“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are taught from an early age to avoid comparing ourselves to others.  Then, we are sent off to school, where we are ranked, compared, and pitted a...

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
–George Bernard Shaw

Who Needs A Reinvention?

Everyone.

Reinvention gets a bad rap. People hear the word and think it sounds woo. Or, they believe it means scrapping everything and starting over, like tor...

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
–Sydney J. Harris 

During a recent conversation with my physician coach, I found myself reflecting on my favorite part of our family vacation to the Caribbean. We snorkeled, swam with turtles, rented jet skis, held starfish, and...

“Perfection is the enemy of good.”

–Voltaire

Regarding the invention of the electric light bulb, Thomas Edison famously said: “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  Can you imagine a world where Thomas Edison looked at his pile of failures and decided to give u...

Dear Physician Coaching Skeptic,

I see you.  I hear you.  I was you.

I imagine many of you believe that I was always a die-hard fan of coaching.  You might even think I signed up for my first coaching program without hesitation or objection.  If you know me, you also know that isn’t me.

“Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.”
―Ruth E. Renkel

It is incredible to look back at your life and recognize the critical moments that led you to become the unique human being you are today.  Many people, places, and things needed to come together ...

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

I stumbled upon the Financial Independence Retirement Early (FIRE) movement when I was extremely frustrated with medicine.  Retirement seemed like the best solution for my physician burnout.  I’m not sure I completely understo...

Everything you want is on the other side of something you don’t want to feel

Pop culture would have you believe that feeling your feelings is commonplace.  When I was going through my list of possible songs to link to this post, it was clear that people like to talk about (and sing about) th...

 People pleasers are liars.  

The first time I heard that quote, I was a bit shocked.  As a native New Yorker, I have a rather direct manner of speaking, and it feels more natural to just “say it like it is.” My words are often a little too blunt.  Despite my direct nature, the word lia...

“The Hospital Will Not Love You Back.”

–Vagabond MD 

During a physician meeting, one of my partners began talking about physician satisfaction.  He said it in a very matter-of-fact way.  He spoke about how our current way of doing things affected physician satisfaction.  As he spoke, I beg...

“Discomfort is the currency of your dreams.”

--Brooke Castillo

According to Google, comfort is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.  Just reading that makes me feel more relaxed.  Comfort is quiet, warm, and cozy.  It is security and the sense that everything ...

“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...