Ikigai
Ikigai (生き甲斐) is an ancient Japanese concept meaning 'reason for being' or 'life's purpose'. It encompasses what we love, what we are good at, what the world needs, and what the world values. It affects our emotional and physical well-being, personal fulfillment, and contributions to our community and the world. We often find our ikigai in simple daily tasks and the mindful presence of our existing inner strength.
Love
What brings joy to your life? What brings a spark to you when someone asks about this topic, or you can lose yourself in it and forget how much time has gone by?
For me, being a family physician is one of the things that I love. It is a joy to learn about people’s lives and share my knowledge to help them through their journey of health. Since I was a child I have loved to read, explore, and experiment. I love learning about other cultures, looking at things from new perspectives, bringing in knowledge from different backgrounds, solving complex problems. Patients constant teach me and challenge me to learn more.
Talent
What are your natural talents, skills and strengths? What comes easy to you, or what type of tasks do you gravitate towards?
I have always been one to help others, to teach, and to fill in the gaps where I see a need. My mom was a teacher, and I thought I might become a teacher for some time, and to this day teaching my patients is one of my joys. My dad was a social worker, and helping people find what they need has always been a knack of mine as well. I’ve always enjoyed bringing organization to chaos. I like working with my hands – when I was a child it was doing crafts and sewing doll clothes, as I studied medicine, it became doing medical procedures and creating policies and procedures.
Need
What are the improvements you want to see in the world, and how do you want to contribute positively to the world?
My idea of a family doctor growing up was from Little House on the Prairie and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and I think our current American culture could benefit from being more community oriented rather than so individualistic and corporate. I think that everyone deserves a high-quality family physician to help them navigate their health and treat their illnesses and advocate for our communities. This is why I decided to open my own practice, and why I am the Vice President of the New Mexico Academy of Family Physicians (NMAFP), Alternate Delegate to the Congress of Delegates of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), on the Commission on Health of the Public and Science of the AAFP, and Co-Chair of the Government Affairs Committee of the NMAFP.
Value
What does the world value? What do people in our community think is important?
After being an employed physician, I wondered if people only valued my ability to check off boxes for insurance reimbursement purposes, but after hearing from my patients how much they truly value a physician who takes time to have a conversation with them, learn about their goals and history and their own world views, I have realized that my community does value family physicians who are striving to embrace their ikigai and help others to do the same. I have so much gratitude for each of you who have inspired me on this journey and showed me my value, and I hope that I can help you fully realize your value as well.