“When seeking out on a Journey, do not seek out the advice from those who have never left home.” RUMI This is a tough entry for me. Having realized that, I know that I want to write about it so here it goes. I have been working as a palliative care doctor in times of COVID for the last year now. I have seen it all. Patients dying alone in ICUs. Families having to say good bye via phone, skype,…
What is Toxic Positivity? Have you heard of it? We live in a society that wants to feel good all the time, and it wants to feel good right now. We watch movies that end well to such an extent that market research of a movie release comes from how the test audience liked the ending. If they don’t like it, they will make an alternate ending. What are we doing to ourselves? Where in life do we get second…
You may know that I am a Palliative Care Physician. You also may know that last year I decided to become a Life Coach and make an impact on the living, not just the dying patients. This year I started a year long coaching program called “Living Intentionally”. While I have one on one clients that I see separately, I am really loving the people who have signed up to be part of this journey with me. Part of getting…
“I heard this story about a fish, he swims up to an older fish and says:“I’m trying to find this thing they call the ocean.”“The ocean?” the older fish says, “that’s what you’re in right now.”“This”, says the young fish, “this is water. What I want is the ocean!” “Soul” from Pixar Movie This is something that I come back to over and over again. We are all in this thing together. This thing called life. One big ocean. If…
“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.” In my line of work, which is palliative medicine, we are often the last one to come in contact with the patient. It should not be that way. There is a reason that the patients confuse our service with hospice. It is because we are asked right when what they really need is hospice type care. There is so much confusion regarding what our type of…
“It will happen to all of us that one day you’ll be tapped on the shoulder and told — not just that the party’s over– but slightly worse: the party’s going on, and you have to leave. That’s the reflection, I think, that most upsets people about their demise.” -Christopher Hitchens I don’t know about you, but I like nothing more than listening to this man speak. It doesn’t matter if you believe in his ideology or not (he was…
“Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.” -Hafez Happy Shab e Yalda! If you do not have a Persian heritage like I do, you would love to learn about this tradition. It falls on the Northern hemisphere’s winter solstice. It falls somewhere between December 20/21. You have to check with the stars to figure the actual date. Zoroastrian, the oldest monotheist religion known to man, used to believe that…
“We cannot change the direction of the wind,But we can always adjust our sails.” I have often told you that one of the most beautiful parts of my job is to experience love and generosity. This is the love that is shared by the patient with their family. As well as the love of the family shared with the patient. Not talking about in situations where love exists already. I am talking about estranged children moving back to the islands…
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Mark Twain Has anyone been truly nice to you? For no reason, other than the fact that they chose to be that way. Have you been truly nice to others? For no reason at all. I often wonder why we are quick to criticise others yet somehow manage to embellish what we do. It must be human nature. Have you been to a funeral? Or watched…
‘Wear Gratitude Like a CloakAnd It Will Feed Every Corner of Your Life.’ First of all, you should know that I am a very grateful person. Incidentally, as I type this, there are more than 1100 of you in my “Physicians Living Intentionally” group space, and the podcast that I just started a little while ago has been downloaded more than 2600 times, too. Countries all over the world. My heart is thankful. I am grateful for what you all…