I am sure we have all heard the phrase ‘the possibilities are endless’. Think back to an occasion when you heard this. What did you think? Did the words sink in and energize you into action, or were they just water off a ducks back?
Living from a place of possibilities is exciting and energizing. It comes from deep within us and taps into that place where our passions and creativity exist – our soul.
Is this your current life experience? If not, could it be that you are overwhelmed? We all face challenges, uncertainty and doubt probably on a daily basis. How we respond to those feelings and situations is what determines the outcome. It doesn’t matter what line of work you are in, being overwhelmed is a common experience. In the helping professions, this experience can be harmful to both the caregiver, and care recipient.
As a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or allied health professional, you likely entered your field wanting to make a difference – you cared about something and about people. Somewhere along the way, either well into your career or just as you started, you became discouraged, frustrated, disappointed and disillusioned by what you expected and wanted to contribute to in the delivery of healthcare and what the reality of the system was. With all the redesign of the system, to be more systems thinking and systems based, it seems that the people that work IN the system and actually deliver the care have somehow been lost or even ignored.
If that has been your experience, ask yourself this: Am I part of the problem or part of the solution? Change begins with YOU! No one knows that you may be unhappy, frustrated or overwhelmed if you do not tell them. No one can help you if you do not ask. Only YOU are responsible for your own happiness. But when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, knowing where to turn and having the energy to seek this out may leave you doing nothing and suffering in silence.
This seems to be a common experience in healthcare institutions across our country. The leadership and mentorship that is required to take our organizations to the next level is often sadly lacking. Those in positions of formal leadership are often suffering from this experience themselves – and don’t know where to turn.
The solution begins with listening. You and your team members need to be heard. You need to express where you are at, what is happening and what your current experience is. You need a coach. You need that person to LISTEN, to HEAR you, to NOT JUDGE what is, why you feel what you feel. From there you can begin the journey of knowing WHY you do what you do, connect with the emotion and passion of your work once again, and then move forward in determining HOW you want to use your skills and WHAT the work looks like. Making this commitment to invest in yourself will take you to a whole new level of personal fulfillment and happiness with who you are and what you do.
Are you ready to make the commitment to invest in yourself? The first step is starting the conversation, so call me, and let’s begin.