Has anyone told you “Good job!” recently? Especially for professionals in the medical field, it can be hard for us to look at what we have done well or are doing well. The first week of medical school message was that we were like small kitchen sponges and a firehose of information would be directed at us and we were supposed to try to absorb what we could. What sort of message is that? During clinical training, the focus was on what we did not know and needed to be doing better. As attendings, we are bombarded with Press Ganey satisfaction survey results often filled out by the most disgruntled patients.

Well let me tell you that you Kick Ass!! You have worked hard and sacrificed your time, often health and quality of life for the good of others. You have balanced the difficult tasks of being a caregiver to patients while trying to be the best spouse, family member and friend you can be. So thank you. I would wager to bet that if we time traveled your 6 yr old, 16 yr old and 26 yr old self to now, they would be extremely proud of the person you have become. And if you feel like that would not be the case, then what can you do in your personal, professional and spiritual life to make it so?
There will always be ways in which we can improve ourselves. But sometimes taking a moment to just pat yourself on the back and say, “Good Job!” is just what the doctor ordered.