Operation: Hello

Greet all your leaders and all God's people. Heb 13:24

What would happen to your world if you greeted strangers in the hallway, associates on the unit, your spouse and children with a cheery Hello each day? This simple act will change your world! A one word “stimulus” plan, a grace note in an otherwise dreary time.

Operation: Hello has been my modus operandi pretty much all of my life, but I have been paying attention to it recently as I note the levels of busyness and stress that tend to cause us to withdraw into our separate worlds. Anxious thoughts that are found so often in health care settings tend to isolate patients and families from others. Busy care schedules, pagers, calls and schedules tend to isolate associates from one another. It happens and we pass each other as ships in the night. Saying hello becomes one of the last things we do!

When you think about the simple word Hello, it is more than a two syllable expression. It is the recognition and affirmation of another person’s worth as a human being, as one of God’s kids, whether they are two or 82!

Hello is an invitation to refocus on the important relationships of life; the dignity of each other and the value of being together even for a moment.
Walking down the hallways at the Medical Center I often greet visitors with a “Hello,” or a “Good Morning.” The realization that another person is greeting them often brings a smile to their face and a gracious reply in turn. Almost with relief they look at me, thankful that someone recognized their presence.

Joe Kita in an article in the Reader’s Digest commented on the effect saying hello can have:

1. It can boost productivity: A study in education classes had teachers greeting each student personally every morning. Student productivity rose 27%, measured through grade attainment and class participation. The school went from impersonal to personal with a daily hello.
2. Saying hello focuses you: the simple act of being aware of others and saying hello helps you be present to the most vital aspect of life…those around you.
3. Saying hello is a form of universal health insurance: It is impossible to say hello without smiling and we know that smiling has been clinically shown to lower blood pressure, boost immunity and even release natural painkillers (endorphins), which lowers stress, boosts happiness, and improves health.

Operation: Hello, try it today. Greet someone with a smile, their name, a Hello or a Good Morning and watch the change in them and in you! Remember, we are about improving health through Christian service. It starts with respect and recognition of each other with a cheerful hello and ends with a smile!

Much more than medicine indeed!

May God bless you and you go about being a blessing to others!

Peter

Peter Bath, D.Min.
V.P Spiritual Wellness & Human Development
Shawnee Mission Medical Center