Writing is rarely fun. Running is mostly hellish. Furniture is so vexing that I often want to sledgehammer dressers and coffee tables into mulch. Yet, when the essay is written, the run is complete, and the dresser is lacquered, I feel at peace. On that day, I have done what I needed to do, and … Continue reading Newsletter #86: Seeking Peace At Any Cost
Tag: Burnout
The Eternal Impact of One Choice
As I followed these footsteps, my family members didn't turn around and implore me to take notes. Still, their bravery planted seeds of potential within my heart, and subsequently, I took copious notes. They did what needed to be done, for them. That was all I needed to see... then.
Newsletter #66: For the Love of Snow Cones
Maybe it's the humidity-wrapped mornings, or the fantasy of finding a pool by afternoon, but I seem to have accidentally found my way into summer's groove. Thoughts about snow cones are more frequent than thoughts of the upcoming football season, which speaks volumes. Last summer, my wife and I had our European wedding, then moved … Continue reading Newsletter #66: For the Love of Snow Cones
Newsletter #63: Freedom from All-Encompassing Failure
Forgive me for paraphrasing, but the original video clip has escaped my Google searches. Still, I remember what was said vividly enough to rely on its wisdom daily. It was a relaxing Sunday evening three weeks ago. Earlier in the day, I'd missed the end of the PGA Championship and was hoping to catch the … Continue reading Newsletter #63: Freedom from All-Encompassing Failure
Infinite Reflections in Medicine’s Mirror
My poor wife. If I utter the phrase “object relations” to her one more time, she may combust. I don’t want that. The same revulsion applies, per her indications, to any mention of Bion, Winnicott, and Klein, the object-relations pioneers. She doesn’t want to hear any more about them, their emphasis on the maternal holding … Continue reading Infinite Reflections in Medicine’s Mirror
The Hardest Gift to Give
I went to medical school to keep my family's love. Becoming a psychiatrist expanded my understanding of what love is. I needed to leave medicine to practice true love.
Newsletter #54: Earning Your Answers
Working on furniture has done more good for my perfectionism than anything else, aside from therapy. Every afternoon, rain or shine, whether I have the necessary supplies or not, I have to figure out the next step. I must get the piece to market. It would appear that I work on furniture. But at any … Continue reading Newsletter #54: Earning Your Answers
Wield the Power of No
At recess, I didn’t like the jungle gym or its imaginary castle games. The monkey bars were boring. I could always get down with the swings—everyone loves the swings—but the jungle gym wasn’t my scene. So, every day, when a ball was available, I played kickball. By the time I left grade school, I graduated … Continue reading Wield the Power of No
32 Lessons From 8 Years Lost in Medicine
My first book is an arrow shot at a target. That bullseye is a life we love, a life we wake up excited about, and a life we won’t regret.
Newsletter #48: Winter’s Getting to Me
Yesterday, on my morning walk by the creek that trickles behind our home, a purple speck caught my attention. Because I was looking for trout—something I do no matter the depth of the creek, river, or lake—I saw the color pop against the brown dirt of the creek's bank. With cold hands, I scattered decaying … Continue reading Newsletter #48: Winter’s Getting to Me