A current, and highly relevant, Washington Post article, Ben Franklin’s bitter regret that he didn’t immunize his 4-year-old son against smallpox, focused on a choice that plagued him until death.

Regret is very powerful because there is usually no opportunity for a do-over. This is probably why the second of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits for Highly Effective People was, “Begin with the End in Mind”. The habit recommends we “envision what you want in the future so you can work and plan towards it.” This is also how I recommend you create all good and is the first step in of the Paneugenesis Process, “Operationalize an Idealized Outcome”.

What do you want to achieve in the end? What are you hoping to accomplish? What do you want to be known for? I use this way of thinking becauseI want to help create a better future. Everything I do has been about improving processes, most specifically the lifestyle process, so the product, the endgame, health and well-being in my case, can take care of itself. The only way to improve the outcome or the endgame is to improve the process. There is no other way. If a process already worked or the method was adequate, the desired outcome would have been achieved.

I work as a health and wellness professional. I regularly post about how to improve the process by creating reciprocal, pervasive, selfish, selfless interactions so everyone and everything benefits, an end I believe most desire. #SelfishSelflessSynergy

My research has repeatedly shown that as you improve the process by taking beneficial physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and environmental actions, you get a better life satisfaction, and a better quality of life. The end comes about because you have more capacity, more potential, better energy, improved sleep, a better social network and also, as a secondary effect, less problems. Though all problems do not disappear, when difficult things do happen, you are better able to handle those situations. This means an improved process gives people more freedom. More freedom therefore is the result of an improved process.

Applying to Life Today

What’s the goal with anti-vaccination and then resistance to masks? Is the endgame more freedom? How is that possible with this process. Not masking or not taking vaccinations cannot lead to more freedom. Evidence indicates we should adjust the process and follow the science because masking and vaccinations work.

Some people don’t want to wear masks or get vaccinations. Do they understand that not getting the vaccination is the reason we need to wear masks? In a strange twist, evidence indicates the ones being most protected by masking are the unvaccinated. They are the ones being hospitalized with COVID and are also the ones that enable it to replicate and evolve into different variants.

Begin with the End in Mind

Let’s give ourselves an opportunity to generate comprehensive improvements in the future, the end on my mind, by wearing masks and getting vaccinated so everyone and everything benefits. This process helps individuals, selfish, others, selfless, and enables us to do more together, synergy. The side effect is the end of COVID, Yea!

Another good article on the topic is Charles Blow’s 8-8-2021 NYT’s column, “Anti-Vax Insanity“. Please help by getting vaccinated and masking up so we can end COVID and then work to generate comprehensive improvements by creating pervasive, reciprocal, selfish, selfless, synergistic interventions so everyone and everting benefits.

In a related article, Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column, Vaccinate the World! The Best Investment Ever, recommends the US and Group 7 Leading countries help poor countries get vaccinated to enable us all to move forward. From my perspective, Kristof’s article is suggesting a Selfish, Selfless, Synergistic strategy we should encourage.

Jamelle Bouie’s August 13, 2021 column, If You Skip the Vaccine, It Is My ‘Damn Business’ highlights the connectedness of all of us and the value of selfish, selfless actions that are synergistic #SelfishSelflessSynergy. He brings into focus the role sports figures play and how we are all connected:

Wearing a helmet while bike riding, strapping on your seatbelt in a car — these are personal decisions, at least as far as your own injuries are concerned. Vaccination is different. In the context of a deadly and often debilitating contagion, where the unchecked spread of infection has consequences for the entire society, vaccination is not a personal decision. 

What do you think? Please share your thoughts below. Thank you.

I would like to thank Bill Redding for his helpful feedback on this post.

P.S. It was good to see a supportive editorial in our Local paper: Editorial: Local mask mandates will help N.C.

Be Well’r,

Craig Becker

Be selfish, selfless, & synergistic so everyone and everything benefits!

#SelfishSelflessSynergy

Please share your thoughts and questions below.