Live As Yourself

What does it mean by living as yourself? To answer that question, the first step is to discover who you are. What kind of person are you? What are your goals in life? What are your values? What is your attitude in general?

When you are always on the go, always rushing from one place to another, or if you are trying to just getting by another day, it is difficult to know yourself at a deeper level.

You may wonder, what does this have to do with being a physician?

It has everything to do with being a physician. In the medical system we are in, many physicians are told to do things a certain way. It may be how the outpatient clinic is run. It may be how many patients you are expected to see to make your RVU. Those things may not be exactly where your desire is. When you are in an environment of restricted autonomy, or even stripped of your autonomy, it may be challenging to pause and think about who you really are and what your values are. You may fall into the trap of believing that nothing you do will change the situation (in healthcare, for example).

It is important to know what your values are and what your top priorities are. Without this knowledge, it is hard to know if you are living as who you are. When you think about it, who you are is a decision. You get to decide your identity and who you want to be. Knowing who you are helps you decide what to do with the next step in your career. Is it best for you to stay or to leave? Is it better to stay and ask for a modified schedule? What is your version of the best way to connect with patients?

Having a conflicted life is when you are living according to someone else’s values, or if you are not living in alignment with your own values.

Keep in mind that who we are will change over time. Think of yourself when you were five years old, fifteen years old, or fifty years old. Your values are different. Your goals are different. Your attitudes are different. You are shaped by your experiences and by people around you. We are always evolving because, as much as we have our own set of values, with time and events, there will undoubtedly be some kind of a shift.

Always be curious, light-hearted, and ready to learn new things. We stop learning when we are no longer living in this world.

Most things are not absolutely good or bad. Living as yourself is meant for you to carry out your beliefs in action. Sometimes, we may use this as an excuse for what we do or not do. For example, you may think that you are always anxious about everything and that is you – implying that it cannot be changed. Therefore, living as yourself in this situation means allowing yourself to be anxious and focus on possible outcomes which may cause you to feel even more anxious.

It is important to realize that who you are changes overtime. Sure, some basic values are probably here to stay with you, if you are true to yourself. Allow yourself to evolve overtime. Make sure you are always ready to learn new things. Be willing to become a better version of yourself. Just like the cell phones – they come out with the best version yet – until the next version comes out.

Living as yourself requires that you know yourself well. Understand and explore your goals, values and attitudes. Realize how they have changed over time and be prepared for them to change as time goes on. Having the freedom to live as yourself and not according to someone else’s values is a choice. We have choices – it is just that sometimes, the alternative option is so unpleasant that we make ourselves believe there is no choice. When you are choosing to be a certain way, to do a particular something, it is more powerful to be choosing it rather than being stuck with it.