Dooley Noted: 12/2/14
I saw your invite to play the latest crush/saga.
It interrupted an important email return to a patient.
While you played your game, I returned to an inbox full of emails.
I wrote patient notes synced to my cloud.
I uploaded rehab videos.
While you played your game, you thought you should invite me to join.
But I will never join your game.
I live every moment of my life as if it were my last. And I want my moments to be helping people:
If you are the patient in front of me, then you are the primary focus of my universe.
When a student catches me in a quiet moment, I want them to see me working to better my skills.
When my patient walks into my office, I want them to see me on the gym floor, practicing what I preach.
They won’t see me playing the latest crush game.
They won’t see me running out of time to take care of myself, either, using my busy schedule as an excuse.
They will see me making myself a priority as much as I make them a priority.
I can’t let a phone game suck my valuable time.
The world has so much for me to teach and to learn that I would beg for endless time if it were offered.
While you were playing the saga game, I was learning more and more about the human body and its capabilities.
When you walk into my office as a patient, you will be relieved I didn’t accept your game invite.
But here’s an invite for you.
Instead of the game, take that time this morning to learn something new.
When you’re tempted to play it in the afternoon, teach someone what you’ve learned.
This evening, when the game calls to you, look up things you want to know. Contemplate how you can do even better tomorrow to expand your mind.
Think.
Read.
Learn.
Teach.
Change a life. Maybe it’s yours. It might even be someone else’s.
But neither will happen if you return to the game.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley