LX - Three Takeaways from Today! (Bonus Episode)

Join host Eric Miller in this bonus episode as he briefly shares three takeaways applicable to nursing and life in general that he was inspired to share from whatever the "big event" is that is happening later today! (Episode recorded seven hours prior to the "big event.")

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Jeff Burton (88 Creative) Planting and watering the seeds to start this podcast

Transcript

0:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to this bonus episode of the Feeding Our Young podcast, a very short one at that. Being recorded approximately, hmm, seven hours before the biggest game of the year, right? The Super Bowl. I don't even think I'm supposed to use those words. I know that's trademarked. Maybe I'm supposed to say the big game, but you know the drill. Today, the Seattle Seahawks are playing the New England Patriots. And why do this? Why release a special episode about something as trivial as football? I'll tell you why. Because football means a lot to me. But more than that, there are two key takeaways that I was reflecting on when thinking about my favorite team, especially in the context of nursing and this beloved profession that we get to participate in, talk about here on the podcast. Man, I'm telling you, uh growing up, my mom... raised and baptized me a Seattle Mariners fan, which is Major League Baseball for those who are not in the know. And so my football experience, kind of had to find out on my own. And then as I became an adult, shared some incredible memories with my father, my grandma, her husband, my father's wife, the last couple of Super Bowls that the Seahawks were in, got to spend time with them, both in the postseason watching games and then at the Super Bowls proper. But the reason why felt the urge to record this now is because This Seattle Seahawks team. I just love them to pieces I've loved all the Seahawks teams every Seahawks team that has made it to the Super Bowl I've wanted to win for this reason or that and they've all been incredible. I can't believe that in my lifetime I can say that I've seen my favorite football team go to the Super Bowl Four times I've seen four games two very disappointing one an absolute thrill each of these teams I've wanted to win for a particular reason, this team above all, whether they win or lose, I feel like they've already won. For those not in the know, those not following football, the Seattle Seahawks hired a new coach last year. His name is Mike Macdonald. And he, along with our GM, John Schneider, really worked hard to put together a team that fits the culture. They created a culture and creating a team that fits the culture, the vision that they had for the Seattle Seahawks organization. And what I keep hearing and even national media is that the Seahawks are one of these upstanding organizations. They really care about quote unquote the little guy, uh all the way from the cooks to the, all the people that are employed by this organization. For the most part, they really do care about them. But what I love about what Mike Macdonald has been vocal about, and this gets to the heart of the two key takeaways from this. The first of the two key takeaways is it doesn't matter whether you win or lose. And you won't always win. You definitely won't always lose. And it's important to remember both of those things in life, of course, but obviously in the context of setting to become a nurse or practicing as a nurse, there have been so many times in my career that I wish things had gone differently or this, that or the other. In fact, back in that 2013, 2014 Seahawks season, I had applied and interviewed for an assistant nurse manager position on my unit and I didn't get it. It went to a lovely woman named Leeann who well deserved and I in retrospect very much. ah I was so glad that she got it and that I did not. um She was an absolute incredible asset to the unit and definitely was the one for that role. It was not the time or the place for me. But I was very disappointed. getting that phone call, you know, hey, we didn't select you, you know, here's our tips for maybe doing better next time, etc., etc. And I was really, really bummed out. The truth of the matter is that could have been a loss that if I had taken harder, might have derailed my career, might have made me get bitter. I don't know what to say about that other than it was a moment where I was experiencing what I perceived to be a loss. And yet it was one of the biggest wins uh looking back. so whether or not this Super Bowl team, whether or not this Seahawks team wins today, they've already won. Why? That brings me to the second point, uh the second takeaway from this little bonus episode that I felt the need to record. And that is this new coach, Mike Macdonald hired to last year has established a culture of They call it M.O.B. mentality, M-O-B, mission over bullshit. And I absolutely love that. And it's not a Patriots-esque Bill Belichick era, know, do your job, just stay focused, do the thing, blah, blah, blah. No, they love each other. They've built a culture where each individual... is supporting each other individual and not just on their same sides of the ball. Typically teams have an offense, a defense and a special teams unit. It's kind of overgeneralizing things, but those three divisions are typically separate from one another. And Mike Macdonald says, no, you you guys are stacking. He calls it stacking plays. You're stacking moments. You're stacking opportunities where each of these separate parts of the whole. each support each other. the offense isn't doing great man, then in special teams defense picks them up. If the defense for whatever reason, they're letting the, let's say the Rams run all over them and score points because they're able to do that, then the offense has been there to pick them up. Special teams has been there to pick them up. But the idea is that it's not even just each division picking each other up. It's each individual player. He's gone on record and you can actually do Google searches of victory speeches and things that he does in the locker room. And it's 70, like all 70, he says about all 70 team members. That means practice squad. That means everyone is involved in building towards the success of this team. And this takeaway is so huge in nursing for nursing students, obviously, but in nursing in general, I have long posited that I would take less money and work somewhere else if it meant I had a better team to rely on. Fortunately, I haven't had to make that decision. It's not why I left Peds Oncology. It's not why I joined Mother Baby. But I've been a part of two excellent teams. And that is so, so key. uh I cannot stress enough how important it is to let go of the individual accolades. This team is built on it's not about who, you know what I mean? I need X number of carries. I need X number of touchdowns. I need X number of stats, this, that, or the other. They don't care. They set that aside. Cooper Cup, an incredible wide receiver who I just absolutely adore and got to. He was a local guy out of Cheney, Eastern Washington University. And I have followed his career when he was with the Rams for a number of years. I actually have one of his Rams jerseys. And when he came to the Seahawks last season, I was just, I was over the moon elated because I've always said, that's my guy. And the reason why I liked him is because, he's a grade A, from all accounts, a grade A gentleman who uh is a family man, devoted, devoted to team and all the things. But that was made evident when he came to the Seahawks. He's kind of tailed off in production. He's not the outstanding wide receiver he always has been in his Rams years. But what he brings to the table is he's willing to block. He's willing to do these things that wide receivers sometimes are notorious for not wanting to do. for the betterment of the team. He's a leader in the locker room that's been purported in many different ways. People in the league love him and I kind of want to be like him when I grow up, I guess. He is the one who earlier this season, my best friend who's a Tampa Bay Bucks fan, he and I went to the Bucks game when they came to Seattle. And I was so excited, so excited. I told my coworkers, I said, I'm going to try and get Cooper Cup signature on my jersey, on my cup jersey. I'm totally gonna try it. I'm like, I'm a middle-aged man. I don't have a kid with me. There is like, I'm thinking probably one to 5 % chance of making this happen. And the stars aligned, everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I went right down there. I was able to get him to sign my jersey. It was my birthday week. It's one of those long lasting special memories that sports like football can provide. One of the best days of my life, hanging out with my best friend. and both of us getting our jerseys signed by our respective players that we were wearing, but just having the time of our lives and enjoying a game that ultimately the Seahawks lost. It was one of only three games they lost all season. And yet I enjoyed that game. I told my buddy even more than the Super Bowl, even if they win the Super Bowl, I enjoyed that game more because it was spent, it spent in the company of someone I care about. It was a release. from a lot of things going on in life. It was just, it was an absolute incredible time. And I guess there's a third takeaway from this and that is that life is to be lived with one another, right? If you've got a good team, here's the other thing, let me back up. If you've got a great team, like we're just mentioning here, wonderful, you are in the right place. If you don't, if you're like, my gosh, I'm working on a unit or for an organization that just, I feel like an island, don't know, people are bullying, all the things, you have two choices. You either find another team to go be a part of, or you start being the change and you try and change the culture where you're at, which while not easy, could be better for everyone there, including the patients. But that's a story for another time. The third takeaway, the last little takeaway from this is that life is not meant to be lived on an island by yourself. And that is no more evident than in the career of nursing where we need one another. We need to be a team. We need to be a great team, et cetera, et cetera. But it's also celebrating the moments of life with that team, whether it's birthdays or whatnot. The Super Bowl, like I said, man, Super Bowl is 48 and 49. The pre the postseason leading up to I got to watch those games with my dad and his wife, with my grandma and her husband. Both my dad and grandma have since passed. And those are memories I'll never ever lose. Even in my old, old age, if I'm that crazy dementia guy who's trying to cross-stitch something in the old folks home, I'll never forget those memories, including the ones made with my buddy. Even in this particular postseason, I had to work during the NFC Championship game, and I was so nervous for that game. But I was working with my coworkers, and my initial was idea was like, hey, we just need to, I want to ignore it. I don't want to know what happens. I just want to find out what the score is afterwards. I can't take this. It'll like lessen two or three years off my life. I don't, know, all the things I joke about, but instead I was like, no, we got to lean into this. So the couple of days before I was like, Hey guys, I'll bring in a bunch of extra jerseys. Like let's do a little potluck. Let's have fun. I brought in my jerseys, people wore them and they got to see me be basically a grown kid. Obviously patient care took. uh precedent first and all the things but we had the game on in one of the patient rooms and you know the end of the game happens after I give my charge report and I'm standing in there with one of the night shift nurses she's watching I've got my back to the TV because I just can't you know I'm like I'm gonna listen to it Shireen I'm not gonna look she's like that's okay I'll look for you and but it's just those memories that that entire shift I'll never forget that either and all that because it's just football right it's just football so anyway I'm gonna stop rambling on in this special little bonus episode that for whatever reason I felt inspired to do. And hopefully you get something out of it. But the three key takeaways, right in summation, from this wonderful Super Bowl is that you won't always win and lose in life and that's okay. And two, find a team, make a team, build a culture that you wanna be a part of where it's not about the individual but about the team in order to succeed. And then three, enjoy these moments with others along the way, because you... because you don't know when you won't see them again or you won't have the opportunity to experience it the same way again. Thank you guys. I hope you enjoyed this bonus episode and we'll get back to your regularly scheduled episode starting this Wednesday. So tune in.