During my very first week at MD Anderson, we had a presentation with three senior physicians and scientists talking about how they manage their time. One, a department chair who I had known during my reporting days in Galveston, instructed the crowd to have a life. He also said that if you didn’t have a life, get a life.
Ten years later, I am still convincing people to have a life and if they don’t have one, we talk about how to get one. It’s advice that I sometimes have to remind myself about. It’s easy for any of us to get caught up in work and decompress by watching hours of TV or strolling through Facebook while ignoring the activities we really want to do.
One of my doctors has been exploring his photography interest for the past couple of years, and he has been submitting his photographs to juried shows. Photography is more than a hobby for him. It’s a passion and is as much of a calling as medicine is to him.
Having a hobby is healthy and helps you reduce stress and increase your happiness. Like the saying goes, all work and no play makes us dull, lifeless, and stressed out. Your spark is missing.
So light your fire. Make time for your passion, your interests. Have a life. Get a life.
