You are all doctors reading this
This usual blog post could now be classed as a medical journal I am sharing, with a group of doctors rather than readers, as the title suggests we may as well all call ourselves doctors (of some sort)
Allow me to explain, medical science over the years has just gotten better and better, with breakthroughs coming weekly.
After 4-7 years of study in medical college (I'd imagine not much of a walk in the park) add in the residency on top of that, not to mention the 5/6 years of secondary school to get yourself up to the level of points to even begin this journey in the first place, takes a special type of person, with dedication, commitment and a huge purpose to want to help and heal others, faced with illness or injury.
Then we move on to a surgeon, these individuals could take 13 years to finally be able to call themselves surgeons and be able to operate on a person. And rightly so, the human body and organs are so intricate and delicate that it would need a high level of training to understand the mechanics of it all.
Still with me?
These talented people are making groundbreaking discoveries all the time, and if needed, they can change a person's life and can exchange organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and even limbs such as legs, arms amongst others if it ain’t working well they can do a plan to fix it or at least give the person a better way of life than before.
The only thing they cannot change is a person's mind, now this is where people in my profession come in, and you could call us consultants or physiotherapists of the mind, where we can help through talk therapy, CBT, and with the help of tools or guidance, can assist in helping someone get through troubled areas they may be going through.
But what about those who do not attend therapy, or if they do they find themselves struggling during the week until the next session, they are doctors of their mind (yep that's you too)
And this type of training could take just as long as medical school or internships, this is an ongoing education.
Yet we do not see it as that, we are so hard on ourselves when we feel stuck or in a hole, we beat ourselves up when we fall into a bad habit or behavior from before. We allow one slip-up or one relapse to diminish all the work done previously and that in turn can send us into a spiral, where things go from bad to worse.
The difference we have to the actual doctors is that we may have been shown or thought of a different way of life, inherited beliefs, and values that do not sit well with us and to change this takes time, is uncomfortable, and sometimes seems impossible, where the students being shown how the human body works are being shown from a fresh slate.
I used the same reference to my run group this weekend, saying the mind will try to convince them they are tired, and they cannot do what was ahead of them, it will make them forget the previous 8 weeks of training that has gotten them to where they are, it will make them give up if they allow it.
I am glad to say they became doctors that day and ran like they have never run before, farther and faster and the feeling at the end of it will undoubtedly push them into this week and the ones that follow.
My point is, that we may be hard on ourselves for making mistakes or not completing a task we have set for ourselves, and the easy thing is to give up or say there is no hope when all we have to do is believe in ourselves, reflect on all the other bad times you got through and came out the other side and push through the uncomfortableness and go again.
Just like the assurances a doctor or surgeon gives us when we visit when unwell or before a procedure, we have the training and experience to give this to ourselves each day.
Now I am not suggesting you go out and buy a white coat or stethoscope but I do invite you to perhaps give yourself a break and acknowledge all you have done thus far and this is just another test or exam on the mind to retrain it to a positive outlook and result.
As always
thanks for reading,
Marcus