Below are a few reflections from the head of our advisory board, Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, MD, Professor of Medicine who served as Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Harvard Medical School for 12 years.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic that none of us imagined we would be living through in our lifetime.
Unprecedented in its scale it has brought out the worst and the best in us.
It’s a time for us to reflect on what’s truly important and to recalibrate our priorities.. indeed, our lives.
Travel has come to a grinding halt, meetings and events have been cancelled or postponed all leading for most of us to have some bonus time on our hands. That’s a precious gift.
I respectfully suggest we use it to do some of the following things and welcome additional suggestions from the reader.
1. Start your day by springing out of bed when you wake up.
Sing in the shower.
Sip your coffee, enjoy the taste and aroma.
Stretch.
Dress up as though you were going to work, no lounging in your pajamas…and have the strong intention of having a productive day.
2. Find time for Meditation, Silence or Prayer
3. Say “I love you” to family and dear friends on a regular basis.
4. Connect with family and friends by Zoom on a regular basis. Enliven the conversation with upbeat stories and humor.
5. Write a book. Each one of you has a story to tell.
6. Start the preparation for A TED x talk. There are books and tips on how to do so readily available. At a minimum, it will make you a better speaker.
7. Exercise regularly. If you don’t like to do it don’t think of the effort and discomfort but instead of the way you will feel when you finish it.
8. Learn a new language.
¡Hola! (Spanish)
Ciao. (Italian?)
9. Learn a new hobby. Bridge is something I know a few of my friends are planning on learning.
10. Declutter your home. It does more than clear up physical space.
11. If you are holding a grudge get rid of it. It’s only hurting you.
12. Write a gratitude journal. Even once a week. Say Sunday evening? As you are taking stock of what’s in store the following week, reflect on what you are grateful for in the past 7 days and write it down!
