“We were both in the same class and received the same grades, what makes you a better doctor?”
“Yes, we both learned the same material, but it seems you forgot that patients are not case studies, they are people with whom we need to connect with…”
Some people say life is all about connections; in reality, life is all about Connecting! Being able to let go of ourselves and bond with another. Connecting transforms a stranger into a friend.
So what is the secret? How does one genuinely connect?
Stop thinking about yourself. Remember that it’s not about you, it’s about the person sitting in front of you. It’s about peeling away the many layers that we may hide under. Stop taking yourself so seriously. You’ve got to let go.
Start connecting and sensing another person’s feelings. The connection starts as soon as you determine where the first layer of “I” turns into “we” – the moment we take another person seriously is the moment we change. We cease to exist as an isolated individuals, as we forge a bond that connects us.
Think of the grandma who visits the doctor with her husband regarding her broken foot.
The doctor asks what happened:
The grandpa answers, “we broke our foot!”
The doctor asks, “whose foot?”
The old man answers, “the left foot!”
“Sir! I’m asking whose foot!?”
“Oy, these young Doctors. I told you it’s the left foot! What difference does it make if it’s my foot or my wife’s?”
Happy connecting and Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendy
