Why the Best Time is Right Now: how to stop Ruminating and Start Living

“ I have the most wonderful memories from there, it was the best time of my life …” I explained to a colleague whose son is studying at the same medical school I went to. Hearing of his son’s stories made me reminisce about my own time. From walking barefoot home after a night out from Marble Arch down to Wilson House and to jumping out of a plane in Sydney when I should have been shadowing a nice Ozzie doctor.

“ The best time is now though you know that ?”. I visibly noticed my un-botoxed forehead crinkle on my confused face. How is the best time now. I am constantly running late in clinic, I haven’t had a wee in 6 hours and I’m having lunch at 4pm. I do love my patients by the way, I wouldn’t change the adrenaline rush I get when I get to work. Ok it’s not brain surgery but GPs consult in 10-15minute appointments and have to know all of medicine, yes all of medicine - not just about a shoulder joint like my orthopod colleagues ( sorry for the friendly jibe). I am mega proud and honoured to be a GP but I go home weary and hopeful in equal measure. Weary that I won’t always have the energy to be fully present for my loved ones as I am depleted in energy and hopeful that I have somehow dodged another bullet and I still have decent health. I am very grateful despite multiple operations myself.

Back to how this is the best time of your life. We never see it as the best time until it is long gone. Right now , we only feel the struggle, everything is an effort post covid and everyone wants to live their best life with quick fixes to their health. I get it .

So how do we change our mindset ? It takes practice as you’re trying to strength train and remodel your brain ( and we know no one gets abs with a few sits ups ).

The next time you are struggling , ask yourself what are the higher powers trying to teach me and how is this experience linked to my personal development? If we only see the negatives, we will always find something wrong and this will stop us from taking the steps forward. We regularly use; “ it’s not the right time for me” , “ I am always unlucky, it never works out”, “ I am too old now “.

So we will look back on our current struggles, thinking it wasn’t so bad and that we overcame it. .

Start living now with small changes, like putting your phone away when you are speaking with someone. Immerse yourself in their words rather than think about posting content later on. The best time is now but I hate the idea of only realising decades later.