Dr. Sue's Story
"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be..." -John Lennon
A decade ago I was asleep in a dream of my own creation. My job no longer felt aligned with my life's purpose, and I questioned the value of what I was doing. Family responsibilities, and a brutal work load, left no time for me. I had lost touch with old friends, and had given up most of my interests outside of work. I was angry and completely exhausted - mentally, emotionally and physically. I didn't feel like myself anymore. There is a name for the condition that I was experiencing. It is called burnout, and there were powerful health consequences for me. I literally had symptoms from head to toe. I could see the little flame of my life energy flickering and dwindling. Fortunately, it didn't take a heart attack or a cancer diagnosis for me to realize that I needed a complete change for the sake of survival!
I wasn't sure how I would move forward, but I believed then, as I do now, that my life has a purpose, and that conviction sustained me. A part of me knew that no matter how miserable I felt, I was living only one of many possible realities, and I had the power to change my situation. I eventually found the resources I needed to help me heal myself, and change the story of my life. Mind you, changes came slowly. There were setbacks, and there is always more to work on, but in this moment, I am happy, and grateful. My health issues have mostly resolved, and I am rejuvenated and have a renewed sense of purpose.
There is now a worldwide recognition of a burnout epidemic among physicians, and a growing concern for the well-being of healthcare providers, and the impact on patient care. What I discovered of relevance along my journey, is that as I changed, my work became much less stressful, and more gratifying. I also gained valuable skills enabling me to stick up for myself in the system, and believe me that was big! I thought, “If only I had known early on in my medical career, what I know now! How much better it all would have been!” That realization was the beginning of my path to coaching. It was important to me to pass on what I had learned to other healthcare professionals, and anyone else who was interested.
Unhealthy lifestyle choices, including work/life imbalances are not unique to physicians. They are pervasive in our culture. Sometimes it may seem that we are just making the choices that we “have to make”. We may have worked really hard to get where we are and are ambivalent about making changes, or we may desperately know that we want something different, but still keep going in circles. We may know that we can’t go on much longer the way things are, but the way out of the mess can be unclear. Our bodies might be screaming at us with symptoms, but we don’t take heed until we have some horrible wake up call! REALLY THRIVING in this world and reaching our full potential may seem hopelessly out of reach. Does any of this sound familiar?
Let me reassure you that you have within you the ability to change your life for the better. If you have reached a turning point and are contemplating, or ready for change, I welcome you to join me and explore the possible.
Sincerely, Dr. Sue
