Author Archives: JR Stanley

What if the most important thing is not who we are now but who we are becoming? What if it is not only what we do now but what we will do in the future that counts? What if we started to care about the tides of change under the surface more than the splashesContinue reading “Who We Are Becoming”

A body at rest will stay at rest unless acted on by an external force. Likewise a body in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an external force. This principle of inertia, as paraphrased from Newton’s first law, has many parallels with human motion, with human activity, as well. There is anContinue reading “Flow”

“At a cardiac arrest, the first procedure is to take your own pulse.” This oft quoted line from House of God is not unique to medicine, but applies across a wide swarth of life. The first question to ask when approaching an emergency is assessing the area for safety. Nothing turns a bad situation evenContinue reading “Anti-Frenetic”

There are few things as daunting as endless choices and open opportunities. This is the struggle of a writer staring at a blank page. This is the struggle of a sculptor gazing at a block of marble. This is the conundrum of the undecided college major. On a much shorter time scale, this is theContinue reading “Options”

There is always something.  There is always something to be unhappy about. There is always something that could have gone better. There is always something that could be optimized, a more ideal way. There is always another option, something else that could be tried.  There is always something.  There is always more. There is always the next thing. There isContinue reading “There Is Always Something”

Often difficulty lies not within the task or struggle itself but is a function of the inability to select the time, place, and duration of that struggle. Nearly any task, even the most benign, becomes a significantly greater struggle when done at an unpredictable time in the middle of the night. Running 5 miles inContinue reading “Choose Your Grind”

In the iconic scene from the Dead Poet Society, Robin Williams encourages each of the students, members of the class to take their turn standing on top of the desk. One by one each pupil files up to the front of the class, stands on top of the desk, and looks out at the worldContinue reading “The Problem of the Pedestal”

The happiest place on earth. That’s a lot of pressure. A place that you arrive to and are then forced to think, “this is the best that there is.” As you mill around in the line again it hits you, “It’s all downhill from here”. Later as you exit a creative ride with catchy musicContinue reading “The Happiest Place”

One of the most dangerous decisions in life is unmonitored change. In medicine, making a change, whether it be a procedure, a medication, a lifestyle modification, or another form of therapy, requires follow-up. In many cases, this follow-up is equally, if not more important than the actual change. Follow-up may take a variety of forms.Continue reading “Course Correction”

Good people, interesting problems  Most people do not have a singular driving passion, something that keeps them awake at night, something that wakes them up in the morning. They have many interests and enjoy doing multiple things. Their passion is not like an itch that relentless perturbs their consciousness reminding them that it is there.Continue reading “Good People, Interesting Problems”