The Purpose Filter

Ready to hear an embarrassing story? It's a tale of obsession and fixation on an object of desire—specifically the Hermes Kelly leather luxury handbag—that ultimately helped me realize an uncomfortable truth about who I was and where I wanted to take my life. It's a story of how I fell victim to external noise and expectations, how it clouded my judgment and kept me from finding my true self. This...

In palliative care, we are taught to embrace silence and even how to use it strategically when having difficult conversations. In this episode, we delve further into how we can use quiet reflection and silent space to have profound breakthroughs in our own lives and how to use it to cultivate a deeper connection with our world and ultimately, ourselves. Follow @purposefilter on Instagram for more...

Let's face it: we all know someone who's so incredibly confident that we're secretly jealous and wish we could be more like them. My friend recently asked me "How are you so confident??" The thing is, I wasn't always this way. I grew up as a shy immigrant who was constantly bullied, which eventually led me to being taken advantage of in all aspects of my adult life—in school, at work, and in my re...

In this episode we explore grief and how to begin the process of healing after experiencing loss. Whether you have lost a job, a relationship, your health or the life of a loved one, this episode shares the strategies that will set you on the path towards feeling better. "...there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grieving is as individual as our lives." - Elisabe...

Part 2 of our special anniversary episode chronicles the experiences of 9 Americans, as told in their own words. Hear their powerful stories as they share their whereabouts that day, how 9/11 has shaped their thoughts about life, the pandemic, and the world. Two decades have passed since the crisp September morning that would alter the course of history. I was only 14 at the time, going to school...

Two decades have passed since the crisp September morning that would alter the course of history. A singular event that upended our lives, our world views and our country. I was only 14 at the time, going to school just a few blocks away from the twin towers, so 9/11 is a day that carries a special place in my heart. Join me for a special 2 part episode where we reflect on our experiences on the a...

Tell me if you've ever said this to yourself: "Oh, We all know what a "bucket list" is—we all probably have one of our own. It's a list of items we'd like to accomplish before the proverbial bucket kicking aka the end of our lives. We think we'll be able to start crossing items off our bucket list at a later date. We wait until the time is "right", when we've achieved a big goal or turned a certai...

What's the right path, the right way to do something? Society, culture and the people around us often dictate we perceive as the "correct" path forward. But what happens when what we feel in our hearts differs from the typical, the normal, the socially accepted? This episode discusses how finding the "right" way requires one to look inward, and how things often work out even better than we could h...

You've seen the side by side comparisons: expectations versus reality. Perhaps an online purchase was not as advertised or your cake doesn't turn out like the beautiful recipe you followed. But how much of what's causing us stress, anxiety, anger and disappointment in life is because of the mismatch between what we thought was going to happen versus what our reality actually is? How does the lens...

Join me in this episode to learn about my journey to pursuing palliative care, how it's made me a better person and transformed how I practice medicine and view the world. Per the World Health Organization: "Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief o...

What does it mean to lead a life well-lived? As a palliative care physician, I’m fortunate to witness some of life’s most intimate moments at the bedside of seriously ill--often terminal--patients. There’s an incredible clarity, purpose and meaning that comes with confronting one’s mortality and my mission is to share that with the world so everyone can live their best, most meaningful and fulfill...