Many of us physicians started our careers with aspirations to live meaningful lives in service to others. We set off to become stewards of health and to be the beacons of light in times of sickness and death. We spent our youth studying and training in order to be doctors and to have life-long careers we can be proud of. But instead, many of us find ourselves in a health care system that prioritizes money above all else. We find ourselves forced to make decisions that go against our moral character or we are pushed to our limits to increase profitability for the system. Along the way, we have lost touch of our core values related to compassion and care. Our physical and mental health are also compromised in environments that do not prioritize our wellness.

Even though systemic change is sorely needed, there are inner practices and changes we can make within ourselves that can support us as we continue to serve our patients and help us become the change makers who are needed. This is not just another book or course that asks us to work harder, become more resilient or work more efficiently. Most physicians are already resilient. Instead, it is a guide to help us reconnect with meaning and the richness of this path in medicine.

The teachings in this book draw from deep Zen practice, meditation and chaplain training but it is secular and universal. You do not need any meditation experience or to have a particular spiritual background to be able to benefit from this book, although it may inspire you to develop a meditation practice!

This book could be listened to individually but it is also meant to be a conversation starter in group-learning situations. A physician’s path can be a lonely path as we are not taught to form communities or share our successes or difficulties. It is in safe dialog that we can heal through narrative repair and this book provides real-life examples, questions and contemplations to facilitate these deep explorations individually and in community.