When I was in 6th grade, my elementary school graduation theme was “Hopes and Dreams” and I remember saying that my hopes and dreams were to become a doctor and help others. From that time forward I worked hard to get to the place where I currently am. However, even after being appointed to the faculty at one of the greatest institutions in the country, I still felt like I wasn’t quite yet there. I searched and searched for the missing link and I found it when I started studying integrative medicine….that missing link was obvious but not so much when it comes to medical practice. What I’m referring to is kindness and compassion.
Dr. Daniel Siegel speaks of kindness and compassion as being the special key that unlocks the door to integration. Integration is when all the different elements of a system are working together in harmony, kind of like an orchestra. Without integration, we have chaos and rigidity. This actually makes sense in any type of scenario if you really think about it. What Dr. Siegel is saying is that if we are kind and compassionate, then our lives and our interactions with others and the environment will be more harmonious. I believe that if we try to live this way as much as we can for as long as we can, then we will be much better off.
As I was developing the concept behind how to practice integrative medicine and use cutting edge science and technology to truly and deeply personalize recommendations for my clients, I realized that there is a sizable portion of our population that may not know about these kinds of things, know where to go for help, or even afford to go to the doctor’s office. I wanted to do more. I wanted to really fulfill my “hopes and dreams” from when I was a little elementary school kid.
Towards that end, I recently started working with The Bottomless Closet, and I am proud to announce that I am their new Health Advisor. The Bottomless Closet is truly dedicated to helping women in need receive the tools and resources they need to flourish and prosper. In addition to hosting webinars about health and wellness, I’m also helping individuals who come to The Bottomless Closet personally optimize their health, get precision medicine testing, and have access to high quality therapies at no cost to them. This is what it’s all about to me! Healthcare shouldn’t just be for those who have the means…it should be for anyone and everyone!
Not only do I have the wonderful opportunity to meet and help some fantastic people, I am also keeping myself healthy because the kindness and compassion gives back to me as well. Just that moment of feeling good about doing something for someone else is medicine for your own soul (and gut microbiome, actually!). I hope everyone reading this article can think of some way that they can give back to others and their community, especially those who need it the most. We are all one people, one country, and one planet after all!
I’ll leave you with this quote from His Holiness The Dalai Lama….it’s one of my favorites:
“I believe the purpose of life is to be happy…the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion…the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes…cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease…it is the ultimate course of success in life…if [we] remember that it is not just ourselves but everyone who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles…we can strive gradually to become more compassionate…as a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase…nature cherishes [love and compassion] above all else.”
