The Doctor's Soul

    || Hari Om || || Shree Ram || || Ambadnya ||

|| Naathsamvidh ||

 I am blogging after a very long time. This post finds its origins in something that I had written for a competition, sometime in the remote past.

It was in a forgotten file, lost in piles of junk, accumulated over the years in a neglected, dusty laptop. I could say much the same about my mind.

Somewhere along the line, I had ended up forgetting that I am a writer at heart.

Finding this, was like my past self shouting across all those years to wake me up! 

I think its time I follow my own advice :)

The Doctor's Soul

Let's keep this simple. No clichés.

 The Hero of our story is a young doctor. He could be any of us. At his core, he is all of us.

Well, this is how I see it. At the end of his journey, when he has finally achieved the success he have always dreamed of, he will get a bit of free time. A few moments of peace.

But he has nothing to do! The workaholic doctor, immersed in work or books throughout his life, now has no hobbies left to enjoy. They were all cut away to make place for "success". There would always be time for them later. And that "later" never came.

So the shades of all the lost loves he buried in the past continue to haunt him, and instead of looking with content upon what he has, he is stuck with a long list of regrets.  " If only I had..."

He has become so used to seeing pain, that he no longer notices his own. He is so used to declaring bad news, that he fails to notice that it costs him a piece of his soul every time. So many times he wants to shed tears of joy, of fear, of compassion. But work must move on. There is always someone else to treat. So he must move on.

The strong face that he wears, is much more a mask than any N-95 would ever be.

Was he the only one to suffer ? Perhaps not. Perhaps this doctor, so removed from the art and beauty of the world, may have hurt a few others along the way.

A few patients. A few colleagues.

As we become more involved in our work and study, we may tend to forget that those we hope to heal are also people. At times, we may heal their bodies, but end up scarring their minds. We should always remember that we are human too.

It is true that Medicine is a science, but the practice of Medicine is an art.

So too our lives should be. Not just the bland following of strict rules and protocols, but a little flavour of creative expression. A sprig of music. A dash of poetry. A spot of philosophy for seasoning. And above all, Faith.

What we have at the end of the day is an enhanced Doctor, at peace with the world and with himself. After all, only one who is at peace with himself can bring peace to others.

So all I have to say is: "Physician, Heal Thyself". Find that piece of music that you can hum in troubled times. Find that little novel that you can lose yourself in when things seem dark. Discover a hobby that you can pursue if time permits. Nay, find something you like so much that you MAKE the time to pursue it!

" Then when the shadows overtake us,

   Just when we feel all hope is gone

   We'll hear our song and know once more

   Our Love lives on." 

-How Does a Moment Last Forever
 (Disney's: Beauty & The Beast)


 

Finding light is not achieved by ignoring the darkness. Light is found and preserved by keeping that little flame burning inside. It does not matter what it is. If it matters to  you, it will keep you warm, even if you're buried in the snow.

Then there are those you will remember, because you touched their lives, and they touched yours in return. There is an inexplicable alchemy in the simple smile of someone who is healing. Some lives, some stories resonate with you. And the smiles and love that you have accumulated is the strongest talisman, something that will stay with you forever.

Keep that little flame burning, and it will sustain you .

Then, when your career has reached your targets, your dreams will still stay fresh and life will be just as sweet as it was when you started off.

Never be afraid to try. Never be afraid to fall. Our scars teach us more than we can imagine.

 Our mistake is a simple one. We look for happiness at the end of the journey. And that remains a mirage. One can never capture the horizon.
 Instead, happiness is the journey, and we must live it all the way!  

Light the fire deep within,

Nurture it, let it burn bright,

For the only way to beat the dark,

Is to become the light.

Start! Now! As you are,

Take a single step ahead.

Let the world unfurl before you,

The Earth shake beneath your tread.

You are the chains that bind yourself,

The weight upon your back.

Spread your wings and you break free,

Rise, and don’t look back.

 

                                     || Hari Om || || Shree Ram || || Ambadnya ||

|| Naathsamvidh ||