"Write Your Best Chapter"

Are you panicked about your kids getting older and leaving the nest?  English is not my first language: This was obvious from the first episode you listened to in this space. I don't look at it as a handicap but an opporunity to think deeper.  I have been thinking about the idea of our 'well-being'. Like looking at what it means and then wondering if there is a way to look at in a way that brings...

What is Gratitude?  Should you be enjoying your life because others have so much worse than you? Should you finish your meal because there are people starving on the other side of the globe? One of my favorite teachings of Eckhart Tolle is around the concept of Gratitude. It is not appreciate the abundance of anything. It is simply acknowledging the good that is our life this very momement. Gratit...

Three years in the making... I have been planning on attending this retreat that kept getting reschuled. So finally, here we are in Maui. Spending 6 glorious days with Eckhart Tolle and his deep tranformative teachings. I wanted to share with you some quick pearls that I think can help you feel grounded and more connected to the here and now.  Also, if you want to join my coaching this December, g...

"You are going to beat this. Be positive."  One of the sayings that I hear family members tell their loved ones as they have only days to live. Power of positivity is undeniable. Today's podcast is going to offer you another way of being. To allow yourself to feel all the emotions means that you understand that life is inherently 'Bittersweet'.  Keeping hope in your back pocket as a breath of fres...

I missed my wedding anniversary.  I was trying to be the voice of so many people that I lost my voice. Literally and figuratively. Has this happened to you? Have you said yes to so many things in your life that un-intentionally you start saying no to the things that matter to you? Like dropping your kids off at school with a full Halloween costume? This episode is for anyone who needs a reset. Com...

We are in the third week of Iran's uprising.  After last week's episode, I had so many requests from my audience asking "What can we do?". So I reached out to a brilliant Iranian American Scientist who has been an inspiration to many people around the world.  My guest today is Dr. Firouz Naderi. He held many executive positions during his 36 years at NASA's robotic space missions leading to becoio...

On September 13th, a 22 year old Kurdish girl named Mahsa Amini, who had come to Tehran for a mini vacation with her family was detained by the "Morality Police" for having improper hijab or head covering. 3 days later, she was declared brain dead in an ICU and her body was returned to her grieving family. One week later, a young artist by the name of Shervin Hajipour, had performed a song by tyin...

Has colonoscopy given you a reason to be more mindful? The funny thing is we often associate mindfulness with a retreat or a relaxing meditation session in a beautiful location. Learn how a day of undergoing colonoscopy with medication coctail that was less than ideal taught me some deep lessons about life and being in the moment.  How are you going to carve out time for your life to be in the her...

When a very physically well person gets cancer, we always wonder: How did this happen? As if cancer only happens to unwell people.  This week's special guest, on my 100th episode of the podcast, is a friend, physician colleague and Persian friend who was diagnosed with cancer while doing all the right things.  Or, so she thought.  In reflection and hindsight always being 20/20, Dr. Parastoo Jangou...

Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself? When people complement you on the life you have created, do you try to act small and deflect the attention? You deserve all that you have created in your life and need to own up to all your success.  In this episode I will share with you how my daughter's little expression has changed how I live my life.  Join us as we celebrate being who we are in Tu...

If you are faced with a life changing diagnosis, Troy Strawhecker has a message for you: "It's going to be ok." But he'll tell you: 30 years ago he almost didn't make it.  As a young adult, he was diagnosed and had to go through the treatment of, not one, but two type of cancers. I really wanted to have him share his story. He is such a genuine and good hearted friend. When he looks back at his li...

You may know her as the mother of all support groups for women physicians in the world. Dr. Hala Sabry-Elnaggar may need no introduction, but she is the person who has single-handedly created the most meaningful community for physicians all over the world. Today's episode will be a great introduction to how her mind works: One decision at a time. She has faced personal tragedies and adversities wi...

When faced with a serious illness, we are forced to stop and pivot. We change how we eat, we change how we move through life and how we manage our relationships. What if you made that stop before you got sick? If you are a runner, there are 'rest days' that are intentionally planted in running programs so you avoid injury. How about in your life? Do you have rest days, weeks or hours in your life...

In life, we are going to meet a lot of people. As physicians, we will meet many patients along the way. There are many good questions that we can ask which will foster understanding and connection. One question that does neither is "Where are you from?". Today is the 33rd year anniversary of when I permanently moved to the United States of America. While I have lived all over the US, no matter whe...

I remember when I first heard about hospice, I thought it was only for patients dying of cancer. But then, what about millions of others who are dying a very slow and unseen death of brain failure? What do we do with and for dementia patients? So much of the actual care is carried and delivered by the unsung heros of the stories: Families and care givers. My guest today, Amy Shaw, is a brilliant a...

We were all getting excited for the summer. That's when my daughter came down with COVID. I remember in residency my chief used to say: If it's not one thing it's another. And sometimes it's one another after another. We are confused about our plans when the unexpected happens. What if we used all those bumps and unexpected events as intentions to navigate life with more ease and contentment? I wa...

In light of this week's tragedy of the mass shooting that took place in Texas, I wanted to offer you peaceful advice you can use.  A starbucks Barista in Uvalde, the city the shooting took place, asked the customer if they were caring for themselves in this time of unimaginable loss. The customer asked the same questions in return. That's when the Barista shared that she works in San Antonio, but...

How do you manage grief? Does your pain go away if you avoid it? Should you try to 'have a different way of looking at your life'? Does being in denial of the loss that has happened to your life help you move forward? How can you be sad and be grateful at the same time? In this episode, we will talk about all type of losses: Loss of a dog, a life that could have been and the loss of a future that...

My dad had a saying that I have been telling my kids for years. "It's raining: it's not raining on YOU". This week's podcast I want to teach you about a mindset shift that will change your entire weather, without the help of anyone. There are things we have no control over in life: Like how the weather in Hawaii will be on our anniversary trip. Then, there are things we have absolute control over:...

Some people wonder: 'Now that I am cancer free, how should I live my life?'. I get asked this question by my clients. They want to know how they can stop sweating the small stuff and appreciate life more fully now that they are out of the woods. The truth is, there is no out of the woods. There is also no 'in the woods'. If you are able to live your life from a place of 'There is no there, there',...

I often say, "Aging is a privilege denied to many." When I say this, I am trying to make my patients, and clients have some perspective that it's ok to get older and there is celebration in the very fact that we lived long enough to be here this moment. But, this week, I want to share the story of my client, who misses her beautiful singing voice. With her permission, I am sharing the beautiful so...

Boston Marathon is probably one of my most favorite athletic events in the US. It's an opportunity for those of us who live an ordinary life, partcipate in an extra ordinary event. Running in the same path of the world's elite athletes with the best spectators yelling out your name is the most magical experience ever. Except when someone does more than an extraordinary act of running: my guest tod...

When patients get ready to go into the operating room, they often want 'everything' done. Unfortunately, sometimes, this conversations leads to a very prolonged and painful experience in the hospital. Sometimes they make it out alive, and sometimes they don't. My guest today will focus on what it means to have these conversations well. Dr. Kim Fischer is a physician anesthesiologist and the founde...

This is not an April's Fools Day Joke. This week, as I congratulate all my physician colleagues on National Doctor's Day, I'd like to talk to you about an unspoken truth: More and more, physicians are struggling with burnout and mental health issues, and more and more, they are either ignoring it, or getting 'underground' help. Not wanting to receive mental health help from their own medical group...

You may not know my back story. When I was interviewed for Dex Randall's podcast "Burnout to Leadership", it occured to me that I shared some valuable advice for everyone to hear. I think these pearls are helpful for my own audience as well. What is it that peoplel don't know about end of life? Do I have any words of advice? Also, what is on MY bucket list? I hope you'll enjoy this candid conversa...