The Unspoken Life
Recognize Your Passion, Embrace Imperfection, and Stay Connected
Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM, CCFP
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35021125-the-unspoken-life?from_search=true
An excellent read for all veterinary staff and students. Veterinary well-being is something I believe we all need to be proactive over, developing better skills for helping ourselves and each other. This is an efficient read, and easy to absorb the details.
A very recent CDC study (Tomasi, S. et al, Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015, JAVMA Vol 254:1, 104-112) determined that veterinarians have up to a 3.5 time higher chance of death by suicide, compared to the general population. And the rate of suicide has been steadily rising over the last several years. If the CDC has taken the time and financial investment to investigate this, alarm bells should be screaming at us. This author, a veterinarian, speaks from experience regarding the critical concept that veterinary well-being should be a priority.
The main take-away that Dr. Pope-Robinson communicates, is the vitalness of connection. Without connection, feelings of isolation can overwhelm us, perpetuating negative and destructive thought patterns and behaviors. Learning to replace these negative habits with thoughts and actions of connection is her strategy for developing a robust life of well-being.
Fighting the negative components of our life (“sinkers”) intentionally and proactively with positive and up-lifting components (“balloons”) help us build and maintain connection.
Four different components of connection are discussed:
- Physical connection
- Mental connection
- Emotional connection
- Spiritual connection
While most of us expect life to balance itself out, negativity bias (the subconscious tendency to dwell on, or give greater weight to the negative) favors energy drains, rather than balanced or positive states of being. Therefore, proactively managing and connecting with positive components is a critical skill to develop!
Given the uniqueness we each carry, our sense of connection for each component will be extremely varied from each other. To establish a resilient sense of well-being, understanding things that give you a sense of connection (running, one on one time with a loved one, reading a book, spending time in nature), having strategies in place to recognize when they are needed, and engaging these positives is a skillset of incredible value.
The only moment of sun in the day, between hail storms and sunset.
A helium weather sized balloon, for me.
Dr. Pope-Robinson also discusses other vital components to remaining connected, including self-worth, conviction, acceptance, courage, vision, empathy, and resilience.
This book is an excellent starting point to start considering, developing and sustaining your sense of well-being. I recommend reading it- even if you feel well equipped, it may be a skillset that could save your life, or help you recognize another life that needs to feel connected. It will not be a burden to take the time to read it.
In addition to this book, Dr. Pope-Robinson has developed 1 Life Connected, a business dedicated to coaching individuals towards connecting your passions and your career.
Another resource on well-being, developed by the American Veterinary Medical association provides help line information, and a kit of articles and topics to help you understand and develop well-being.
While you are working through this book, what are your strategies for filling your “balloons”? What are your strategies for recognizing when your “sinkers” are tipping the scale? Share below, and help us build our tool-kits!
Further Reading/Resources:
I Need Help Please
Slaying the Savior
Thanks in support of sharing such a pleasant opinion, paragraph is nice, thats why i have read it fully
An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a
friend who has been conducting a little homework on this.
And he actually ordered me lunch because I
stumbled upon it for him… lol. So let me reword this….
Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending some time to discuss this topic here on your web site.
What’s up, I log on to your new stuff like every week.
Your humoristic style is witty, keep doing what you’re doing!
Good day I am so happy I found your website, I really found you by error, while I was looking on Digg
for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say cheers for
a fantastic post and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do
keep up the fantastic work.
I have been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or
weblog posts in this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this
website. Studying this info So i am happy to exhibit that I have an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed.
I so much no doubt will make sure to do not put out of your mind this web site and provides it a glance on a relentless basis.
Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I will definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I am confident they will be benefited from this website.
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did
you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it
for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to construct my own blog and
would like to find out where u got this from. thanks a lot
Why visitors still use to read news papers when in this technological globe all is available on web?
Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to
help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m
trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains.
If you know of any please share. Thank you!
This website was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Appreciate it!
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you, However I am going through difficulties with your
RSS. I don’t know the reason why I can’t subscribe to it.
Is there anybody else getting identical RSS issues?
Anyone who knows the answer will you kindly respond?
Thanx!!
Hey there! I know this is kind of off-topic however I needed to ask.
Does running a well-established website like yours take a large amount of work?
I’m brand new to blogging however I do write in my diary every day.
I’d like to start a blog so I will be able to share my experience and feelings online.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or tips for new
aspiring bloggers. Thankyou!
I don’t even know the way I stopped up right here, however
I believed this put up used to be good. I do not know
who you’re however definitely you are going to a well-known blogger for those who aren’t already.
Cheers!
Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with
us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking
and will be tweeting this to my followers! Superb blog and outstanding design and style.
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I
am impressed! Extremely useful info particularly the last part 🙂 I care for such info much.
I was seeking this certain info for a very long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
It’s the best time to make a few plans for the future and it’s time to
be happy. I’ve learn this publish and if I may
just I desire to counsel you few fascinating issues or advice.
Maybe you could write next articles relating to
this article. I desire to learn even more things approximately it!
Its such as you read my thoughts! You seem to know a lot approximately this, such as you wrote the book in it or
something. I feel that you just can do with some %
to force the message home a bit, but instead of
that, this is wonderful blog. An excellent read.
I will definitely be back.
Hi I am so delighted I found your weblog, I really found you by error, while
I was researching on Yahoo for something else,
Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a remarkable post and a all round exciting blog
(I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all
at the moment but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds,
so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more,
Please do keep up the superb b.
Ahaa, its nice discussion about this post at this place at this webpage, I have read all that, so
now me also commenting at this place.
I have learn a few good stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for
revisiting. I surprise how so much effort you set to make this type of
great informative website.