Resiliency Rounds Introduction

I believed that professional success and money made people happy. I was lucky to have a family that loved me and basic comforts. This luck and some hard work got me into medical school. I was 18 and I felt that Happiness WAS within my reach.

I traded my 20s for medical training. I completed my residency and fellowship because I believed that as a "specialist", I would be more respected and would have a higher standing. I was in my mid 30s before I got done with my training. I landed my first job as an attending physician. I felt that Happiness was NOW within my reach.

I quickly found out just providing patient care was not enough to get the respect and the higher standing that I coveted. I needed to get titles, publications, and awards too. I needed mentors and professional societies to sponsor me. I needed to expand my lifestyle to that of a 'doctor'. I started pursuing these goals. I felt Happiness was now, FINALLY, within my reach.

After a few years in this pursuit I was burnt out from my work. I blamed the system, insurance companies, healthcare corporations, electronic health records, and societal and professional expectations. I felt less interested in my work. I started focussing on my health instead. I started strength training aggressively, to distract myself. This new found focus felt great, and resulted in physical fitness beyond my expectations. I was convinced that I had found a way to stop burnout. My job was a side gig, my main goal was physical fitness. Having this healthy goal was all I needed. I had FOUND happiness.

Then one day, I found myself lying on the floor of my home, with a debilitating back injury from working out too hard. I would never be able to work out the same way again. I felt defeated and extremely unhappy. During that time my dog got sick and died a few weeks later. I realized that I had no control over my life. Here I was, in my mid 30s, I had money, family and a successful career and I was still unhappy and not in control. How was that possible? Was I unworthy of happiness?

The more time I spent on the floor, by myself without being engrossed by the day to day life of a busy doctor or pursuing physical perfection, the more I started looking into myself and asking questions. With each passing day, I realized I knew little about life. I could save lives but I did know how to live one.

What is happiness? What is my purpose? What IS purpose?

Freud said, " the opposite of happiness is not tragedy but neurosis." 

I was anxious because I was uneducated, not in the technical sense but uneducated in the philosophy of Life. Once I realized that I didn't know anything, I knew what I needed to do, I needed to get educated. If I could not define happiness, how could I be worthy of it? 

I started reading, listening and participating in the Great Conversation. I was no longer anxious about my unhappiness. The great minds of western thought became my mentors. I began conversing daily with Socrates and Plato. I began learning from Kant, St Augustine, and Locke.

My conversations are being lead by Mortimer Adler. I do not travel alone, I met a brother and together we are on the path to Purpose. We have started a movement that helps us and others build resiliency through virtue. I am not burnt out anymore, I feel resilient. I can answer basic questions about life, I know the virtues, I have a purpose. I know what makes one worthy of happiness. This road to resiliency is not a secret, it was paved for us by brilliant minds over thousands of years. We just need to get our heads out of modern day distractions and find the path. We believe that we have rediscovered the path to resiliency.

We want to share this with you.

Hi! We are Eddie and Aneesh, we are practicing doctors and it's time for Resiliency Rounds.

-Aneesh