When we are unhappy or discontent in veterinary medicine, or any area of our lives, we begin searching for the cause. We then draw conclusions about our circumstances and determine the way to be happier is to get away from the "bad" circumstances we've identified. In VetMed these "bad" circumstances are typically jobs, fellow veterinary professionals, clients, student loan debt, scheduling, staffing, etc. When we can't get away from those circumstances, we begin a habit-pattern of negative think...
Aug 02, 2023•25 min•Ep. 130
Hopping from job to job is a common coping mechanism in Vet Med. When we hit the breaking point of discomfort in our current jobs, we start looking for a new position. We justify it with a list of all things that are "bad" or "wrong" in our current job, and set out to find an alternative. When we find it, we feel excited, relieved, and even validated in our choice to leave. So, for most of us, this coping mechanism kind of works, at least for a while... At least until the issues from the old job...
Jul 26, 2023•15 min•Ep. 129
Did you know that reacting and responding are actually two different things? Not only that, our emotional experience of any situation depends on which path we choose. When we react, we engage without deliberate choice. In doing so, it is easy to believe we are at the mercy of our circumstances and what is happening around us. When we respond, we engage with intention. This allows us to decide purposely what we want to believe, how we want to feel, and what we will do in response. When we respond...
Jul 19, 2023•15 min•Ep. 128
Corporate veterinary practice is a common villain of choice for veterinary professionals... especially those who have had a bad experience working for a corporation. The commiseration around bad corporate experiences is wide-spread, often showing up as attacks on the organizations themselves, and the veterinary professionals who elect to work there. But why? Is corporate veterinary medicine a true threat to our profession, or is it just a fabricated "flavor of the day" foe we use to absolve ours...
Jul 12, 2023•38 min•Ep. 127
In Veterinary Medicine, our client interactions often end up in "us against them"... especially when the interaction is emotionally charged or perceived as negative or aggressive. Given the state of our world these days, it's not surprising. We are seeing this type of fear-based division everywhere. In our heightened states of emotional reaction, the consequences are often not intended. Negative interactions can escalate quickly, often ending with everyone feeling victimized. Where does the vete...
Jul 05, 2023•25 min•Ep. 126
"It's not about you." That phrase rings true and is very helpful to remember when we are interacting with people or experiencing circumstances that are uncomfortable. It's a short reminder we can offer ourselves and others to fast-track calm and peace. However, what isn't talked about is the other side of the foundational concept. In this episode, I dig into the flip side... the side where it is actually about you, 100% of the time... and share how we can utilize the flip side to improve and exp...
Jun 28, 2023•13 min•Ep. 125
When you take a bunch of smart people, enroll them in a professional program, and then tell them that their chosen career puts them at an increased risk for suicide... they believe you. It's a dangerous perspective to share, it offers no solutions, and it's not actually true. In this episode I share why the way we talk about historical data points and statistics actually perpetuates the experiences we're trying to eliminate. I also share how modern veterinary culture continues to add fuel to thi...
Jun 21, 2023•39 min•Ep. 124
The decisions we make exclusively from our emotional experience often do not create the results we ultimately want. We make decisions this way because we want to feel better. And when we make these decisions rashly. It’s simply evidenced that we want to feel better immediately . It works… for a while. When we change our circumstances we automatically experience different emotional feelings… … not because the new environment is better than the old, but only because our thoughts are different. In ...
Jun 14, 2023•25 min•Ep. 123
Thinking about quitting Vet Med? You aren’t alone. Thoughts of leaving this sh*twshow behind are pretty common for a lot of us. Ya, Really! But, why? Here’s where it gets interesting… Why are you thinking about leaving your job? Why are you thinking about ditching the profession altogether? My guess: the VMVs… Blame directed at the Vet Med Villains is the most common response to “Why” we leave Vet Med. Makes sense. Seems logical. Feels justified. We experience a lot of suffering at the hands of ...
Jun 07, 2023•26 min•Ep. 122
The veterinary environment can be rough. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. We often blame the clients, and their behavior, for our experience. But, it doesn’t start there. It starts closer to home. Many of us experience work environments where gossiping and back-stabbing are the norm… … where “us against them” is common… … where nobody seems happy, and nobody feels safe. In these environments, we turn on each other. We become self-righteous. We judge harshly. We become control-freaks and perfec...
May 31, 2023•24 min•Ep. 121
How’s your mood? Think back over the last several days, weeks, or even months… How have you been feeling? These may seem like random questions, but the answers explain Everything about the progress you’ve been making (or not making) toward creating the life you want. Your mood is a direct reflection of your Net Emotional State. So, if you’re spending most of your waking hours stressed, angry, or unhappy then there is no reason to beat yourself up for not making progress toward your goals. It mak...
May 24, 2023•17 min•Ep. 120
How are you choosing your clients? Are you intentionally cultivating the clientele you serve? Or, are you just accepting every potential client who seeks your services? Did you even realize you had a choice? You Do! What about your compensation… Are you paying yourself adequately as a practice owner? Do you understand how you can increase your compensation as an associate? Do you know how to move up in compensation as support staff? If your answer is no, then recognize that you are drawing concl...
May 17, 2023•15 min•Ep. 119
Vet Med is an interesting career. Often a Love / Hate relationship. Spectacularly rewarding, and crushingly devastating all at the same time. The events that occur in veterinary medicine are just part of the job. The way that we respond to the events, is optional. OPTIONAL. That’s really hard to see when a client is blasting us on social media, or a six-month-old puppy dies during a routine spay. Frustration, Fear, and Sadness are appropriate emotional responses… But then we take it too far… We ...
May 10, 2023•17 min•Ep. 118
Scenario: You’re asked a yes-or-no question. How do you respond? Yes, without hesitating? Awesome! No, without regret? Excellent! No, with remorse because you really want to say yes? Uh-oh… trouble ahead… Yes, with bitterness and anger because you really want to say no? Welcome to the People Pleasers Club… your future is at risk. Not Joking. How did yes-or-no questions get so complicated?! Fear. It all comes down to fear. Fear of disapproval. Fear of conflict. Fear of unknown consequences. Fear ...
May 03, 2023•34 min•Ep. 117
How do you think your life should be? For that matter, how do you believe the world should be? We all have our opinions... ... and when it comes to our own lives, the gap between what we believe it should be like and what it actually is, creates emotional turmoil. This is true in our vet med jobs, our relationships with others, and even our evaluations of ourselves. When we focus on what should be, we miss the opportunity in what is. Even when the reality isn't as we'd like it to be, embracing t...
Apr 26, 2023•22 min•Ep. 116
You know what they say about assumptions... It holds true in Vet Med as well. There is a collection of broad-sweeping beliefs that many of us have about our lives as veterinary professionals. The most influential beliefs are about the impact of our career choice on our time and income potential. Through the normal course of our veterinary careers, we've absorbed these beliefs from those who have gone before us. The perspectives are common. We've accepted, without question, these conclusions as t...
Apr 19, 2023•17 min•Ep. 115
The quality of veterinary clinic culture is directly related to the gap between expectation and reality. The 5 components of culture in veterinary organizations include: Leverage Schedule Pay Policies Leadership At the time of employment and onboarding, expectations in all of these areas are created. What we experience, then, either aligns with expectations or does not. When it doesn't, a gap between expectation and reality is created, trust is eroded, and culture suffers. A suffering culture is...
Apr 12, 2023•28 min•Ep. 114
Have you ever been talking to a client and you see them zone out so you switch gears to try to deliver your message a different way, all the while watching for any signs of comprehension or consent? Or have you been delivering unexpected news and find yourself in an explanation loop... rationalizing, justifying, convincing... all while that little voice in your head screams, "Just Stop Talking!". It's all pretty common. There are four main reasons we talk to veterinary clients: Conversational Ga...
Apr 05, 2023•18 min•Ep. 113
It’s no surprise we try to measure our success in Vet Med. We are constantly looking for indications that we are doing it right, or doing it wrong. Unfortunately, success in Vet Med can’t be measured by tangible things. So, in the absence of tangible measures of success, we create our own: Clients who are happy and patients who get better mean we’re doing it right. Clients who are angry, and patients who don’t respond to treatment mean we’re doing it wrong. But, it doesn’t work that way. In this...
Mar 29, 2023•15 min•Ep. 112
What’s the hardest part of veterinary medicine? Most of us wouldn’t identify getting bitten, being pooped on, learning to take well-positioned radiographs, or figuring out how to draw blood on fractious cats as the hard parts of our jobs. The hard part is feeling stressed out all the time, and we believe that stress comes from things like cranky clients, conversations about money and euthanasia. The good news is that it doesn’t. We can develop Emotional Resilience and it all starts with understa...
Mar 22, 2023•18 min•Ep. 111
In this episode I take a look at the UP SIDE of Imposter Syndrome in VetMed. Imposter Syndrome is really a state of believing that you’re a fraud and that your accomplishments were more likely accidental than the intentional result of your performance. I dig deep into the phenomenon, and share why it’s both very common, and very normal, in the veterinary profession. Topics include: What Imposter Syndrome is Why Imposter Syndrome occurs When Imposter Syndrome started for most of us Why VetMed pro...
Mar 15, 2023•19 min•Ep. 110
When we try to do everything perfectly, or perfectly planned, we waste a ton of time. What we are really doing is attempting to avoid discomfort and fear. Meanwhile, during the process, we're experiencing discomfort anyway. In this episode I share my journey through decisions, and execution of those decisions, regarding Joyful DVM and The Joyful DVM Podcast. From the early days where fear kept retreating over and over, to very recently when I found myself hiding once again... I share it all. The...
Mar 06, 2023•38 min•Ep. 109
We view our lives and the world through a perspective we didn't intentionally choose for ourselves. We naturally adopt the belief systems shared by those in our lives who hold influence... parents, family, friends, clergy, teachers, etc. We then naturally compare ourselves and evaluate our lives through that perspective. This leads us to draw conclusions about how we need to be different, or learn more, before we can experience the greatest things life has to offer. But what if we're wrong? What...
Feb 11, 2023•17 min•Ep. 108
Are you spiritually curious but hesitant when it comes to traditional religion? Or maybe you're very grounded in your traditional religious practices, but wondering about the stuff that never gets covered... I can totally relate. It's a strange situation to navigate. So many rules. Such high stakes. Overwhelming. Scary. It's the perfect reminder of how our physical, human minds prefer the familiar, to the unknown. It's also the most important reason why we must gather information anyway. There c...
Feb 04, 2023•36 min•Ep. 107
What might you be missing? The world around us is designed to keep us very busy. When we are busy, we live in a constant state of distraction... losing focus on what is right in front of us. This lack of presence in our daily lives not only robs us of the opportunity to fully experience our lives as intended, it also blocks out guidance and messages created to help us day-to-day. In this episode I share a story about my cat, Pixie, the flower she brought me, and the ah-ha moment that followed. I...
Jan 27, 2023•15 min•Ep. 106
Do you view others through the lens of judgment or evaluation? There is a significant difference. Evaluation keeps us as a neutral party. It allows us to find opportunities for improvement without making it personal. It lets us be curious, and drops the need to force change. Judgment makes us a victim... and interacting through a victim mentality will never improve any situation. In the workplace, there is no room for judgement. In this episode I share how interacting with others through a lens ...
Jan 21, 2023•15 min•Ep. 105
How often do you pay attention to what's right in front of you? For most of us, when we are in our comfort zone, we tune out. We stop noticing things in our environment... even when things change. We stay nestled in the safety of the familiar, numbing our senses with activities that don't actually enhance our lives. We miss what's right in front of us. A new bird species recently appeared near my home. If I hadn't been paying attention, I probably would have missed it. If I wasn't practicing bei...
Jan 11, 2023•12 min•Ep. 104
Do New Years Resolutions really help you make progress toward your goals? I don't think so. I believe they actually create the totally opposite effect by piling on pressure, judgement, shame and guilt. It's not wonder they don't last for most people! In this episode I share what's actually happening and an alternative approach that will keep you starting any new journey, any time, and continuing your progress long after most New Years Resolutions have been left behind. Resources: Aligned Living ...
Jan 04, 2023•18 min•Ep. 103
Bad days don't just happen to us. We are involved in their creation whether we know it or not. A string of bad days has a real impact on our wellbeing... and our future. "Getting through" the hard stuff is a great skill, but not if it becomes your normal operating system. When survival mode is your only mode, your future is sacrificed. We must consider this when we recognize our own discontent. If what you are experiencing in your life or career right now is NOT what you want long term, then you...
Dec 28, 2022•27 min•Ep. 102
When we experience loss; whether it be a loved one, a pet, a relationship, a job, or anything else, grief follows. If we allow the grief to consume us, we don't move forward. If we don't move forward, we disengage from our lives and we lose connection with ourselves. The same thing can happen when we stay excessively busy... ... when we use Action to cope with (cover up, avoid) the emotions we experience... We exist, but we don't thrive. We exist, but we don't grow. In this episode I revisit the...
Dec 21, 2022•25 min•Ep. 101
