Inspirational and Feel-Good Music

When I'm feeling upset or just not as positive and happy as usual, I immediately pump up the tunes! It's a super easy way to step back and feel better because I'm bobbing my head to some inspirational or just happy music. The past few weeks I've been especially loving this song.

For more feel good music check out this amazing playlist on Spotify! If you're not sure about adding Spotify, I would highly recommend it! It's a lot like Pandora in that you have free music (with some ads sadly) but I like it better than Pandora because you can chose what song you want to listen to. Spotify and users make tons of playlists that you can listen to, or you can make your own playlists, or modify existing ones so the possibilities are endless! Just like Pandora, if you don't like the ads, you can get Spotify Premium -- it's $10/month for no ads, plus you can download it on extra devices like phones and tablets. If you're a student it's only $5/month! Also you can "download" playlists so they are saved on your computer/phone and you don't need an internet connection to listen to them. If you're weirded out by having to use Facebook to log in, you can definitely add it without linking it to your Facebook page (also a good option if you don't have a Facebook!). I didn't mean to write a whole paragraph about Spotify, I just wanted to share this awesome song, but thought I should include some more info on Spotify since I didn't really understand how to use it before downloading and now I use it so much!

Do you have any go-to music for when you're feeling down? I'd love some recommendations in a comment below!

Thanks for reading!

Inspiration Station: Super Woman

I just read this awesome interview on The Every Girl about Dr. Valencia Walker, a neonatologist and clinical professor at UCLA School of Medicine. It was super inspirational and talked about how Dr. Walker got to where she is today. Her passion really shines through in the article and it reminded me about how tough yet rewarding medicine can be! Definitely a must-read for anyone in the health professions field!

Thanks for reading!

Inspiration Station: Superstars and Superchics

I love a good pep talk or inspirational quote (as seen here, here, and here). So it's no surprise that I love TED Talks! If you've never heard of TED, it's an organization that has conferences (which are recorded!) with interesting and intelligent speakers who share their empowering ideas in 18 minutes or less. I recently watched this TED Talk and it really struck a cord in me. It's definitely worth the 15 minutes to watch it, so if you're interested I've written a quick synopsis below!

Margaret Heffernan talks about the importance of social capital aka social interactions/friends at work! For companies and organizations to be successful, people need to talk to each other because one or two superstars or "superchics" can't dominate an organization. Everyone is important and everyone has something they can contribute. One person can come up with an idea and during lunch or a coffee break, can share the idea and people can build on it to make a life-changing innovation. I love that message. In health care we are always taught that we are a team and that everyone on that that team is extremely valuable because each person knows something important that you don't know. As one of my friends always says, "you can learn something from everyone". Utilizing this in your job or in daily interactions can help us take the competitive culture of the world and make it an inclusive, friendlier, and much more successful place.

I hope you're as inspired as I was after watching this TED Talk! Do you have a favorite TED Talk? Comment below, I'd love to watch it!

Thanks for reading!

Scarves and Sweets

Inspiration Station: Comparison Is the Thief of Joy

Theodore Roosevelt is known to have said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I love this quote because it is a daily reminder that comparing yourself to others will never make you feel better or happier. It is human nature to compare yourself to others and it is so easy to do so in terms of your job, grades, clothes, car, happiness, vacations, significant other, salary, the list could go on forever. But guess what? You can't compare yourself to others for two big reasons.

1. Comparisons are inaccurate because you never know the whole story. Someone could have a high-paid, respectable job but have horrible hours and never spend any time with their family. They could post amazing pictures of a vacation, but the trip was actually horrible and they lost their luggage and got mugged and ended up in the hospital for dysentery. Someone could seem really happy and put-together but inside they are dealing with mental illness or anxiety problems. Don't compare yourself because your comparison isn't accurate, the grass seems way greener on the other side.

2. It doesn't matter!!!! Even if you do want to compare, it's useless because life isn't about your salary during one time of your life, or about your grades in one class, or the awesome sports car you once bought. Life is a marathon and you need to focus on running yours well, and not about people running faster or slower than you. If your goal is to be a good physician, one exam in orgo isn't going to define you, neither is your MCAT score, or your class rank in medical school. All those things are important to some extent but what will get you through life and make you successful is how well you deal with adversity, because if you can continue to motivate yourself and keep running when times are tough, you will be the real winner. Keep your eye on your own goals and remember to focus on your journey, not anyone else's. There isn't one correct journey in life. (Example: in my med school class there are people from ages 20-45 who have had so many different experiences, jobs, education, etc and we are all going to be successful because we each have our own talents and skills). Everyone is on their own path so worry about yourself and being the best YOU and don't worry about anyone else. Comparison is the thief of joy. Focus on yourself: hard work and perseverance will enable you to succeed.

Thanks for reading!

Scarves and Sweets

PS Get this fabulous print at Pen and Paint's Etsy shop! I have the 8x10 version hanging in my kitchen as a daily reminder :)

PPS Get more inspiration here!

Inspiration Station: Navy Seals

I wanted to share one of my favorite inspirational videos of all times, featuring the UT Austin 2014 graduation speaker, Admiral William H. McRaven. In the video, the Admiral tells the graduates the top 10 lessons he learned from Navy Seal training 36 years ago, and how they connect with success in life. His lessons really hit home for me and whenever I need some inspiration, I watch this video. I've summarized the lessons below!

 

1. Make your bed every day -- it will give satisfaction of starting each day with a completed task.

2. Find someone to help you paddle -- find mentors and friends to help you through life.

3. Measure a person by the size of their heart, not by the size of their flippers -- respect everyone.

4. Get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward -- life is not fair and there will be disappointments but keep working and don't let them get you down.

5. Don't be afraid of the circuses -- you will fail often, but don't be afraid of more practice and training to make you better and stronger.

6. Slide down the obstacles head first -- don't be afraid to take risks and trying things in a new way.

7. Don't back down from the sharks -- face down the bullies and don't back down.

8. Be your very best even during your darkest hours -- step up when times are the toughest.

9. Start singing when you are up to your neck in mud -- lift up the downtrodden because hope will get you through the hard times.

10. Don't ever, ever ring the bell -- never ever, EVER give up!

What do you think?! Comment below :)

Thanks for reading!

Scarves and Sweets