Why is change so hard sometimes and so easy at other times?

I can't recall the exact number, but it's well over 1 million. That is the number of people that go to the hospital or doctor's office and get an infection that they did not have before going to the hospital or doctor's office every year in the United States. Thats disgusting, and worse yet, over 100,000 of those people will die from the infection they got while seeking medical treatment for something else. 100,000 people in the US will die this year because they went to a medical facility for something, caught a completely different infection and did not recover.

Why? How does that happen? That's simple, only about 40% of Medical professionals wash their hands when they are suppose to. Medical professionals are suppose to wash their hands when they come into a room with a patient and wash their hands again as they leave, it's called "Wash in, Wash out". So in essence, these medical professionals transfer germs on their hands from one unsuspecting patient to the next.

When surveyed, these medical professionals respond that they are adhering to the "Wash in, Wash out" standard 87% of the time, more than double what they are actually doing. How can that be? Are these Doctors and nurses delusional or just misleading? Neither, they honestly believe they are following the protocol the vast majority of the time and they know the statistics and how important washing their hands is for the safety of the patients they are treating.

It comes down to how deliberate we are in our thinking and how self aware we are. And this applies to how deliberate we are in our interactions with others. Are we enabling disempowering behavior or even down right dangerous behavior. Yes, the vast majority of us are. In the medical facilities, medical staff observe doctors and peers not washing their hands as they should be, but say nothing. Why? A number of possible reasons, but it comes down to not taking it upon themselves to be responsible for holding others accountable in a meaningful and tactful manner.

Are we really that lazy or irresponsible? Well at face value, yes, we are. So what can we do? Well, begin to be self aware for one thing......be aware that actions or in-actions both accomplish something, and the question we need to ask ourselves is "By me taking this action or doing nothing about a situation, is my decision progressive and does it support growth and expansion?" Now that may seem Altruistic, and it is, but it is also how we evolve rather than repeating behavior that is detrimental or detracts from growth and expansion.

The next time you catch yourself reacting, stop and think about what that reaction will accomplish. Will it benefit you or anyone else truly? Will it empower you or someone else? or will it accomplish the opposite? Use that moment as a moment to reincarnate yourself or create a new you and change the outcome to an empowering and expansive catalyst. You can do it, you know? If not you, then who?