| What is the significance of your having become a | | | | Warrior - This is the path of trailblazers and those who |
| physician and how does it relate to your "destiny" or | | | | step up first to fight for the cause. Have you found |
| "soul path?" | | | | yourself in positions where you are the voice of |
| For many of coaching clients, the reason we are | | | | dissent? Are you generally on the front line rallying |
| working together is because their "professional" life has | | | | your physician colleagues to stand up for their rights? |
| taken a significant turn---or is about to. In other words, | | | | Or, alternatively, have you been accused of "starting a |
| they are either: a) questioning whether the professional | | | | fight" for no good reason, or being inappropriately |
| road they're on is one they want to stay on, or b) they | | | | confrontational? Warriors without a legitimate battle |
| are already embarking on a "new road" and we're | | | | often find themselves in trouble. |
| navigating the bumps, or c) they were abruptly | | | | Artist - This is the path for those to see, hear and |
| bumped off the road they thought was "the one" for | | | | perceive beauty and the quintessence of human |
| them. | | | | experience through various media. The creative mind, |
| Here is the task that I want to challenge you, my | | | | eye or hand require self-expression, which may have |
| reader, with: look at your road in medicine and the | | | | limited outlets in clinical practice or healthcare |
| choices you've made, or the twists in the road that | | | | management. Artists without the time for or means of |
| you didn't plan on, and see if you can find the major | | | | expression find themselves longing and frustrated. |
| clues that point to your "true self." Your "true self" | | | | Chief - This is the path for those who want to be in |
| points to your "destiny." | | | | charge, who can see a way, a plan, a strategy and |
| Let's Have Some Fun With "Archetypes" | | | | relish in creating stability, organization or movement. |
| A common "metaphysical" approach to looking at "true | | | | Chiefs without a large enough organization or |
| self" and "destiny" is to uncover your "archetype." The | | | | constituency may be frustrated by their inability to |
| work of Carl Jung and his 16 archetypes is familiar to | | | | impact. In healthcare, fortunately there are many |
| many of you who are psychologists, psychiatrists, or | | | | outlets for Chief archetypes. |
| to those of you who have taken a Myers Briggs | | | | Nurturer - This is the path for the caring "earth mother |
| personality profile. However, even before Carl Jung, | | | | father/parent" whose drive is to comfort, protect and |
| "archetypes" and mythological personalities have | | | | nourish the flock. In medicine there are many of these |
| appeared in various cultures and religions for over a | | | | archetypes, and they often do well. Nurturers avoid |
| thousand years as a means to explain the mystery of | | | | conflict, however, in their quest to create harmony and |
| human existence. Numerology has been used as tool | | | | will find themselves at odds when situations are overly |
| to arrive at or calculate aspects of the archetype or | | | | complex, ambiguous or aggressive. |
| "destiny" and is still a tool for modern followers of | | | | Mystic - This is the path of the philosopher and spiritual |
| Kabbalah and I Ching. | | | | seeker, who likely has experienced much angst and |
| There is much more to learn about this topic than I can | | | | soul-torment along his/her professional road ---this is |
| provide here, but I thought it would be fun to "borrow" | | | | often the way to enlightenment. The Mystic delights in |
| a few archetypes from various disciplines to see if | | | | observing the complexity of the universe and our place |
| you recognize yourself in one or more of them. Here | | | | in it, and so may tire of the constraints and routine of |
| we go: | | | | clinical care. Mystics are often misunderstood as |
| Shaman (aka Curandera) - This is the path of the | | | | unrealistic visionaries, or aloof daydreamers. |
| holistic healer, who incorporates intuitive information | | | | Remember that these are only a handful of |
| along with observable facts. Mind, soul and body are | | | | archetypes, and my interpretation and application for |
| one and the same. As a physician, has it been your | | | | physicians is dangerously brief, so don't panic if you |
| desire to integrate all three and serve as a Shaman? | | | | don't find yourself here or if you don't like what you |
| Have you been frustrated by the reality that modern | | | | hear. My point is: dare to look at your professional path |
| medical practice does not support this notion (either | | | | as a soul journey, and perhaps one that other |
| through practice convention or reimbursement). Is | | | | "archetypes" have taken before you. Learning about |
| medicine leaving you drained because it has become | | | | archetypes will help you understand yourself better |
| so tactical and procedural, and lacking in | | | | and put your current professional fork-in-the-road in a |
| soul-connectedness with patients? | | | | different perspective. |