Steve Jobs changed my life.

You may be thinking, well, duh … he changed the world by co-founding Apple. And you would be 100% correct.

But, truly, he changed my life. And he did it post-mortem like many great thinkers do.

Just about one year ago, I found this Steve Jobs quote:

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been, ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” - Steve Jobs

And reading these words from his monumental Stanford University 2005 commencement speech kinda rocked my world. 

At the time, I was 38 (I’m 39 now). I was (and still am) a wife, mom of three, and a vascular surgeon. And while I am a wife and a mom, 24/7, being a vascular surgeon dominated the vast majority of my waking hours. And those waking hours seemed less and less fulfilling.

I found myself pausing longer and longer b...

“Most doctors don’t want to be doctors anymore … because it sucks.” - Pedram Shojai

I heard Pedram Shojai, a doctor of Chinese medicine, say this on an episode of “The Model Health Show” podcast. And I’ve got to admit - it kinda hurt.

I’m an ‘80 baby and I decided that I wanted to be a doctor as soon as I realized I couldn’t be Jem (you’re my people if you know who that is!). I think the human body is a fascinating miracle and I think becoming a medical doctor is the best way to learn all about it.

Doctoring is powerful!

And I’m so honored that so many people have chosen me to doctor them. And you know what? I’m pretty proud of myself for becoming a doctor! It took a lot of effort (not only mine but my family’s too) for me to become a physician … a surgeon. So, I continue to give my best effort to my work every day.

But here’s some real talk - sometimes there are really miserable moments. Some days I wish I could telepathically remove myself from an exam room or the operating room...

If you’re anything like me, you don’t love the gym. It just feels … uncomfortable. Like, my tribe isn’t there. And that suited me just fine as a child. I was effortlessly active. I started dancing when I was three years old and continued until I was a senior in high school. I was also a sprinter and a high jumper. I kept moving but I never considered myself “working out.” I was just living my life.

My first year in college presented my first real fitness challenge. And I didn’t realize it until I returned home for the summer. In May of 1999, my grandparents and parents (who had seen me throughout the year) proclaimed over and over that I had “put on weight.” I didn’t see it and that was frustrating. So, I jumped on the scale. (Just to be clear - I don’t put much emphasis on weight. If it weren’t for my husband, I wouldn’t even have a scale in my home.) But there it was: the freshman 15. I. Was. Shocked.

My weight didn’t bother me, but my weight gain did. I definitely didn’t want t...

Did you make a New Year’s resolution?

New Year’s resolutions are a hot topic in January, and they are so controversial. While some are religious in their resolution-making; declaring, “new year, new me!” Others strongly oppose it: “I don’t need an arbitrary date to make a change.” This is a healthy debate where both the pro-resolution and the anti-resolution camps make strong points. 

Personally, I’m all about New Year’s resolutions. I think it’s fun to chase a new goal and take on a new challenge. January 1st is a memorable point in time, but it’s man-made. Your “new year” can begin whenever you decide you’re ready to change your life. You don’t have to wait for a particular day to make a change. Start today!

My most memorable resolution

In the fall of 2015, I realized I was tired of feeling so tired. A busy private practice surgeon, from Monday to Friday, I was usually away from home for 12 hours at a time. As a mom of two awesome boys, then 4 and 5 years old, after tucking them ...