What Can You Learn from an 87 Year Old Doctor and a Dead Rock Star?

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!!!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location in researching the success lessons of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll so you can implement them into YOUR OWN life! Today, we’re returning to that classic topic of enjoying your job.

Check out this BBC video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19289230

In it, the BBC meet Dr Russell Dohner, a practicing doctor of medicine in Rushville, Illinois who’s 87 years old − he’s been running his practice for 57 years and has no intention of retiring. Furthermore, he still charges $5 a visit, the same price he charged 30 years ago.

When asked about his price, he says he never felt doctoring was for money anyways, only healing, so maintaining his $5 charge doesn’t surprise him. Locally, he’s a hero for doing what he has for so long. A patient at the end says the doctor’s secret is his spirit and the doc says as long as he’s living he intends to be doing what he loves most.

This brought me into Elvis mode. I mean, Elvis loved his job, too. He was in the army for a bit and then in the movies but he always came back to singing. Some people say he lost his mood in his later years − perhaps for the rock ‘n’ roll songs, but the gospel songs and ballads were more powerful than ever. Listen to “Hurt” from 1976 if you don’t believe me. Man, Elvis had passion when he wanted to.

So, Elvis loved his job, Doctor Dohner does, but how many do? How many would be willing to work for the rest of their lives? To enjoy their work so much they wouldn’t want to retire even when they have the opportunity? Plenty of people I know would. Maybe even you would.

Like the patient said when he described Doctor Dohner’s spirit, or when people describe Elvis’s soul in music, these individuals enjoy their work so much they act like superheroes. It’s kinda like Batman; he’s only human like the rest of us, but he’s still able to tackle supervillains because of his superhuman mindset, his love of maintaining justice (and his Batmobile, but that’s another story).

And when people work their jobs like superheroes, they become heroes, like Elvis or Dr. Dohner. People look at these others and are inspired. They ask, “How can they be so amazing?” The answer’s simple.

They love their job.

And the added respect they get, plus achievement within their work, makes the extra work they put in over others worth the pain.

So, now you’re hopefully convinced of the importance of loving your job (which hopefully you already recognised before), let’s talk about getting that way.

So, of course the best way to find a job you love is to find your passion. We all have something we’re good at, something we’d do even if we weren’t paid for it. For some, it’s music, for others it’s writing, for others it’s video games. When you know what you love, it’s easy to work at it. In fact, it’s not even work, just paid play.

That said, it might require a career change which you might not be able to make if you have a wife (or husband), house, car and kids. It’s scary jumping out of a safe job for that (though, having your dream job might be worth it). Anyways, you can still do your dream job on the side. Some people play gigs with a local band on top of what they do at the office because they love playing but don’t have the guts to throw away their day job and live on Mac and Cheese while they tour. Others sell stuff at Trunk sales and shows around the country on top of being factory workers and janitors. Fitting in your passion alongside your regular job can make coping with your existing job much more bearable. And heck, if it becomes profitable enough, you might even be able to drop your regular job and take your passion, Mac and Cheese free.

So, what happens if you cannot leave your present employment? Maybe your Dad works there still, maybe your family’s always worked there, maybe you’re in a contract, or maybe they’ll just send a hitman after you if you put in your resignation. Ok, I get it (though again, if you do get the chance, I’m backing you all the way if you decide to change). You can still find the fun in your job. It’s not always easy, like trying to enjoy broccoli (which is just a metaphor I thought you might agree with − I personally love broccoli…) For me, when I get to know my co-workers, joking about with them and the like, the job breezes by. It’s like the job becomes background noise compared to the good times you’re having with your mates. Another strategy is being competitive, like trying to overtake people on a track. When you try to get things done faster and better than before, it moves your concentration away from the present situation. Also, you can aim to get that feeling of accomplishment, so you can say “WHOO!!! I JUST RANG MY 1000^th CALL TODAY! I’M A ROCKSTARRRR!!!!” when you’re finished. You can even try to feel like you’re doing something useful. Saying to yourself, “just because I work at McDonald’s doesn’t mean I don’t have a serious job. Most of the people in this country eat here AT LEAST once a week and I’m fulfilling a useful purpose in society for being the guy who makes that dinner happen − like the guys at a pit stop who keep the Formula One racer rolling”.

I hope this post will improve your day and week and I look forward to seeing you soon in the future!

Elvis’s Lessons:

Doctor Russell Dohner is an 87 year old doctor with a 57 year old practice. His deal? He loves his job so much he’s still going all these years later − and he never wants to stop! Like Elvis, he has a passion for his job so huge it is his life. And like Elvis, he’s now become a hero (albeit a more local one). When you love your job to bits, too, it gives you the opportunity to be a hero as well. Plus, you don’t feel like your working at all. When you find your passion, fit your dream job in on the side of your day job or find the fun in your work, you’re giving yourself the chance to improve your life AND do better at your job. Three cheers for Dr. Dohner! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!

P.S. If you appreciate this post, remember to put a comment below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com. I’d love to hear what you’re got to say.

P.P.S. If you’d like to hear Elvis singing Hurt, that passionate work from 1976, here’s a Youtube video with it.

If you like this post, you may also like these:

• The Time Trap
• Have a Job You Love (or "Don't Do a 'Normal' Job"!)
• Getting Into It
• Doing All You Can
• Be Really Good At Something
• He Who Does Not Sympathize, Loses...

 

It's Time to Decide...

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario after another week and thank you for joining us! Today, we’re going to continue our series on Elvis and the Superheroes that inspired him and how their lessons can impact your success for the better. We’re going to talk about a tough but learnable skill − making decisions.

D’you remember the old 60’s Batman series with Adam West and Burt Ward. Remember how Commissioner Gordon would call up Batman and say something like, “Batman, we’ve got a problem. The Joker’s taken a hostage and we don’t know what to do. Can you help us?”

And do you remember what Batman would say. “I’ll be right over Commissioner.” Not only did he quickly decide to help when a decision was necessary to apprehend the criminal, or save someone’s life, he did it in a way that suggested he was already making decisions about the future. About what he was going to do when he got there. About what Robin was going to do to help him if he got stuck. Batman was constantly being given hard decisions, but he always made them. And he made them fast. And he saved more innocent people (and locked up more crooks) that way than by procrastinating, trying to think up some perfect plan.

I once heard a story about a CEO who said that fast decision making was the key to his success. He’d have a bunch of marbles in one pocket. If he picked an odd number, the answer would be yes. If it was even it would be no (or vice versa). It’s the same as the coin flip. Perhaps it’s not the best way to make decisions, but if you know you’re going to procrastinate for an hour thinking whether you should say yes or no then flip the damned coin!

Like superhero, like Elvis. Elvis was in the army and he was discharged as a sergeant. Now, for those of you who don’t know much about ranks, a sergeant is in charge of a fire team of men, consisting of about four individuals, and leads them in drill and combat. You don’t get that job for being indecisive (and for those of you who aren’t impressed, if you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead others, let alone four others). You can also see Elvis in the recorded rehearsals for Elvis: That’s the Way it Is, talking to his orchestra. And it was an orchestra. There were at least fifteen people in the room and he’s the one calling the shots and changing the arrangements and telling people to get into line. He knew how to make decisions. And when you make decisions, you take charge − of your life, of a group's future, of your success.

Even when you see Elvis performing, sometimes a fan will yell to him on stage and he’ll say “later”. No rudeness. No “f− you” (goddamn rappers). He’d decide that he was starting a song and the fan could wait three minutes for an autograph, or kiss, or whatever. But you know, people didn’t get mad at him for that. He made the best decision he could in the time, he did it quickly and he got things done. And generally people respected that. Sure he messed up once in a while, as we all do, but no one seems to remember and he’s in a better place anyways so no one cares. So if no one’s gonna care if you make a bad decision far off in the future and if you constantly make other good, logical decisions you get things done, why don’t you start making more quick decisions?! But remember: once you’ve made a decision, make sure it sticks. Like Elvis, he didn’t stop a song halfway and say, “I should have talked to that fan” and messed up both the fan and the song. Make a choice, stick to it until its fulfillment, then make another choice. And heck, maybe next time you’ll make a better choice than before, but you’ll certainly get things done.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Be like Batman, be like Elvis, be decisive. When others are procrastinating and wasting time, be the one to call the shots and take charge of the situation to its successful outcome. And if you have to flip a coin to make that quick decision, go for it. But do something and stick with it till its finished and you’ll get things done.

P.S. If you'd like to see a short video of The King singing 'Words' from Elvis: That's the Way it Is, here's a link to Youtube. Notice how a fan tries to steal Elvis's attention at the beginning of the song when the band's ready to play. Elvis makes a quick decision, says, "catch you later" and the band continues to play the song.

P.P.S. I'd love to hear your comments on what I write. Feel free to comment below this post or email me (Alex) at alexghilson@gmail.com to continue the conversation.