together one immigrant from Bavaria , another from Latvia , the California Gold Rush, some copper rivets, and what do you get?

Blue jeans!

Our Bavarian immigrant was Loeb – later “Levi” – Strauss, born in 1829. He and some other family members emigrated to New York in 1847, and Levi went to work for his two older brothers in their wholesale dry goods business. In 1853 he headed for San Francisco and the California Gold Rush, where he established a dry goods business, Levi Strauss & Co., importing products such as clothing and bolts of fabrics which he then sold to other merchants. By his mid-30s, Levi was a prosperous businessman and a well-known figure in San Francisco .

Enter Jacob Davis, born Jacob Youphes, in Latvia in 1834. Jacob came to the U.S. in 1854, pursued a number of occupations in a number of cities, and by 1868 was living in Reno , Nevada , where he made products from cloth purchased from Levi Strauss & Co. Those products included clothing for miners such as “waist overalls” made from a fabric called serge de Nimes ( de Nimes being the origin of the word denim). Jacob also made horse blankets, using copper rivets to attach straps to the blankets. One day he decided to try using those rivets on denim pants pockets to make the pants stronger and longer lasting. The idea was such a success that in 18 months he sold 200 pairs at $3 each, a significant amount of money in those days.

In 1872 Jacob wrote to Levi, telling him about these “riveted waist overalls” and inviting him to jointly apply for a patent for this new product. Levi agreed, the patent was approved on May 20, 1873 (considered the official birthday of blue jeans), and Jacob was hired to oversee the production of riveted pants at Levi's San Francisco factory.

The use of the words “jeans” and “blue jeans” didn't become popular until the 1960s when Baby Boomers adopted the terms for their favorite type of pants. Once considered appropriate only for laborers and cowboys, today blue jeans are seen everywhere from castles to the classroom, from the office to the opera, and probably in your very own closet.

Happy Birthday, blue jeans!

Apple Juice: Cloudy Or Clear?

When it comes to apple juice, researchers have found that the cloudy, murky-looking variety is four times healthier than the clear types, according to a study published in the Journal Of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Researchers compared clear and cloudy juices and found cloudy juice contains four times the concentration of polyphenols. These compounds are associated with anti-cancer activity and are found in dark chocolate and red wine, as well.

In the marketplace, however, clear apple juice far outsells the cloudy varieties, likely because of a perception by consumers that the clear juices are more pure. However, the process of clarification to make the juice clear removes many of the compounds that provide the juice's health benefits, which come mostly from the apple pulp.

Which Type Are You?

Always remember there are two types of people in this world: Those who come into a room and say, “Well, here I am!” and those who come in and say, “Ah, there you are!”

– Frederick L. Collins

Creative Cheating

Some students are using their powers of innovation in very creative, though unconstructive ways: to cheat. According to a recent article in Teacher Magazine, here are some of the methods:

• Detaching the label on a water bottle, writing the answers on the inside of the label and then reattaching it, so that answers are visible during a test.

• Text messaging answers to each other via cell phones.

• Taking pictures of the test and then beaming them to their friends via cell phone.

• Photographing notes so they're available on their cell phones.

• For multiple choice tests, a color of M&Ms is assigned a multiple choice letter. Then students line up M&Ms on their desks in the order of the answers so other students can see them.

• Students record answers on their MP3 players, then listen to them during the test through earphones.

• Students write notes or formulas on a sheet of paper with invisible ink, then use the pen's ultraviolet flashlight to see what they've written.

Why Try?

Commit yourself to a dream. Nobody who tries to do something great but fails is a total failure. Why? Because he can always rest assured that he succeeded in life's most important battle: He defeated the fear of trying.

– Robert H. Schuller

Never Get Discouraged

As a young man, Daniel Webster, who would eventually become a leading American statesman, was about to begin his study of the law. Well-meaning advisers suggested he not to go into the field, noting that it was already a crowded profession. Webster, however, replied, “There is room enough at the top!”

Quotes

I would rather have my people laugh at my economies than weep for my extravagance.

– King Oscar II of Sweden

If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.

– George Bernard Shaw

I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time.” So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.

– Steven Wright