“Gracious acceptance is an art—an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to be 'modest' and deny the compliment altogether. Instead, we should simply say, 'Thank you.'”
―Margaret Cousins

Early in my coaching journey, I complimented my physician coach on an enligh...

“Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.” 

—Brené Brown

In her book, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Brené Brown takes the time to distinguish the difference between guilt and shame.  Guilt is: “I did something bad.” Shame is: “I am bad.” The...

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” 

—Mark Black

In August 2022, I gave myself one job: Do nothing. My goal was to rest, rejuvenate and relax. I have spent so much of my life hustling and achieving that a much-needed rest was undoubtedly in order. And guess what ...

“When I argue with reality, I lose—but only 100% of the time.” 

—Byron Katie

Control is an illusion. We all know that to be true. We can be diligent about planning, coordinating, and scheduling and even leave a margin for error. And sometimes, despite our best efforts, things don’t...

“Life does not change if you only modify the content,

your life will change if you will dare to alter the context.”

–Santosh Kalwar

Have you heard the commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace, called This Is Water? I hadn’t. It isn’t your typical commencement speech filled w...

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

   Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a story?  When I think of a story, I think of a fairy tale.  An imaginary account that has been concocted for entertainment.  It may also serve to teach a lesson or prevent ha...

“Being a dad means being there for your pups through thick and thin, teaching them, playing with them, and showing them love every day. It’s the greatest adventure of all.”
―Bandit Heeler

If you have young children, you might be familiar with the cartoon series Bluey.  For those unfamili...

“Once you accept your flaws, no one can use them against you.”

   Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

I like to tell the story about the evening I met my wife.  We were out to dinner with a group of people, and she was sitting across the table from me.  After a friend made an annoying com...

What is this self inside us, this silent observer,

Severe and speechless critic , who can terrorize us

And urge us on to futile activity

And in the end, judge us still more severely

For the errors into which his own reproaches drove us?

   T. S. Eliot, The Elder Statesman

In...

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”
―Theophrastus

Fact: No one will value your time as much as you do. 

Time is undoubtedly our most valuable and limited resource.  Every day, so many people and things vie for our time.  Our families, friends, patients, hospital ...

“Monday is like a math problem.  Add the irritation, subtract the sleep, multiply the problems, divide the happiness.”
―Unknown 

Work dread.  You know the feeling even if you didn’t know it had a name.  It is that sensation in the pit of your stomach when you realize that the start of...

“Alone, we can do little; together, we can do so much.”
―Helen Keller 

For all its traumas, one of the most incredible gifts bestowed upon doctors is the community created during medical training.  When I think back to my Internal Medicine internship, I don’t think about the grueling,...