John Snow and What If

In 1854 in Soho, London there was a cholera outbreak. At the time, cholera was believed to be the result of either God’s will or bad air. There was one man, John Snow, a local physician, who didn’t believe either of those causes. 

Snow postulated that the source of cholera might be contaminated water. Although everyone believed he was crazy, he charted all the known cases of cholera in Soho and found the lion’s share to be right near a pump. Since no one supported his hypothesis, he took matters into his own hands and stole the handle to the pump, rendering the water supply there useless. Sure enough, the reported cases of cholera plummeted. 

Snow asked, “What if it isn’t God’s will or bad air?” “What if” is a great question. What would you like to be different in your life? What circumstances do you find yourself in that you wish were different? Why not try Snow’s approach. Spend a few minutes applying this question to an area of your life that you want to change. What if…?

With Gratitude,
Beth

With Gratitude,
Beth

You May Also Like…

Friday’s Quote

Friday’s Quote

“All exceptional people are, by definition, exceptions to the norm. If we insist on being ordinary, we can never be...

Motivational Monday!

Motivational Monday!

Today I have just one word to start the week off with, and it's a game changer. Consistency. At first glance,...

A Psychology Experiment

A Psychology Experiment

Yesterday, I helped my daughter sell cookies at her university for THON. THON is a student-run philanthropy that...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *