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As a mother and a doctor, I know you are sometimes worried and afraid, overwhelmed and overstretched. But your families depend on you to be their foundation. You're imperfect. And that's okay.
Because you are something better.
You're whole, fierce, and unshakeable.

As a woman, there are societal expectations that you be helpful, caring, and nurturing. When you are strong and you have attended to your needs, it’s very natural to want to help others. Humans are hard wired to connect, belong, and contribute. This is what thriving is all about! What doesn’t work so well is […]

I know—there is so much to do. But, you’re not going to do “busy” anymore right? And you have a smaller plate, so some things have to go! Let’s focus on the following 2×2 table and get rid of the hate-to-do/don’t-have-to-do combination of tasks. Many things that meet these criteria likely sneak into your week. […]

I once did a parenting quiz that had a title along the lines of “find out how you’re screwing up your kids!” On the “permissive to controlling parenting style” spectrum, I scored really high on the controlling side. The quiz suggested that my parenting style encouraged learned helplessness—that my kids would wait to be told […]

Is there a book you’ve long promised yourself to read? Or an adventure you’d like to experience with your family? Or a hobby you’d like to try? What’s stopping you? “But Dawn, I don’t have the time!” Hmm….let’s agree to disagree. Last week, I asked you to get into the habit of choosing. Choose one […]

What did you love to do BEFORE you became a doctor? Do you remember that version of yourself? Does “clinician, teacher, and researcher” encapsulate your wanted identities? If they do, and you wholeheartedly love medicine today as much as you did on the first day of anatomy class, then you have chosen so well! I’m […]

Jonathan Fields, a former lawyer, now thought leader in the world of purposeful living, has a simple and powerful model for focusing on what is needed for a great life. His model consists of 3 buckets: Credit: Simple 3 Bucket System, by Jonathan Fields I love the simplicity of his model and how it focuses […]

When you’re a medical student, your dreams are as big as mountains. Vast, seemingly limitless. You dream of travel, your possible future partner, where you will work and climb the ladder. As a resident, you start to let medical culture mould you. You choose a speciality and adopt its personality. You start to grow a […]