Thousands of people gathered in Pennsylvania at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney awaiting the answer: Will the frigid winter continue for another 6 weeks? the famous Groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, emerged for his annual prediction at around 7:30am. He did not see his shadow! Bundled in their winter gear, the crowd cheered as Punxsutawney Phil predicts an …Read More
Author: Dr. Joel Ying, MD
Physician-Educator-Storyteller. Integrating the power of story into medicine, healing sessions, workshops, speaking and performance.
It Ain’t Love It’s Dopamine ~ Natalie Wilson
As we gamify our lives, even love has become a game. The chemical of addiction is dopamine. The reward that our brain receives is a hit of dopamine when we win the lottery, win the video game, win at blackjack, win the girl or guy, win … win … win … This brain neurotransmitter makes us …Read More
#26: Storytelling as Medicine (Caren Neile)
In my expanded definition, “medicine” is anything that heals the body, mind, emotions, or spirit. As a physician, this includes the Western medications that I prescribe, but it goes beyond to include so much more. In every conversation, it is important to define the context and agree upon the definitions that we are using. Here …Read More
Steven Johnson – Play, Creativity, Invention
“Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation.” —Michael Schrage Creativity and play are inextricably linked. If necessity is the mother of invention, play might just be the father. The interplay (pun intended) of necessity and playfulness have both brought the world some serious innovations. In the TED talk video below, …Read More
Do It Anyway ~ Mother Teresa
Do It Anyway People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you …Read More
How to have a good conversation
We are social creatures, built for connection. Almost like a hive organism, the whole human population has become an interconnected web of information. As I awake in the morning to the alarm on my smart phone, I contemplate how to start my day. The evening before, I had looked at my schedule to determine when …Read More
Narrative Medicine ~ Rita Charon
Narrative Medicine fortifies clinical practice with the narrative competence to recognize, absorb, metabolize, interpret, and be moved by the stories of illness. ~ Dr. Rita Charon With the age of science and objectivity applied to modern medicine, little space is left for empathy and emotions. “Just the facts” has become the litany that creates a …Read More
Mystic Borderland ~ by Helen Field Fischer
There is a Mystic Borderland There is a mystic borderland that lies Just past the limits of our workday world, And it is peopled with the friends we met And loved a year, a month, a week or day, And parted from with aching hearts, yet knew That through the distance we must loose the …Read More
Keep Going ~ by Edgar A. Guest
Keep Going When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must—but don’t you quit. Life …Read More
Video: Funny News Lady
Laughter is medicine, but this might be an overdose. Watch this video responsibly. Please remember to breathe. The snorting noise is normal. The wet feeling in your pants is not. Watch Video: Funny News Lady – Who’s Seen My Tits? – Original Report and Autotune Remix