The Joyful DVM Podcast: Empowering Veterinary Professionals

In this episode, I discuss 5 Widely Accepted beliefs about Veterinary Medicine and how these beliefs block our potential both individually, and as a profession as a whole.FEATURED ON THE SHOWImposter SyndromeCompassion FatigueWorkplace ToxicityEducation DebtVeterinary Suicide RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Free Masterclass: How to Create Infinite Possibility in Your Life & Career as a Veterinarian or Veterinary Technician. Join here >>> https://joyfuldvm.com/masterclassThank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode, I share common expectations veterinary professionals have for their clients, and how the focus we give to client failure holds us back, makes our jobs harder than they need to be, and fosters resentment on both sides of the client relationship.FEATURED ON THE SHOWSeven examples of how veterinary professionals judge clientsHow judgment makes it impossible to behave with intentionThe go-to alternative perspective about veterinary medicine that will always serve you betterRESOURCES:Vet Life Academy https://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademyCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode, I share four tips for triumphing over veterinary workplace toxicity. Tips 1 & 2 allow you to change your veterinary experience immediately. Tips 3 & 4 show you how to contribute to resolving toxicity long term.FEATURED ON THE SHOW:The 5 Components of Veterinary Organizational CultureManaging Emotion Moment by Moment4 Things You Can Do to Triumph over ToxicityRESOURCES:Episode 7: The Impact of Toxic Veterinary Work Environment https://joyfuldvm.com/7Episode 43: What You Must Do Before You Quit https://joyfuldvm.com/43Episode 45: Vet Med Dealbreakers: 3 Times It's Best To Move On https://joyfuldvm.com/45CONNECT WITH ME:Instagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode I share about the categories of Vet Med Stress and explain how trying to control facets of the veterinary care cycle outside of our control contributes to frustration, anxiety and burnout.FEATURED ON THE SHOWCategories of Vet Med StressVeterinary Care CycleResponsibilities of veterinary professionals, clients and patientsWhat falls outside the scope of responsibility of veterinary professionalsVet Life Academyhttps://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademyCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode I explain where all veterinary frustration originates, and explain how it's nearly impossible to be consumed with frustration when we focus on our duties as veterinary healthcare providers.FEATURED ON THE SHOWThe origin of frustration in veterinary medicineNet Emotional StateWhy all veterinary hospitals exist3 positive by-products of FocusThe ripple effect created by one focused veterinary team memberRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Vet Life Academyhttps://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademyCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me!Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The culture in veterinary medicine as a whole is in great need of improvement. The dialogue around this often includes blame and abdication of responsibility for this culture to people and organizations other than ourselves. We are the victims. But are we? In this episode I explore how we have unintentionally created a culture of resentment and fear that is compounded with each new generation. I also share what we can do about it, and why it won't require massive career-level changes to start moving in the right direction. FEATURED ON THE SHOWThe true impact of warning our young colleagues about the challenges of this profession How personal opinion develops into professional cultureOpportunities to change individual experiences and disrupt the culture of cannibalismRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:The Happiness Rapid Reset Challenge with Joyful DVMhttps://joyfuldvm.comCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me!Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode I share about the compounding effect of stress and the opportunities for self discovery and emotional wellbeing we can discover when we are curious about our stressful experiences. I also share tips on managing stress as veterinary professionals and explore the intimate relationship between feeling stress and experiencing fear.FEATURED ON THE SHOWHow stress compounds in veterinary medicine, and the effect it has on wellbeing.What veterinarians and veterinary technicians fear most in veterinary practice.Opportunities to relieve stress reactions by using two strategiesRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:The Happiness Rapid Reset Challenge with Joyful DVMhttps://joyfuldvm.comCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In this episode I chat with Dr. Cindy Trice from Relief Rover. We cover it all... from the increase in demand for relief veterinarians and relief veterinary technicians / veterinary nurses and what happened to this veterinary niche at the peak of the pandemic; the characteristics of veterinary professionals that make them best suited to be veterinary independent contractors, and how to get started with this exciting and flexible career path. FEATURED ON THE SHOWHow long you should practice before coming a Relief VetWhether or not advanced training is needed to be a Relief Vet or Relief TechThe importance of being flexibleHow the pandemic influenced demand for relief help initially, and what it looks like nowRelief Rover: What it is and why you should join (for free!) as a veterinarian or veterinary technicianRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Relief Rover Website: https://reliefrover.comRelief Vet Information: https://reliefrover.com/relief-veterinarians/relief-vet-101/Relief Rover Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/reliefroverRelief Rover Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reliefrover/Relief Rover Twitter: https://twitter.com/reliefroverRelief Rover LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reliefroverRelief Rover Feature in The Joyful DVM Membership: https://joyfuldvm.com/membershipCONNECT WITH MEInstagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Opinions in veterinary medicine are strong. In this episode I explore where our opinions regarding our veterinary careers come from, and how unknowingly adopting the opinions of our colleagues is having a huge impact on the state of wellbeing for veterinarians, veterinary technicians and entire veterinary teams. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:The Joyful DVM Podcast experienced an unplanned hiatus in the summer of 2021. In this episode, host Dr. Cari Wise shared exactly what happened that halted production, and valuable lessons she learned about slowing down, and letting go, along the way.Resources:Get the support you need from Joyful DVM (www.joyfuldvm.com) to increase your joy, wellbeing, and balance so you can enjoy your life and your Vet Med career. Connect with me!Instagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or with your team, and tag me! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Every action we take has a consequence. Some of them are positive. Others are negative. But, do you realize that your mind is conditioned to seek out the negative consequences? Are you aware that creating intentional consequences is the key to getting the clients you want and doing the practice you dream of in your Vet Med career?In this episode, I tell a little story about the birds in my backyard and how it relates to what we all experience every day as veterinarians. I explain why avoiding negative consequences is the wrong approach to achieving what we want, and how this results in a client base for veterinarians that is less-than-ideal.Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:Understand how avoiding negative consequences in veterinary practice impacts veterinarians, veterinary staff, and clients.Learn what you miss out on when you fail to focus your efforts with positive intention.Find out why trying to serve every type of veterinary client leaves you exhausted and not serving any very well, and what you can do about it.“Consequences don't have to always be negative.”Check out these episode highlights:03.07 - The presence of the Red-winged Blackbirds in my backyard is a story that is similar to what you are experiencing in your Vet Med career. 05.23 - What you should do so that you can cultivate more of what you want, creating intentional consequences in alignment with your goals. 08.59 - How to create an environment that attracts your ideal clients for your veterinary practice.11.20 - Questions to ask yourself so that you can create intentional consequences and get the results you want.13.15 - Developing the right mindset to become the best version of yourself.15.10 - One thing you must avoid if you want to be the right fit for your ideal clients.Key Takeaways:If you focus on what you enjoy, what you're passionate about, and what's important to you, you'll get clients who share the same values as you.Veterinary medicine isn't a roadblock if you look at it through the lens of what works for you.You will never be the right practice for anyone if you keep trying to become the right practice for everyone.Resource:Get the support you need from Joyful DVM (www.joyfuldvm.com) to increase your joy, wellbeing, and balance so you can enjoy your life and your Vet Med career. Listen to what the Bluebirds, birdhouses, and what is holding you back have to say. (https://podcast.joyfuldvm.com/episode-11-whats-really-holding-you-back)More about the Bluebirds and the four gifts you receive from persevering in Vet Med.(https://podcast.joyfuldvm.com/episode-22-the-unexpected-gifts-vet-med-perseverance-makes-possible)Connect with me!Instagram: www.instagram.com/joyfuldvmFacebook: www.facebook.com/JoyfulDVM/Website: www.joyfuldvm.com/Thank you so much for listening! If this episode supported you in any way, the best way you can pay forward is by taking a screenshot of this episode and sharing it on social media or w Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Client interactions are one of the greatest stressors in veterinary medicine. Unpleasant encounters stay with us, often looping in our minds for hours or even days…The most disrespectful and aggressive clients are often repeated offenders.When we see them on the schedule, our hearts sink, and dread sets in.The impact of these clients on our mood and confidence is real.Some say it’s “just part of the job”.I disagree...It’s this exact mentality that keeps us accepting this behavior….It’s this mentality that keeps us trying to do things better on our end in order to change what they do on theirs…It doesn’t work, and the impact on the mental health and personal wellbeing of veterinary professionals is tragic.In this episode, I share my solution for changing sh*tty client behavior.It starts with us. Ready to take back your life beyond Vet Med?Join us in my free workshop: RECAPTURE - https://joyfuldvm.com/recapture(Because Vet Med was never supposed to take over your life!) Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Vet Med can’t make you happy.It can’t make you unhappy either.It does, however, enhance your awareness of your personal level of happiness.Success and failure in veterinary medicine are intangible concepts.They can’t be measured.They are elusive and unattainable.Yet, our personal belief in our own success or failure in veterinary jobs contributes greatly to our overall wellbeing.Our beliefs squash our happiness, kill our confidence, and put into question our individual self-worth…Vet Med was never supposed to be this powerful… and it really isn’t when we understand what’s really going on.In this episode, I explain it all.Resource:FREE WORKSHOP - Recapture: Life Beyond Vet Med >>> https://joyfuldvm.com/recapture(Because Vet Med was never supposed to take over your life)https://joyfuldvm.com/recapture Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Veterinary Career Alignment Score MCMF.Misaligned Choice, Misaligned Fit.Most veterinary professionals who take the Vet Med Career Alignment Scores Quiz anticipate receiving a score of MCMF Alignment because they are burned out, frustrated or unhappy. Turns out, this is the least common score received on the Vet Med Career Alignment Score quiz!An individual with MCMF alignment chose to pursue a career in veterinary medicine for reasons other than a deep desire and calling to this work, and the type of work they are doing currently is not a good fit.This leads those with MCMF alignment to not only question their prior decision but to judge themselves harshly for it and to believe they have compromised what's possible for them in the future as a result.The good news... this isn't true at all!In this episode, I explore the MCMF alignment experience, including the types of opportunities available to this unique population.To determine your Vet Med Career Alignment Score visit https://joyfuldvm.com/quiz Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Veterinary Career Alignment Score ACMF.Aligned Choice, Misaligned Fit.ACMF Alignment is the most common score on the Vet Med Career Alignment Score quiz.An individual with ACMF alignment made an intentional, focused choice to pursue a career in veterinary medicine but the type of work they are doing currently is not a good fit. Their awareness of the bad fit, especially if they have experienced multiple bad fit jobs, can lead ACMF aligned people to believe they made a wrong choice pursuing a veterinary career. For this reason, the AC part of this score can feel very confusing.In this episode, I explore the ACMF alignment experience, including the types of opportunities available to this unique population.To determine your Vet Med Career Alignment Score visit: https://joyfuldvm.com/quiz Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Veterinary Career Alignment Score ACAF.Aligned Choice, Aligned Fit.An individual with ACAF alignment made an intentional, focused choice to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. The type of work they currently do is also a good fit.But...They are likely restless. ACAF Aligned people are often surprised by their results because they often take the Career Alignment Score assessment because they feel like something is missing in their lives.What they are recognizing is the desire for something more than what they currently have...The need for a new challenge or goal...Dissatisfaction with the status quo...This is all intentional!In this episode, I explore the ACAF alignment experience, including the types of opportunities available to this unique population.To determine your Vet Med Career Alignment Score visit, https://joyfuldvm.com/quiz Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians, and all members of the veterinary healthcare team often grapple with the question "Am I cut out for a career in Vet Med" at some point in their careers.The complex experience of being a veterinary professional, along with the negative emotional impact that often accompanies it, has many concluding they are not personally equipped for what this job requires.However, the question does not have a binary, all-or-nothing, answer.The job and the career are different things.The job is the way in which a veterinary professional is utilizing their skills and knowledge in exchange for money at a given point in time.There are many different veterinary-related jobs.When a veterinary professional finds themselves in a bad-fit job, it doesn't mean they have also picked a bad-fit career. Unfortunately, because bad-fit jobs tend to be a pretty common occurrence in the veterinary profession, a growing number of veterinary professionals are concluding they have chosen the wrong careers.The impact of believing you've made a wrong career choice should not be disregarded.Choosing a career is a major life decision. Much thought, time, money, and effort goes into pursuing a veterinary career. Therefore, when a veterinary professional concludes they made the wrong career choice, they often experience a wave of self-judgment, guilt, and shame.This is compounded with beliefs about time lost, being trapped by debt, and a foundation-shaking mistrust of one's ability to make the right choices for themselves.Together, this can lead to myriad secondary challenges: anxiety, depression, fear of the future, hopelessness... ... all of which block the ability to see the Absolute Truths of the situation.Understanding the difference between Career Fit and Job Fit is the best place to start. To determine your Vet Med Career Alignment Score, visit https://joyfuldvm.com/quiz Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Nobody likes a bully.In Vet Med bullies exist everywhere...ClientsLeadershipCo-workersUnfortunately, the high-pressure, high-stakes field of veterinary medicine can catalyze bullying behavior... but that doesn't mean it's acceptable or should be tolerated.This behavior greatly contributes to degrading veterinary culture and employee morale.The reasons it is allowed to continue are multifaceted and complex... but not irreversible. The two things that drive bullying behavior are the same two things that leave others susceptible to it.As we begin to recognize and heal these aspects of ourselves, not only do we become capable of standing up to those who would bully us, but we also stop behaving as bullies ourselves.Win-Win.Interested in learning more about why Vet Med is an emotionally challenging career, and what you can do about it? Check out my Free Course: The Truth About Vet Medhttps://joyfuldvm.com/freecourse Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Are you feeling stuck?Does it seem like your veterinary career, your relationships, and your life are not moving forward?Have you begun to doubt that any of it will ever be different or better than it is right now?Many of us doubt...We recognize we are unhappy or discontent...We try to make sense of it...We try to figure out how we became stuck in a repeating pattern we don't particularly enjoy...We become angry, bitter, resentful.We become frustrated.We may even become hopeless.What's the point?How do we get out of this?We're stuck...But it doesn't have to stay that way.Shining through your "stuckness" is a signal.Do you see it?Are you paying attention?The sooner you recognize it, the sooner you can get engaged in your life again....Ready to get unstuck and become the master of your own life? Join us in Vet Life Academy! https://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

What’s possible for you regarding your career?What’s possible for you regarding your relationships?What’s possible for you regarding your finances?What’s possible for you regarding your future?Your answers to the questions above... that’s your filter.Your filter holds your potential.A filter that is clogged up with emotional and mental garbage will hold you back.It’s that simple.Our individual potential is only restricted by what we believe.What we believe becomes the filter through which we see our personal existence and the entire world.Left untended, it becomes very restrictive.The filter thickens with each thought, opinion, and belief that doesn’t serve us...Each self-judging comment...Critical and painful memories...Hurtful words and actions of other people that we have accepted as truth...Left untended, they all weave into the filter.As a result, our ability to see through the filter becomes limited to tiny gaps and holes...tiny light-strands of possibility...This creates a new belief... that what is possible for us has been compromised by our life experiences... that potential is finite, and mostly passed. This is not true.The possibilities for your life remain infinitely endless!Your potential has never been compromised, it remains solidly intact. You just can’t see it through the muck caught in your filter.As we begin to disassemble the filter, the possibilities for our lives burst wide open!Check out this episode of The Joyful DVM Podcast to learn more. Ready to begin cleaning out your filter so you can rediscover who you are and embrace the infinite possibilities this life has to offer? Join us in Vet Life Academy! https://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Your individual energetic frequency creates your experience.It also influences the experience of others.Toxic Culture makes so much more sense when we understand the energy dynamic of what's happening.As we begin to understand the Veterinary Energetics, we can also identify the opportunities to create massive, positive, permanent shifts that rapidly improve culture.We also start to understand that our personal experience is never "at the mercy" of our coworkers and clients...WE ALONE control our Energetics...The solution requires Energetic Mastery one person at a time...This is deeply personal work that requires we embrace who we really are at our core, and work through all the muck that keeps us from living into the fullest expression of ourselves.The place to start: questioning your personal narrative in every area of your life.This is EXACTLY what we do inside Vet Life Academy. Check it out here: https://joyfuldvm.com/vetlifeacademy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

I hadn't planned on sharing this story.Other than my husband, nobody knew this had even occurred...Until I shared it on Facebook...And turned it into a Podcast Episode...Now everyone will know.(Okay, okay... that's dramatic...)So why share it?Because I felt led to tell you what happened, and what I learned from it...Because there are lessons there we can all apply to our lives, and our careers...Because if we keep the bad things to ourselves, they turn on us...... we begin to believe We are bad...... we begin to believe We are responsible for things we don't control...... we begin to believe Everyone Else is doing a better job...So, in the spirit of discovery and learning, I shared my story.Grief, Sadness, Judgement, Shame, Guilt, Regret.It's all there.And with it the beautiful truth...I did the best I could with the information and resources I had at the time.I did my best.The outcome did not turn out as I wanted...... but I am still fundamentally me...(even if my silly human brain tries to convince me otherwise).Wondering how to get a handle on your silly brain so you can see through the challenges of your experiences to the truth of who you are in this world? Join us in Vet Life Academy! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

I don't know what to do.How many times have you said that to yourself, or even shared it out loud?On its own, it seems innocent enough...But...Often it is accompanied by a parallel belief, " I SHOULD know what to do..."with the "shoulds" come judgment...with the "shoulds" come shame...with the "shoulds" come unrealistic expectations...(expectations that have never even been defined!)All of this highlights a very real way in which we are using our brains the Wrong Way!In this episode, I explain how we are limiting ourselves by relying on the super-smart brains that helped us to achieve our veterinary credentials in the first place.I also share the superpower you can tap into in those uncertain moments to help you find exactly what you need to keep going.When you're ready to learn more about how to become more comfortable with the unknown, join us in Vet Life Academy! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Joy and Happiness are NOT the same things.Joy is more than an emotion...It is a way of being...It is most highly experienced when we develop truth for ourselves in nine key areas... the nine buckets of alignment as I like to call them.Our human experience, left unquestioned and absent of intention, cannot (and will not) fill these nine buckets.That is our job.It is our mission.Only through the journey of exploring these buckets, dumping out what was never supposed to occupying them, filling them with the right things, do we develop joy.Joy is a way of being.It is INSPIRED Happiness.It is unshakable, and it cannot be stripped from us once it becomes part of who we are.Joyful DVM was created to help the veterinary community develop the Joy for themselves.In this episode, I share the 9 Buckets of Alignment and how you can start filling them with what you need to capture your own joy once and for all.Resources:Discover Your Purpose workshop Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Our experience in veterinary medicine is determined by our thoughts about it. Habit thoughts...Thoughts we’ve been imprinted with from those around us (parents, teachers, colleagues, clients, media, etc.)...Thoughts we haven’t intentionally chosen for ourselves...So WHY?Why are some of us greatly influenced by others, and some of us are not?Why are some of us able to quickly embrace and implement the skill of intentional thinking, and others of us struggle?Why do some of us have seemingly endless energy, and others of us are just done after a few hours?Why do some of us thrive in veterinary practice, and others of us totally burn out?Many of us seek to answer these questions through personality assessments... and we do find part of the answer there.... sometimes.But it never explains all of it... all of the differentiation between us...And where we recognize we are different makes many of us question our value, our worth, our decisions...We feel “less than” when we don’t measure up to the ones who we believe are doing it right...For myself, I’ve just known in my soul that what makes us different is intentional... that being different isn’t a problem...that being like everyone else isn’t the solution...But, our society doesn’t embrace our differences.Modern culture finds safety and order in everyone being the same.It doesn’t work because it goes against the unique nature of who we are...In this episode, I introduce the science of Human Design... the science that explains our differentiation.Through Human Design we can find the answers to WHY our experiences are soooo different... why those differences result in different experiences...and how we can use the unique blueprint of our human design as a tool to navigate our lives, and the role that veterinary medicine plays in it.Resources:Human Design Basics Bootcamp Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The Covid-19 pandemic has been with us for a year now and will continue to linger for the indefinite future in some way, shape, or form.Veterinary Medicine, like many industries, has been forced to adjust and adapt.A year in, our colleagues in clinical practice are exhausted. Like much of the rest of the world, we’re dreaming of getting back to normal....... but, we forget that “normal” wasn’t that great.Unicorn Practices...Our profession uses this term to describe those practices where employees feel appreciated and supported, staffing is adequate, clients are friendly, where work-life balance exists and compensation is appropriate.The best places to work are called Unicorns! This is a problem.Remember, “Unicorn“ is what we call those rarely seen medical cases... the ones many of us go our entire careers without encountering...and this is the term we use to describe the best places to work...This is a PROBLEM!Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...It’s time for change... well PAST time!This is the opportunity Covid-19 is providing us.Right now, the whole world is changing. NOW is the time to make fundamental changes to the way we have been doing business.It’s time to think outside the box.It’s time to embrace the reality that what worked in veterinary practice 50 years ago is no longer sustainable, or even desired, by the veterinarians and veterinary technicians of today.The practice of veterinary medicine has evolved.The level of service expected by many pet owners has evolved.Most of our hospitals have not.The foundation was already unstable... the pandemic amplified that... the opportunity is to shore it up to create a much better future in the aftermath.The solutions- unconventional.The results- life-altering... for your doctors, staff, clients, patients, and revenue.I don’t have all the answers... but I’ve got some ideas to get the creativity rolling.There are no rules to how you run your hospital, what services you provide, and how you do it. YOU GET TO DECIDE.You also get to CHANGE IT whenever you want... that’s the beauty of ownership.And, you get to leave to find it... that’s the beauty of being an employee.In this episode, I share a few unconventional ideas and my hope is that it gets you thinking about what you want for your life and career...The only thing required to make these changes is COURAGE. Not everybody will like your decisions... and that’s okay. It’s well past time to embrace the truth: if we don’t take care of ourselves first, we will never serve in our highest capacity or live our best lives. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

I don't care whether or not you stay in veterinary practice, or totally leave every potential job related to a veterinary license behind.I really don't.I care about your personal well-being.I care about your future happiness.I care about your purpose (I KNOW you have one, even if you aren't so sure).I also care about the decision many of us keep making to stay in terrible situations...Jobs that fuel our insecurity.Jobs that squash our self-confidence.Jobs that are literally dangerous, mentally and physically.In my opinion, there are three circumstances in which pursuing a different job is a MUST... and that's what I share in today's episode.Staying is not always the responsible or noble thing to do!Are you waiting for permission to leave this profession?Many of us don't realize that's what we are doing. We have trapped ourselves in our own self-judgment over our prior decision to pursue this career.That decision came with a significant investment of money and time...SO WHAT?If you need permission to go a different direction...YOU'VE GOT IT!PERMISSION GRANTED.Find your place.Live your life.Get on the waitlist for the Discover Your Purpose workshops. Get empowerment, encouragement, and education for your Vet Med career from Vet Life Academy today. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

What do you hate about Vet Med?I'm guessing creating that list would come pretty easily. I suspect justifying that list with your personal experiences would be effortless.I bet you could even round up a group of colleagues who would agree with you...... who would share their similar experiences...... who would create their own, very similar, list.Herein lies one of the sneakiest problems in Vet Med.Commiseration. There is a comfort that comes in sharing our experiences with our colleagues.Venting.Releasing the anger.Expressing our combined displeasure against the common enemies...In the anger and frustration of the collective we find solace, we find redemption...But there is one thing that will NEVER be found there...Hope.And not just hope.Possibility, Potential, Momentum, Compassion, Understanding...They can't be found there either.See, our brains are amazing computers.They can solve ANY problem.But they can't solve a problem they have never been asked.They can't gather evidence on topics we've never told it to be important.That's how the Reticular Activating System works...What we focus on, we create more of...This means the bi-product of all the venting and commiserating is going to be more evidence of reasons to vent and commiserate.This fuels our negative emotional state. But worse... it blocks the solutions.It's not that solutions don't exist, it's that we haven't told our minds that finding solutions is important. Resources:Discover Your Purpose workshop Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The most common response to discomfort is to take action that results in a change.Makes sense from a survival perspective...(especially if you are being pursued by predators.)BUT... this "habit of leaving" isn't doing us any favors in the pursuit of our best lives.Sure, there will be jobs, relationships, and other circumstances in our lives that are not "right fits" for us...And, the first evidence of the "wrong fit" will likely be the negative emotions we experience...stress, anxiety, dread, inadequacy, frustration, undervalued, disrespected... We use the experience of these emotions to justify our choice to leave.BUT... when we leave a situation just to get away quickly from those negative emotions, we often find ourselves repeating the experience in the new environment.WHY?!Spoiler: Not for the reasons most of us think.In this episode, I dive into the one thing most of us don't even know we need to do in our haste to leave undesirable experiences behind... and why we must begin doing it if we ever want to stop the pattern from repeating.We focus on this skill in Vet Life Academy. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

As a veterinary professional you are likely a very smart person.After all, it wasn't by accident that you were able to pass those board examinations to secure your licensure...But something happens to many of us once we get into practice...The real-world becomes overwhelming and confusing.Our logical and strategic left-brained thinking tries to make sense of our experience.Tries.Fails.Why can't we figure this out?We can't fix what is making us stressed and unhappy if we can't identify it.So, we keep trying to identify it.But we can't find it... so we begin to believe everyone else is happy and coping...We conclude: It must just be me...Friend, there's a lot you don't understand about the way your brain works.Left BrainRight BrainLower BrainHigher BrainWithout this knowledge, OF COURSE, you're left to conclude that you are the problem.Best News: You're not!There's just a mental battle going on in your mind between that super-smart and logical left brain, and the freaked-out toddler lower brain.Once you understand what's happening everything gets easier.I explain it all in this episode. Check it out! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

What if you were never meant to work in Vet Med forever?What if the clinical practice was only supposed to be a tiny part of your journey?What if you were never supposed to "fit in" there?If these things are true, then did you make a mistake pursuing it in the first place?Many of us would believe Yes.Some of our friends, family members, and colleagues would also believe Yes.I believe NO. Absolutely not.Forever and always, pursuing Vet Med was your Best. Decision. Ever.How is that possible?How can I conclude with absolute certainty that the time and money you invested in a career you didn't "stick with" in a traditional (or even non-traditional) form was a good thing?How can you not?In this episode, I peel back all the judgment and pressures from society that keep us stuck in a life and career some of us aren't designed to stay in long-term.Resources:The Discover Your Purpose Workshop Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

You and I have at least one thing in common...We both pursued careers in Vet Med.Beyond that, there are similarities, and there are differences. Society and culture would have us believe our differences are problematic.This idea is so integrated that it leaves us comparing ourselves to others...Not measuring up...Concluding that the others have it all together, and we are the outliers who don’t.We suffer quietly, hiding our inadequacies with perfectionism, efforts to control, and isolation.We also buy into a homogenized idea of what “good practices” look like and how “good doctors” and “good technicians” behave and perform.The result: a constant state of self-critique against an expectation that is neither clearly defined, nor attainable.The perfect recipe for diminishing self-confidence, burnout, and despair.But this is only part of the story.On the other side are those veterinary professionals who flourish...Those who embody the calling to serve in this way, and become more of who they are in the process...Those who welcome the integration of vet med and private life.So, which way is right? Which way is better?Neither.Both.The truth is, you are not supposed to be like everybody else.There is no one right way to practice and work in veterinary medicine. The more you try to force yourself to conform to the “veterinary box” as you learned to define it along the way, the more you will struggle.Life is supposed to be easier than that. In this episode, I share my thoughts on the Vet Med Box and the gift you can give yourself by Breaking Free of Vet Med.To discover how to become more of who you are, and how Vet Med fits into your journey, check out Vet Life Academy! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

"I just can't do this anymore."Most of us in the veterinary profession have said those words... at least to ourselves.Maybe the last time was after a particularly sad euthanasia.Or, maybe after an ugly encounter with a client.Or, perhaps, when leaving work hours after the scheduled end of your shift.There comes a point for all of us when we are no longer willing to tolerate certain things in our lives.This is the Breaking Point...and it's actually a GOOD THING.In this episode, I share my perspective on the Breaking Point, why it's actually one of the most important moments in your life, and four things that determine whether you Evolve or Break on the other side. Resources:Want to understand where stress comes from and how to manage it? Join the FREE Webinar - How To Be Happy In Vet Med. Click here to join. Get empowerment, encouragement, and education for your Vet Med career from Vet Life Academy today. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Veterinary medicine brings us the opportunity to feel all the feels.You might struggle with that part.I did.I still do, sometimes.If you're anything like me, you probably have a tendency toward perfectionism.Perhaps you beat yourself up from time to time.And, maybe, you use things like junk food, television, shopping, and even overworking to try to feel better.(If I could just get caught up...)But let me guess...It doesn't work.No matter how hard you try, or how much you do, it's never enough.It's never enough to stop the emotional rollercoaster.This isn't an inherent defect in you, friend.The rollercoaster... that's just part of the human experience.VetMed just makes it a little more interesting. The solution is not to get away from or to cover up all the feelings.The only reliable solution is to lean into them.Yes... feel them on purpose.Learn to understand what they are and where they come from.Make them familiar.Embrace them as allies.Through this, they lose power. In this episode, I explain why.Ready to get to work? Check out Vet Life Reboot. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Our world is full of never-ending opportunities to be stimulated.Veterinary jobs reinforce this with overbooked schedules and chaotic days. The unpredictable nature of practicing medicine doesn't help.Many of us get through our days with a combination of adrenaline and caffeine. We then collapse in physical exhaustion when we get home... but the looping thoughts about work, cases, and life are relentless. It never stops. We rarely feel rested.With the thought loops come a steady dose of cortisol.The long-term impact on our physiology... not good.In this episode, I share a simple hack for slowing down our predominant state of fight-or-flight, quieting the thought loops, and intentionally activating our parasympathetic nervous systems so we can reset.The best part... you can do it anywhere!Interested in learning more about how you can break your stress habit?Check out the latest on-demand resources at JoyfulDVM.com Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Are you experiencing the compounding effect of anxiety and stress? Does it seem like it's getting heavier than usual?You aren't alone!If you're like me, your mind drifts frequently to the "what if..."And, let's face it... with the pandemic, election-related activities, and our own personal and professional challenges... we have a lot of material to work with.It may seem that considering the "what if's" is a useful tactic for preparing in advance for what might come next. MIGHT.Truth is, we don't know.We have never known.Not knowing was way more comfortable when the state of the world wasn't so visibly uncertain.See, when it wasn't so visible, and regularly discussed, we just didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it.We also didn't spend a lot of time planning for the next wave of it.Ignorance was bliss... The bliss didn't come from the world actually being more certain before all of this... ... it came from what we believed about the certainty of the world at that time.Our beliefs have changed.Our experience has changed.Our focus has shifted, and we are now acutely aware of many things our minds simply filtered out of our awareness before.The result: All these extra thoughts are creating extra emotion.Unfortunately, that extra emotion is often in the form of anxiety, stress, fear, anger, etc.Not useful.In this episode, I share a three-letter hack for interrupting the cycle of anxiety and stress many of us are trapped in.Interested in learning more about concepts like these? Visit https://joyfuldvm.com to learn about our latest resources and events. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

We often experience an emotional rollercoaster in veterinary medicine.There are extreme moments of happiness, relief, and appreciation...And there are also extreme moments of grief, regret, and fear.However, the framework of our veterinary careers, and entire lives, actually creates no emotion for us at all.Life has two components:FrameworkExperienceThe framework is created by facts... data points, actions, words, and events that the entire population would agree occurred.Facts can be proven... facts can be captured on video, audio, or in written form.Facts are not disputed. Facts are not right or wrong, they just are.Experience, on the other hand, is entirely subjective.Our experience is created by what we believe about the facts, and the emotions that those beliefs create.Therefore, the emotional rollercoaster is simply a reflection of our experience...... a reflection of what we believe about the facts in any given moment.Changing our experience doesn't require the facts to be different than they are.Changing our experience only requires us to identify the facts, and then to intentionally decide what we want to believe about them.What we believe moment-by-moment determines our emotional wellbeing.Our level of emotional wellbeing produces our life outcomes.Controlling our own story creates life-fueling freedom.Ready to dig more into these types of concepts? Join me in my next webinar:https://joyfuldvm.com/webinar Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

There are Four Root Causes of all Anxiety in Vet Med:Unexpected OutcomesPersonal Inexperience Human InteractionsPrior DecisionsThese causes have two things in common:None of them are within our control.All of them are anchored in Fear. Because they are anchored in fear, they feel extra terrible.They feel like something we need to fix, solve or avoid.They feel like something that threatens our life and well-being.Well, that's 1/2 right.It feels that way...... but our life and well-being are not actually in jeopardy. So why does this happen and what can/should you do about it?Check out this episode to learn more.Resources: Vet Life Academy Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The new year is coming.So, where do you land?In the camp of excited anticipation?Or in the camp of dread, doubt, uneasiness, and a little bit of fear?No doubt, 2020 threw us a hefty dose of the unexpected...But......not really more than any other year.Read that again...Not really more than any other year. What we can predict has remained unchanged.What we control, that's remained unchanged too.But the paradigm of what we believe.... now that's where the real shift occurred.For many of us, that paradigm shift created a super-dose of uncertainty.We don't like uncertainty.But there is good news here...Just because the paradigm shifted, we still have the ability to choose what we believe... we have the power to shift the paradigm again to generate what we really need most heading into 2021:Belief.In this episode, I break down how our paradigm will create or sabotage our success in 2021... and what you can do now to tip the scales in your favor as we move into the new year. Resources Mentioned:Joyful DVM FREE Webinar Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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 the new environment, we think about different things.Thoughts create Emotions.When it comes to our career, this decision-making approach does NOT move us closer to the career and vet life experience that we actually want. In this episode, I introduce an emotion-proof strategy for determining and evaluating current and future job opportunities... and share why we tend to leave bad-fit jobs in anger, rather than in brave pursuit of what we want next.Ready for some support as you apply this approach to your career and life in 2021? Click here to join us in the Intentional Happiness Program. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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 those villains...Entitled clientsCranky coworkersGreedy bossesTerrible schedulesInadequate payCrushing student loan balancesTOUGH LOVE: WRONG ANSWER!The VMVs are never the reason we change jobs or leave the profession.We flee because we want to get away from the way we feel in relation to the VMVs.It may seem like an insignificant difference, but it’s actually a critical differentiation!See, when our Why for leaving blames the VMVs, then we hand over our power and our personal well-being to them. We make them responsible for our experience, and life choices... but they never are.Changing jobs or leaving for these reasons has us running away...We are leaving to get away from how we feel as quickly as possible... We leave because we believe we will feel better anywhere else...(and we probably will, for a while). The problem with this is what comes NEXT: more of the same...When we leave to get away, we don’t intentionally choose where we are going... But, more on that topic next week.Right now, consider this...When all the dialogue and beliefs about why our job is so hard focus on blaming the VMVs... And when we make decisions about our own lives and careers as a result of what we believe about the VMVs and their influence... And when we draw conclusions about our own abilities and future potential from a mental space primarily occupied by thoughts about the VMVs...Then we really do live our lives at the mercy of the VMVs... which we will never control and never change.Living as a passenger in our own lives sucks.Want to learn more? Check out this episode! Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

We put a lot of pressure on happiness.We've turned it into the measure of the quality of our life and career. Of course, we want to be happy!But in pursuit of that, we've turned the absence of happiness into something that it is not.Absence of happiness does not mean something is going wrong.Absence of happiness does not mean something needs to be fixed.Absence of happiness does not mean someone else needs to be different.Absence of happiness does not mean you have the wrong job, relationship, salary, schedule, body weight, hair color, etc., etc., etc.Absence of happiness simply means you are not experiencing the emotion of happiness at this moment. It does not mean it's gone for good...... and it does not mean bringing it back has to be complicated or difficult.It's actually super simple. It's also 100% dependent on you and you alone.Happiness is simply an emotion.It's just a vibration in our bodies that feels amazing.Like any emotion, it's created by only one thing... our own thoughts.When you clean up your thoughts, happiness becomes inevitable.Ready to master this in 2021?Join us in the 2021 Intentional Happiness Program.A few hundred veterinary professionals all working toward intentional happiness and supporting each other along the way...Imagine the impact. Click here to join us in the 2021 Intentional Happiness Program. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Some of the hardest components of a veterinary career are amplified by four things:Stressful Client InteractionsUnexpected Patient DeathBoard Complaints / Negative Performance EvaluationsNegative Online Business ReviewsWe try our best to avoid these things... ... to keep them from happening.And then when they do, we turn inward...> we blame ourselves> we determine we are bad vets or vet techs> we conclude we aren't fit for this jobThis all creates a lot of suffering for us in this profession. It makes us miserable at work, and at home. But the suffering that we experience... it's all optional.In veterinary medicine, we will interact with clients, we will have patients die, we will receive feedback (solicited or otherwise)... ... it's all just part of the job.What's not part of the job is the negative conclusions we draw about ourselves, our abilities, our colleagues, or clients, and our future. That part is all optional.That part is neither inevitable nor guaranteed. In this week's podcast episode, I dig into these four misery-makers and offer an alternative perspective that can begin to change everything you believe about your prior experiences and the future of your chosen career. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In veterinary medicine and life, happiness is never something to be found, it is only something to be created.Happiness is an emotion.Emotions are never created by the events of the world.This faulty conclusion we've drawn about the things that happen to be the cause of the way we feel is defeating.When we believe our happiness (and other emotions) are dependent on the things that happen around us, we also often recognize we have no control over those things.As a result, we don't see a path to feeling better.Our self-care activities, then, become all about changing our situation.We miss the beautiful growth and opportunities that become available when we explore the real cause of those emotions in the first place.We also miss the simplicity of creating Intentional Happiness for ourselves.Life events, like podcast episodes that don't actually get recorded the first time you speak all the words... and cats that get sick with mystery illnesses you can't figure out... these no longer become life-altering joy stealers when you have the skill of Intentional Happiness. Soon we'll be enrolling in the 2021 Intentional Happiness Strategic Success Program.If you're ready to create a different experience for yourself next year, no matter what the universe sends our way, you'll want to participate with us. The only way to learn when enrollment opens and to sign up is by email... so make sure you're on our email list. Click here to join. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

In an uncontrollable world, there is one thing you can control one hundred percent of the time...You.Unfortunately, many of us give away that control, which compounds the impact.The ways in which we give up our control are subtle.We don't recognize these three simple things have a massive negative impact on our lives, self-confidence, and our futures.Those things:People pleasingFailing to set boundariesBufferingWhen we learn to manage ourselves in all of these areas, our lives immediately begin to improve.Our frustration dissipates.Defeat fades.Possibility and Hope emerge.The power of making your own choices fuels your self-confidence.You no longer tolerate allowing decisions to be made for you... that privilege is yours and yours alone, and you embrace it. In this episode, I take a closer look at the three joy and control-stealing activities of people-pleasing, failing to set boundaries, and buffering. Joyful DVM has a brand new course that can help you get a jump on a massive change in all of these areas. To learn more about it, join our next webinar. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

The Vet Med journey is not predictable. Despite the shared experiences of those who’ve gone before, the journeys of others are not indicative of our own. We will forge our own paths. Left to chance, those paths look very similar.But, intentionally decided, they look very different.Vet Med is simply a catalyst. The ultimate question becomes this:How do you determine the value of your life?Are you measuring your life success, and finding satisfaction (or lack thereof) based on variables you decided?Or have you just adopted the standards of the world?Did you even realize YOU get to decide?In this week’s episode, I take a look at the impact of adopting “life success measures” that are not your own.I also introduce the “when and then” approach many of us take which leaves us chasing an expectation that is neither defined nor attainable. To learn how you can begin living an intentional life in Vet Med and beyond, check out Vet Life Reboot here. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Veterinary Work-Life Balance is an interesting thing. In Vet Med we often lament about not having it ...and we identify it as a must-have when searching for new jobs.Many of us believe the perfect job can make work-life balance a reality for us.So, we actively seek work-life balance, as if it is something to be found... as if it's, something we've misplaced or just not come across yet.We have it all wrong.Work-life balance will never be found because it doesn't exist outside of us and our own experiences.Work-life balance must be created.Good News: We are perfectly equipped to create it!I've identified 5 Components that make up work-life balance:Boundaries Personal Efficiency Self Confidence Mind Management Future FocusIn this episode, I take a closer look at these 5 Components of Work-Life Balance in Veterinary Medicine.The ability to fully develop these components is influenced greatly by our Vet Life Profile. Once we've identified our Vet Life Profile, we'll understand why creating work-life balance has been so hard in the past, and we'll discover how we can start moving forward right away.Our Vet Life Profile changes over time. Wonder where you are today? To take a quick quiz to identify your personal Vet Life Profile, understand why creating Work-Life Balance has been such a struggle, and find out how you can leverage your Vet Life Profile to start creating Work-Life Balance right away, Click Here: https://joyfuldvm.com/quiz Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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 perfectionists. We think these things are useful. (They aren't).Evidence of this can be found within the walls of our organizations, and also in how we interact outside of those walls.> Every time we bash a neighboring clinic, it's proof.> Every time we talk negatively about a referring colleague to a client, it's proof.> Every time we believe there is an authority to fight against, it's proof.So what are we actually trying to achieve with all of this anger? We are just trying to feel better.See, anger is familiar, and it feels more powerful than fear and uncertainty. It feels justified and we justify it through blame.But what are we really angry about? It usually boils down to one simple concept: The way things are is different than the way we believe they should be... and if they were different, we'd be happy.We think we know best how things should be. We believe we don't have any power to change how things are. We believe that the way things are is the cause of our current quality of life.When we believe we don't have power over our own lives, we often feel afraid. That fear takes many forms....fear of patient outcomesfear of client reactionsfear of getting firedfear of not making enough moneyfear of paying off our debtfear of making mistakesfear of negative reviewsfear of board complaintsYou get the idea. Bottom Line: Fear feels terrible. Fear feels life-threatening.Anger feels much better. It has become the veterinary industry's coping mechanism. Rather than tackle that which we are afraid of, we become angry.Anger brings a false sense of control and builds a community of sorts with others who share in our anger. We become a profession of very angry people. That anger bleeds into every crevice of our hospitals, and onto our profession as a whole.We think the solution is for other people to behave differently. We think the solution is for things to be different than they are. Thankfully, that is not the solution. The solution is in learning just a few things...Fear is just an emotion, and its presence isn't a problemAnger is always optional and gives away our powerThere are very few things we control in this job, and that's okayWe can always choose to do our best in any situationWhat happens next is something we decide for ourselves, alwaysVet Med is simply the catalyst for Personal Growth. The time we spend cannibalizing each other in this profession is time we could be spending getting to know ourselves, and growing into the people we are meant to be. Instead, many of us stunt our own growth through anger, blame, and victim mentality. There is no power in that place. Your future is brighter than that. You dim your own light when you spend your energy focusing on that which you have no power to change. That same energy, focused intention Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Remember the Bluebirds I talked about back in Episode 11? They taught me a great lesson, which I shared on the podcast, about how to overcome obstacles.(If you haven't listened to Episode 11, consider checking it out.)Turns out, they had more wisdom to share.Perseverance:The ability to keep doing something despite how hard it is and how long it takes to achieve success.When we graduate with our veterinary degrees and get out into the real world, it's hard.Really hard.We decide we're doing it wrong.Many of us quit.We forget about the 3-5 year learning window we enter post-graduation... and again every time we change jobs.We hold ourselves to success standards that are unrealistic, and undefined.We compare our newbie veterinary selves to those seasoned through many many more years of experience.When we cut and run, we feel better...but, we miss four amazing gifts that only perseverance can provide.I tell you all about it, and share an unexpected surprise from the Bluebirds, in this episode. Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Uncertainty creates fear.Veterinary Medicine is full of uncertainty.It's no wonder many of us feel stressed, anxious, and worried a lot of the time.Under all of those emotions is fear.We've tried our best to eliminate the uncertainty.We've become control freaks & perfectionists.(okay, okay... so maybe those aren't new traits... but they are more dominant now) ​​We've also become increasingly frustrated and angry.When the humans don't follow our rules​​​​, when the patients don't get better as we plan, we feel lots of things.Under it all is fear.Fear of judgment.Fear of their potential anger.​​​​​​​​​​​Fear of their potential actions.And that fear feeds on our own insecurities.It feels terrible.We try everything we can to avoid, or quickly eliminate our fear.It's exhausting.It's also totally unnecessary. ​​See, the fear is not coming from the unexpected way our cases and client interactions play out. It's more instinctual than that, and it's not a problem until we let it drive our decisions and beliefs. The solution isn't Stopping Fear... it's learning to use fear-filled situations as an opportunity to tap into Empowerment.Vet Med gives us lots of opportunities to practice this skill, and I've created a process to make it easier.​​​​​​​​To get a copy of the ​Five-Step Process for Transitioning from Fear to Empowerment pdf, CLICK HEREThis week, ​​I talk about the Impact of Fear in Veterinary Medicine and walk through some specific examples to show you exactly take control of your emotional well-being in any situation.Empowerment opens all doors to the future you want for yourself.Let's get to work!Resources mentioned in this podcast:Five-Step Process for Transitioning from Fear to Empowerment pdf Music Credit: Music by Lesfm from Pixabay