Author Archives: JR Stanley

I recently went to watch a movie with a couple friends. One of my favorite parts about the cinematic experience as a whole is the trailers at the beginning of the movie. With only a few exceptions, the two or three minute trailers promise a great story line, interesting characters, and a great balance betweenContinue reading “On Consistency”

“the physician’s duty is not to stave off death or return patients to their old lives, but to take into our arms a patient and family whose lives have disintegrated and work until they can stand back up and face, and make sense of, their own existence.” “The main message of Jesus, I believed, isContinue reading “Considering Our Breaths”

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”  Most people have probably had this said to them by a parent, friend or mentor; however this is often easier said than done. Growing up my dad would say occasionally say this to me. Then it was easy to act on as it usually pertained to notContinue reading “On Enough”

The uniqueness of the time in which we live, the short decades we will grace this planet, is something to not to take for granted but to take hold of and throw ourselves into. The lives of most of those in the world is better than at any other time in history with lower ratesContinue reading “On Thankfulness”

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” –  G.K. Chesterton  Let us not be defined by our enemies but by those we love. There will always be more enemies, more hate, more terror. Instead let us define ourselves by thoseContinue reading “On defining ourselves”

Life as we understand it, life as we know it, is largely a construct of human invention. Steve Jobs commented on the importance of breaking out of the scaffold of invented human life such that we can begin to drive our lives instead of our lives being dictated for us (video link below). One aspectContinue reading “Finding Functional Faith”

In any undertaking, determining the goal is essential; or, in the words of Steven Covey, “begin with the end in mind.” As I look ahead to my hopes for my future, one of the most important is to have both a successful career as a physician scientist and a spend quality time with my familyContinue reading “On Balance”

One of the defining characteristics of being human is striving. The angst driving us to do more, to be better. The pursuit of greater; the desire for progress. Sitting at a retreat for 60 MD/PhD candidates I can think of few other groups of people so defined by striving. Although striving itself is by no meansContinue reading “On Striving”

There are occasionally, perhaps even often, days when I reach the evening and my overwhelming desire is to be left alone. Recently, as demands during the day have been increasing, I have found this desire occurring more often. While time alone to recharge, rejuvenate, and relax can be good and healthy on occasion, I began toContinue reading “Thy Neighbor: Isolation (Part 1)”

Remarking on the reason for writing the book, Diarmaid Macculloch provides the following comment in the Introduction to Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years.  “It (the book) tries to avoid giving too many answers since this habit has been one of the great vices of organized religion.” Often false certainty is easier, more appealing, thanContinue reading “Answers we should not seek”