Perspectives on a Fulfilling Life: The ABC Approach to Finding Meaning and Happiness

💭 Thoughts of the week

I've been contemplating my perspectives on life and have come to some new realizations.

I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to study medicine and become a doctor in Australia, a country with a strong healthcare system. However, being a doctor can take a toll on various aspects of my life.

There are times when it feels overwhelming. As a medical registrar, my work typically starts around 7:30 AM and sometimes doesn't end until around 5:00 PM if I’m lucky. This is just the work part of my life, not to mention the time I still need to dedicate to studying for exams or staying up to date with treatments. This leaves little time for other things in life.

While there are financially rewarding locum jobs available throughout Australia, I won't be discussing that in this post because it doesn't align with my current goal of advancing in the medical field.

This made me contemplate what it truly means to lead a fulfilling life. I started reflecting on what I've been doing over the past few years, what I've been striving to achieve, and whether my actions are really guiding me in the right direction. With such a busy life, I sometimes feel lost and drained from work. As I scroll through Instagram and see others appearing happy and blissful, I reflect on the life I truly want to live. I also question whether I am propelling myself towards a fulfilling life that aligns with my desires or if I am simply trying to achieve what society sees as success for a doctor.

I haven't figured it all out yet, but I have reflected on what I believe contributes to a fulfilling life. Of course, this is based on my own context, but I hope it provides some perspective for how you might think about your own life as well.

To make it more memorable, I've come up with this ABC approach:

1. AcceptAs doctors, we are trained to be perfectionists. This mindset extends beyond our work and seeps into other areas of our lives. I used to feel unhappy if I couldn't do everything perfectly. As an adult, I felt pressure to learn about investing, taxes, and staying fit, among many other things. Whenever I made an occasional indulgence, like having fast food for dinner or spent some money on camping tools, I felt guilty as if I had made a unforgivable mistake.However, this year I've learned to be kinder to myself. I've accepted that making mistakes is normal and part of being human. I now take a deep breath and assess the consequences of my actions. For example, if I decide to buy a cup of Starbucks instead of saving for an ETF, the result wouldn't be as catastrophic as making a mistake in a patient's treatment. Therefore, there's no need for me to be emotionally defeated by these minor mistakes.With practice, I've realized that it's okay to make mistakes most of the time. Accepting my humanity and the inevitability of mistakes has helped me navigate various aspects of life better. Understanding that I can't excel at everything has been relieving and has allowed me to embrace the vulnerability of being human. This, in turn, has brought more contentment and improved my emotional well-being.

2. BecomingI believe that our identity ultimately determines our place in the world. Knowing who we are helps us understand our value and fosters a sense of belonging, leading to a more fulfilling life.The process of becoming is more significant than the end result. Moving towards a chosen identity, one that we have properly identified, fills us with purpose. This aligns with the concept of "Ikigai" in Japanese philosophy.I still remember when I was in secondary school, I believed I would be happier if I could make it to medical school. As a medical student, I felt that passing my exams and becoming a doctor would bring contentment. As an intern, I believed that becoming a consultant quickly and earning more money would make me better off financially and therefore happier.While these goals were not inherently wrong, looking back, it was the process of striving towards those goals that truly brought me a sense of fulfillment.It was the journey of "becoming" rather than the destination of "became" that truly mattered.

3. ContributeLastly, I believe that I am a part of something greater than myself, a small piece of the universe rather than the center of everything. Recognizing that I contribute to the larger tapestry of life helps me feel both humble and significant. It humbles me to exist in this vast world, yet it empowers me to understand that I have a role in keeping it functioning.The feeling of being able to contribute to this complex world gives me a sense of purpose. As a doctor, knowing that my knowledge and skills help others on a regular basis brings me contentment. Life has its ups and downs, and learning to navigate through them is part of the journey. However, the knowledge that I can contribute to the world pulls me out of low points and makes the challenges of this career, which carries the weight of others' lives, more bearable.

I would love to hear your thoughts on how you approach life at this point and what you believe constitutes a fulfilling life. Let's learn from one another!

💊 Did you know?

Insulin is used to lower blood sugars and is primarily used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, regardless of whether it is type 1 or resistant type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is also occasionally used to manage high blood potassium levels acutely.

Initially, insulin was extracted from bovine or porcine sources. However, this posed some problems as it caused allergic reactions in some individuals.

A significant breakthrough came in 1973 with the invention of the DNA cloning technique, which further advanced the production of insulin through recombinant DNA. Nowadays, the main method of insulin production involves inserting the human insulin DNA into the DNA of a specific bacteria, commonly E. coli. This modified bacteria then produces the insulin that is currently used widely.

✍🏻 Quote for the week