This photo is a throw-back to when my dad had been stuck in his recliner for a couple of days due to severe worsening metastatic bone pain to his hip. It only hurt if he moved his leg. So after scrambling to get the family to be with him, he had a telemedicine visit with his primary care doc who ...
"What you focus on expands." (multiple attributions)
I recalled this quote while watching my brilliant friend, Dr. Tricia James, explain how her modification of Stephen Covey's circles of influence and concern applies to us in medicine.
The outer circle applies to all of those things that are ou...
In our hustle and bustle routines, we often forget to slow down and be mindful. On a recent trip, in a culture that approaches food by sitting, relaxing, and taking the time to digest and connect with friends, I was reminded of the importance of slowing down. -- To taste and appreciate the food, ...
Here's an exercise that I hope you find useful.
Think of either past examples that you would define as your best self. Or think of the self you'd like to aspire to be.
Now, which of your strengths are you exhibiting? What happens internally for you? How does it impact your relationships? What's o...
I had a conversation recently with someone who discussed how judgment - when it's our own - feels very virtuous. And yet, it often changes nothing except it is like a weight we bear.
I invite you to experiment with me - find something that evokes a bit of judgment. But, let's not go for the deepl...
Today, I reflected on a conversation with a colleague about how difficult it is to lose patients to medical conditions. They work with a population of patients who sometimes have terminal conditions. But I saw their pain through a different lens - that of a family member and friend to people who ...
I love to give Physician Toolbox Talks (a term I felt fitting) to residents in which they expand their toolkit in order to navigate the demands of training and being in medicine at such a time as this.
When activated and trying to emotionally regulate, in addition to your grounding and centering ...
Michael Bungay Stanier reframes mindfulness as a better sense of reality - more situationally aware.
He explains it as the ability to sort through data and separate it from our judgments.
Currently, in whatever situation you're in - ask yourself the key question he poses:
What do I know to be tru...
