My Blog
I dive into subjects related to chronic ailments and how to finally feel relief from them.
The Most Dangerous Idea in the World
There's an idea which lies at the heart of every conflict, large or small, and causes widespread suffering. An idea which goes unquestioned, though it ruins lives on a daily basis. What idea could be so destructive? The idea of brokenness. That you, personally, are...
4 Essential Lessons Everyone Needs To Learn
When I was a kid, nobody told me learning would be a life-long pursuit. I thought once I graduated, with a piece of parchment in my hand and a bunch of letters behind my name, I was done. Far from it. In fact, the day after graduation is when the real learning...
Your Mission Matters
A few years ago, when I was skiing with my brother on a little-used ski run, we came across a skier who'd just fallen. Without a second thought, I stopped and offered to help. There wasn't much I could do while perched on the side of a mountain, but I...
What Doctors Miss When They Focus on What They Know
Two months ago, a dear friend tore his vastus lateralis, and both avulsed and tore his patellar tendon. In other words: his left knee was pretty messed up. My friend was told that if he didn't have surgery, he had little chance of recovering normal knee...
Are You a Physician Who Thinks You’re a Slave?
When I connected with a colleague last week on LinkedIn, I couldn’t help but notice his job title. My colleague is a respected physician at a world renowned academic medical center whose CV contains a list of publications which is longer than both of my arms. So, when...
Awe Diary
I have read the suggestion that we should keep a gratitude diary as a way to increase our happiness and keep a positive state of mind. I think it is a good idea, but an incomplete one. At one point in my life, my gratitude diary (if I had kept one) would have been...
Are You a Statistic? Do You Know One?
It is no secret that rate of burn out among physicians hovers near 50% and is rising year over year. Think about that statistic for a moment. Burn out isn't just "all in your head". It affects clinical competence and relationships with both patients and staff....
Blackberries
It is late summer and the blackberries, which grow rampant in Seattle, are ripe. I know they are an aggressive, invasive species which chokes out native plants, but for me the berries are a late summer treat. I can't help but nibble on them. As I was taking a walk...
Are You Cutting Yourself Short?
I heard a funny, true story this week. For years, every time I baked a ham, I'd cut the ends off before putting it in the oven. Whenever my mother baked a ham, she cut the ends off, so I gave it no thought. I figured this was how to bake a ham. One day, my son...
The Truth Really Will Set You Free. But First It’s Going to F**k With You
On July 2, 2014, I woke up. It happened unexpectedly, though not quite out of the blue. I see, looking in retrospect, there were signs of the shift on the horizon for several months beforehand. But at the time, I had no idea that such a change in consciousness, in...
