Is There A Doctor In The House?

Just the other day, I decided to stop by my local video store and pick up a few movies.  Often, I’ll buy pre-viewed DVDs and have a movie marathon with what I think is a good deal on movies that I love.  I am a bit of a snob when it comes to movie purchases—I won’t buy DVDs from book stores unless I’d like to lose an arm or leg; I try to purchase new movies on their release date to take advantage of limited sale prices; and I refuse to buy a DVD if it is in the “cheap” barrel.  You know the barrel I’m talking about—the one with films you may not have ever heard of.  The one where you would probably get tired if you tried to dig to the bottom of.  Yeah—you know…THAT barrel.

Well, just the other day, the sea of DVDs wasn’t as deep and I decided to wade through it all to see what I could find.  I was surprised that I came across the movie Patch Adams.  The highlight of my day was that it only cost $4.99.

In the midst of the current health debates, this 1998 film speaks volumes to the fact that our society has lost its personal touch.  In the business of health, as in many things, we have forgotten to care.  Robin Williams, who plays the part of the real life Hunter “Patch” Adams, uses humor to show his patients and the audience that we are all connected.

In my opinion, more powerful than the film’s commentary on health care was this message:

“If you focus on the problem, you can’t see the solution.”

The next generation of leaders must be active problem solvers—looking to see how things have been done and figuring out how they can be done better.

When obstacles are placed in a leader’s way, that leader must take the following steps:  1) Look at the problem.  2) Look beyond the problem towards the goal.  3) Work around the problem towards the goal.  4) Achieve the goal.

Too often, for youth especially, the existence of a problem overshadows the fact that problems can be solved.  In the case of Patch Adams, the existence of a problem created the opportunity for change and for success.  The Gesundheit! Institute, created by Adams, is a real life manifestation of looking beyond a problem.

My D.U.M.B. questions to you are these:  What are your goals?  What are the problems you face in achieving your goals?  What are some solutions to your problems?

My D.U.M.B. advice to you is this:  Don’t be afraid to buy a movie you find at the bottom of the barrel.

“Is There A Doctor In The House?” originally appeared as an article on www.justdumbproductions.com on September 25, 2009.