What's your priority

Stress relief

Throughout my day at the hospital, I seem to accrue an emotional payload as I work with patient after patient each with their own unique and often disturbingly sad problems. When I get home I need release, and in the gym, or running outside, everything melts away. 

And it gives me time to reflect on my motto / goal for these next few months,

 

"To be, rather than to seem" - to be who I see myself to be, rather than putting forward a fake construction of what I think people want to see

Persistence

As of last week, I've dropped 11 lbs from my heaviest weight / the worst shape I've been in. Still 14 lbs to go to get to my initial "goal weight" and from there we'll see where the fitness journey takes me. 

I still don't feel like I'm even close to where I want to be, but I'm learning more and more to value the small victories that happen every day. The hospital helps in that regard as well - if you're going to survive in the hospital, you have to honor the daily victories and not let the rest of it get you down. 

Can't stop won't stop

You are confined only by the walls you build yourself. Once you realize how powerfully and completely your thoughts control your life, you can make a change. Starting with your mind. 

Weekend warrior

It's 85 perfect degrees in Atlanta today, and it's easy to see why this move has been so beneficial.  Although the inherent intensity of intern year has been an unwanted challenge to my workout schedule, making life changes is never particularly easy, and prioritizing time for things that are important is a life skill worth learning. Getting back into shape is important to me, and I find the motivation I need throughout my life. 

Today's pump up music was AWOLNATION, and at the end of Jump On My Shoulders I found this lyrical gem: 

It's not supposed to be easy. 

That's why it feels so [damn] good. 

And of course this has become a new life motto for me. I try to read it daily to remind myself not to go softly into that good night. 

7-15-13 all nighters, rainy days

After working two night shifts this weekend, I came home, slept through my alarm, and woke up with an excess of energy. I got excited for a good workout but opened my door to monsooning rain (what's up with this weather GA?). 

So I instead worked out at home. Ab workout, push-ups, dips, jumping jacks. Solid 30 minutes of good exercise. 

Here's my motivation for the week: 

Vision

Paradoxically, I fell into the trap that many medical students fall into, of learning everything about maintaining the health of others while neglecting my own health.

I simply needed a place to track my inspiration and progress and I keep myself healthy throughout residency and avoid the same traps and pitfalls that befell me in medical school