When you believe that you control your destiny, that's when the real thought experiment begins. That's when you are ready to ask yourself the deep, penetrating questions that truly matter.
How have you become who you are today?
What is it that you visualize yourself to be?
What do you want your obituary to look like (as an endpoint that drives you to organize yourself in the present)?
When you are ready to truly answer these questions, it shows a degree of resilience that most people never achieve. And this allows you to become invulnerable in the face of any circumstances.
I am an optimist. I believe that any individual in any walk of life can become the best possible version of themselves.
My studies in anthropology have shown me that humans are not only a socially driven species, but that we also thrive with delivering a personal touch to others.
If you are a caring, successful mother, there are people out there who need your opinion and advice. If you are an awesome cook, there are people out there who crave your food. If you are an amazing driving instructor, there are teenagers out there who need the confidence and trust that only you can teach and inspire. If you are a daycare teacher, there are children out there who desire your dedication and foresight. If you are simply a compassionate person, there are countless individuals in nursing homes who need your attention. And if you are someone with professional expertise, then you are truly fortunate, as there are a myriad of people who value your services.You would be doing a disservice to them and to yourself by not taking control of your destiny and bringing your talents to the world.
Some of us are gifted with natural talents, but I think if one builds on attitude, then there are only two things that matter: doing active good and having the willingness to serve.
When I was a teenager, I did this naturally only because I wanted to do it. I pushed wheelchairs, I comforted the dying, I played Bingo with the elderly, I watched The Three Stooges with stroke victims who could not speak, and I fed those who could not eat on their own.
It never boils down to merely what your talents are in the final analysis. Skills can be taught, but a helping attitude – like the one you exhibit – is difficult to instill in those who don't have it. If you don't have the attitude that seeks and strives to be unyielding in doing active good and willingly serving, then you don't have what it takes.
Finally, all things come together when you are passionate.
When you are searching and seeking, you will find what you are looking for. You have to allow what you are and wish to become effervesce to the surface. It literally should bubble over.
All things come together when you are passionate. Passion clarifies and crystallizes your mission in life.
Passion allows you to digest and endure your experiences with resilience, using them for your benefit, selecting out what you truly need to galvanize the right attitude from within at all times. It becomes your second nature. Nothing can hurt you. Nothing can take that understanding away from you. In fact, every circumstance in the field of experience becomes your tool in finding inspiration toward what makes you passionate.
You can call me quixotic. You can call me a renegade. That's fine, but let me tell you just one thing…It's all about your resilience, your attitude, and your passion. If you remember nothing at all, remember simply to become passionate. Remember to do what you simply must. It's that simple. Doing active good originates from your true passion.
And that is what will make all the difference in the world for you.
Dr. Sohal, M.D. is a professional member of the American College of Physicians. Born in Houston, Texas, he grew up in south Florida near Ft. Lauderdale. His academic and service achievements were featured on the front page of the hometown edition of the Miami Herald after graduating Valedictorian of his high school. A graduate of Duke University, he completed his studies in three years, majoring in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy. He attained a highest possible score on the MCAT, achieved by less than 0.1% of all examinees. As a contributor to one of the largest cardiac anatomy imaging studies ever completed, he has published a study conducted at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sohal is trained in internal medicine with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease, and has cared for thousands of patients in his roles as an attending physician and medical director. He first heard of ETR through Michael Masterson's book Ready, Fire, Aim. Currently, he is building the website SoulMD that will be dedicated to providing free premium content to visitors. He intends it to be at the forefront of integrating health and medicine with the greater concepts of our humanity and spirituality.