Joy in Family Medicine – Stories & Reflections
Lessons, lightbulb moments, and honest reflections from life inside and outside medicine - served with a side of perspective.
Tags: behavior
Showing 6 results:
Childhood Courage
In our early days as a family with one car, my husband's boss would pick him up for work up on a motorcycle. He kept the spare helmet at our house. Our oldest, a toddler at the time, had an instinctual and intense fear of the helmet -- even when Mark was wearing it (wise beyond her years?). This ...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Mar 18, 2026
action
behavior
bravery
breakthrough
challenge
change
childhood
coaching
comfort-zone
confidence
courage
determination
development
empowerment
family
fear
fearlessness
future
goal-setting
growth
habits
inspiration
learning
life-lessons
mindfulness
mindset
motivation
overcoming
parenting
personal-growth
progress
psychology
reflection
resilience
reward
risk
self-growth
storytelling
success
transformation
vision
Say It Again
Recently, something happened in a meeting that used to bother me, but now I find it fascinating.
I was catching a colleague up who had missed the previous meeting. We had left one decision unresolved: where to place a particular talk. I mentioned the option we had discussed and asked for her take...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Mar 13, 2026
alignment
attention
awareness
behavior
clarity
cognition
collaboration
communication
complexity
culture
curiosity
decision making
distration
dynamics
focus
grace
group
hearing
inattention
information
insight
integration
leaders
leadership
learning
listening
management
meetings
message
messaging
miscommunication
neuroscience
patience
patterns
perception
processing
psychology
reflection
reinforcement
reminders
repetition
signals
strategy
teamwork
understanding
workplace
What Renovation Taught Me About Teams
My husband and I are back in the messy middle of building.
We are not a strangers to it. We completely renovated a historic home over seven years and our Alaskan home over ten, with my husband acting as contractor, doing the work he enjoyed and subbing the rest out.
And now, we’re building remote...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Mar 13, 2026
adaptation
alignment
behavior
building
change
clarity
co-creation
collaboration
communication
conflict
construction
creativity
decision making
development
dynamics
expectations
forming
friction
group
growth
homebuilding
innovation
leadership
learning
marriage
mindset
organization
partnership
patience
performing
problem solving
process
progress
reflection
remodel
renovation
resilience
satisfaction
storming
structure
teams
teamwork
transformation
uncertainty
vision
What’s Your Fuel Level?
It’s the start of a new year, and for many of us, change is on the horizon.
Sometimes that change is self-initiated. Sometimes it’s suggested by others. Sometimes it’s formally required. In medicine and academic life, change often shows up wrapped in goals, milestones, improvement plans, or feedb...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jan 09, 2026
academia
agency
alignment
autonomy
behavior
beliefs
change
coaching
compliance
confidence
defensiveness
discipline
education
emotions
feedback
fuel
goals
growth
identity
importance
integrity
leadership
learning
meaning
medicine
motivation
needs
ownership
process
purpose
readiness
reflection
reframing
resistance
sustainability
thinking
transformation
values
Ziplining Snafu: Story and Reflection
When we explored Alaska with our 13-year-old before our move from Florida 17 years ago, we made sure to make it adventurous for her.
We signed up for zip-lining in Ketchikan among the tall Western Hemlocks. I've never been a fan of heights (understatement of the year!), but I was determined. We r...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 10, 2025
action
adventure
agency
behavior
choice
courage
detachment
embarassment
emotion
fear
growth
identity
internalization
labeling
mindset
naming
narrative
perception
personal growth
perspective
reframing
resilience
self-awareness
self-compassion
self-definition
self-talk
shame
transformation
validation
vulnerability
Pattern Reflection
This week, I invite you to reflect on what patterns you observe in yourself - concerning anything - relationships, lifestyle, planning, mindsets, etc.
You likely have some very helpful adaptive patterns and some that may be, well, less supportive of the life you want to live.
There is great news ...
by Dr. Tonya Caylor —
Jun 08, 2025
adaptation
awareness
behavior
change
disruption
experimentation
growth
habits
intentionality
lifestyle
mindfulness
mindset
observation
patterns
planning
progress
reflection
resilience
transformation
wellbeing
Joy in Family Medicine – Stories & Reflections