In the reflective space between the old year and the new, I found three words to describe myself. It was 2018. I did not yet know how these words fit together; I just knew that they were potent.
- Physician: The life-changing training that changed how I think and see the world. I had already expanded my definition of healing into a holistic approach of body, mind, spirit.
- Educator: The role of “teacher” has always attracted me. “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.” This ancient wisdom changed how I approach medicine, and encouraged me to teach workshops. In medicine, we also say, “See one. Do one. Teach one.” This is how we pass on the skills of the profession. This is how we empower others, rather than just fix them.
- Storyteller: Since 2015, I had been captivated by the art and craft of story as an oral performance art. As a “seed art,” I began to see that everything has a story. Indeed, our world is made up of stories.
I would become a Physician-Educator-Storyteller. I bandaged the words together to create a new vision. I changed my monthly newsletter to explore these 3 categories. As a holistic physician, I already had a wide definition of healing, and it became even wider. My workshops began to move from holistic medicine and meditation towards storytelling. The art of storytelling was new in my life, so I devoted time and energy to learning the craft. I began to seek out and move towards activities that fit this trifecta. It would take another year before I would teach an undergraduate course called, “Storytelling as Healing,” integrating all 3 roles.
Reflection
As 2024 comes to a close, and 2025 looms on the horizon. Again, I am at a place of reflection.
“Uncle Joel is a doctor,” explained my uncle to his 9-year-old grandson, Joseph, this past summer.
I am in earshot occupied in a project at the dining room table, and I realize that somehow this is a teaching moment between grandfather and grandson. I realize that I have only been the relaxed uncle on vacation in T-shirts and shorts, and he has no idea what the rest of my life looks like.
“Oh,” says Joseph, his eyes widening as if recomputing something. I see myself grow taller in Joseph’s eyes. Both his parents are doctors, so I’m not really sure how impressed he is, but I am now on par with his parents.
“Yes,” says his grandfather, “he’s also a professor at a university… He teaches.”
Joseph looks perplexed for a moment. His mouth widens and pauses, silent for a moment. Then he asks with concern, “Why doesn’t he just have one job?”
And I laugh. My uncle laughs… Joseph waits for an answer. My uncle says something that I don’t hear because my own thoughts are so loud. I have somehow fallen down a few notches below the societal expectations that he has been taught. My uncle is giving him some new lesson: “The people in this family are successful.” Joseph is pretty smart, and I have no doubt that he has absorbed the lesson.
I tell one of my storytelling friends this funny interchange. She also laughs and says, “He should have asked, how you are so lucky? Why would we want to do just one thing?”
Looking Ahead
As I peer into 2025, I am contemplating the balance in my life between the three roles of Physician-Educator-Storyteller. I do feel lucky in this process of becoming. My uncle has not yet said, “Uncle Joel is a Storyteller,” but he did manage to say, “Uncle Joel teaches Storytelling.” This is the uncle that tells the family stories and keeps them alive. And now, he is sharing my story with his grandson. He is the family storyteller, but it is not his profession. He teaches the importance of this role by embodying it.
And the question that stares me in the face… a question even more difficult to answer… who am I outside of my profession? What do I want to be in 2025?
Each new year, I delve into creating a powerful invocation.
“Physician-Educator-Storyteller” is a powerful invocation, but perhaps it is time to go deeper…
What is your invocation? What are you becoming? How are you transforming?
Release and Renewal New Year Retreat: Creating a Powerful Invocation
Join me in the upcoming online community event. Use the Release and Renewal process to create your own powerful invocation for 2025. We’ll do it together!
January 3 – 5, 2025
Online Workshop
Release and Renewal New Year Retreat: Creating a Powerful Invocation
With the powerful Storytelling of Dr. Joel Ying and the presence process of Suzanne Scurlock, these masterful facilitators guide you through the process to create your own potent and distilled invocation that will inspire you into action to manifest your dreams. Register Today!
