By Don Wenner, Guest Writer
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This blog post is the final installment of a four-part series, published throughout the past year, that delves into the 8 F's for building prosperity and fulfillment in life, as outlined by DLP Capital's Personal Compass. In this series, we will explore each aspect of the 8 F's and provide practical insights on how individuals, specifically medical professionals, can achieve a fulfilled life.]
I’m excited to dive into our final installment of “Building Prosperity: Exploring the 8 F’s for a Fulfilling Life.” So far, we’ve looked at the first six: finance and freedom, fun and fitness, and family and friends. Today, we’ll close out this series with faith and fulfillment.
Working as a medical professional is as selfless as it gets—which makes it all the more important to take the time to prioritize your personal well-being. Your days are demanding and require immense dedication, compassion, and resilience. By nurturing faith and seeking fulfillment, you’ll not only be doing the important work of caring for yourself; you’ll also be ensuring you’re in the best position to provide exceptional care to your patients.
Faith: An Anchor in Turbulent Times
Faith serves as a guiding light and cornerstone for many individuals, offering strength, hope, and purpose. As a medical professional, you often face emotionally charged situations—sometimes even ones that are life and death. Having a strong foundation in faith that offers strength, hope, and purpose can be particularly grounding.
Luke 12:48 – My Life Verse
Faith can take many forms, whether through religious beliefs, spiritual practices, or a general sense of purpose and meaning in life. In my own life, I have found immense inspiration in the biblical verse Luke 12:48, which reads, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” I imagine that this verse resonates deeply with the responsibilities and blessings that come with being a medical professional, and it serves as a reminder that your skills, knowledge, and opportunities are gifts that come with the obligation to serve others selflessly and diligently.
Ways to Nurture Faith
Regardless of your spiritual background, there are many ways to nurture a faith-driven life. Set aside time each day for prayer or reflection. This practice can help clear your mind and reinforce your sense of purpose. Engage with a community that shares your beliefs, like a church or a small group. This can provide support, encouragement, and a sense of belonging.
You can also let your faith guide your interactions with patients and colleagues. Whether through acts of kindness, ethical decision-making, or simply offering a listening ear, your faith can influence your professional demeanor.
Finally, I would encourage you to find mentors who share your faith and who can provide guidance and support in your personal and professional life. For me, I find myself turning to my close friend Lloyd Reeb for guidance. We both share a love of the Lord and a passion for creating an impact on the world. Having him to consult with, ask questions, and learn from adds value to my life—not just as a father and husband but as a business owner, as well.
Fulfillment: Achieving True Prosperity
Now that we’ve covered the first seven Fs—finance, freedom, fun, fitness, family, friends, and faith—all roads lead to fulfillment. Combining these elements can foster contentment, purpose, and joy in all aspects of life beyond financial success or professional accomplishments.
One of the secrets to achieving fulfillment is balance, especially amid the pressure and demands of a career in medicine. I believe the path to fulfillment starts by finding balance in key areas, including:
- Meaningful work: Align your professional activities with your values and passions. Seek opportunities that allow you to make a positive impact on your patients’ lives.
- Work-life integration: Strive for a healthy balance between your professional and personal life. This might involve setting boundaries and delegating tasks, as well as prioritizing self-care and family.
- Continuous growth: Commit to lifelong learning and personal development. I spend a lot of my free time reading books written by authors renowned for leadership, healthy living, and other areas of personal development that I believe to be valuable. Learning can also include pursuing further education, attending workshops and webinars, or even consulting with a partner or colleague on what they do and how they do it.
- Supportive relationships: Cultivate strong relationships with family, friends, and peers. A supportive network can provide emotional sustenance and enrichment.
- Contribution to community: Engage in activities that allow you to give back to your community. Volunteer at a local shelter; mentor a student; and participate in community events like fundraisers, charitable 5Ks, or festivals. Having a sense of connection with the community in which you live can give you a greater sense of purpose outside of the workplace.
You’ve Achieved Fulfillment; Now What?
Once you achieve fulfillment, there are always measures you can—and should—take to maintain it. Keep in mind that there may be days when you don’t feel completely fulfilled, and that’s OK. The work is in establishing and practicing small but powerful habits so that you can wake up every morning ready to win the day.
First, you may need to stop and define what fulfillment looks like for you. Fulfillment is completely different for each of us, so take some time to set realistic, achievable goals that align with your personal vision of fulfillment.
Next, make it a point to regularly reflect on the positive aspects of your life and express gratitude. Given your line of work, you undoubtedly see and experience a lot of emotional and, at times, even heartbreaking situations that can make it hard to focus on the good that’s going on around you. Practicing gratitude can enhance your sense of fulfillment and overall well-being by pivoting your awareness and forcing you to pay attention to the positives.
Make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine. Again, this will look different from one person to the next, but this could include physical activity like a sport or playing in the backyard with your kids; mental health practices like therapy; or emotional care like mindful meditation, prayer, or simply taking a short walk outside for fresh air.
Finally, make time to celebrate your achievements, whatever those may be. Acknowledging small wins and big accomplishments can boost your motivation and foster a deeper sense of fulfillment.
Together, faith and fulfillment can have a significant impact on anyone’s overall well-being, especially those working in the emotionally demanding field of medicine. By nurturing faith and seeking fulfillment in all aspects of your life, you can achieve a sense of prosperity that goes beyond a single “F,” whether that be financial, fun, or otherwise. As I wrap up this series on the 8 F’s for building prosperity and fulfillment, I encourage you to reflect on how you can incorporate these principles into your daily life. The pursuit of a balanced, fulfilled life is a continuous journey that takes a lot of work and dedication, but the reward is invaluable.
Do you use faith as an anchor during turbulent times? How else do you fulfill yourself?
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Don Wenner is the founder and CEO of DLP Capital. This article was submitted and approved according to our Guest Post Policy.]
As a not very religious sort (by Alabama standards that is) I thought this wouldn’t be for me. However I am at a bored but shouldn’t be phase of retirement- I DID retire TO something, but that was care of my mother (now gone), grandkids (who need/ get me a few hours a week only), and garden (now well enough along from scratch that the summer heat keeps me indoors several hours a day). I refuse/ refrain from adding routine housework (ie laying off my cleaner), hardcore volunteering (been there, don’t want to go there again), or hours daily of computer gaming (spouse’s solution) to my life.
I hope to combine my desire for more time with friends with your recommendation of finding a likeminded mentor- a reciprocal holding one another accountable if my similarly situated friends have time and bandwidth for the process.
Sorry to be that guy, but this just hits all wrong for me because it trucks in this word “Faith.” Despite a lot of attempts to define it here, I have no idea what the author means by it. We are told that Faith gives “a general sense of purpose and meaning in life” and offers “strength, hope, and purpose.”
Okay, so why not just have THOSE things? People should strive to have Strength, Hope and Purpose. Tying them up and wrapping the word Faith around them does nothing but confuse when the word “faith” has a very distinct meaning. Others have defined faith very differently:
-“Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” – Mark Twain
-Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. -Ambrose Bierce
-Where there is evidence, no one speaks of “faith”. We do not speak of faith that two and two are four or that the earth is round. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence.– Bertrand Russell
I agree that a lot of times when people talk about faith they mean faith in God or faith in Jesus Christ. Once you get beyond there, it gets really vague. I mean, you can have faith the sun will come up or faith in another person that they will show up and do what they said they’d do, but a generic “faith” is hard to pin down.
Yes, one of the problems is that a lot of people think that beliefs mean something in themselves. That’s where you get your questions about what one might call mental assent. The word in reality refers to faithfulness. Do you trust God and keep his commandments? That’s what real faith is.
When you die and you are judged by Jesus Christ, he’s not going to ask you “True or false, I exist” You’ll know that already, just like all the demons do, and you will be judged “according to your works.”
May He have mercy on us all.
Maimonides was a Jewish physician and thought leader from a thousand years ago. Even though I am not a person of faith, I enjoy his prayer for physicians. Please excuse the patriarchal language.
I begin once more my daily work, be thou with me, almighty father of mercy, in all my efforts to heal the sick. For without thee, man is but a helpless creature. Grant that I may be filled with love for my art and my fellow men. May the thirst for gain and the desire for fame be far from my heart for these are the enemies of pity and the ministers of hate. Grant that I will be able to devote myself body and soul to thy children who suffer from pain.
Preserve my strength that I may be able to restore the strength of the rich and the poor, the good and the bad, the friend and the foe. Let me see in the sufferer the man alone. When wiser men teach me, let me be humble to learn for the mind of man is so puny and the art of healing so vast. But when fools are ready to advise me or to find fault with me, let me not listen to their folly. Let me be intent on one thing, oh father of mercy, to always be merciful to thy suffering children.
May there never arise in me the notion that I know enough but give me strength and leisure and zeal to enlarge my knowledge. Our work is vast and the mind of man presses forward forever. Thou has chosen me in thy grace to watch over the life and death of thy creatures. Guide me in this immense work so that it may be of avail.
As I said, I’m not a person of faith, but the sentiments expressed centuries ago remain aspirational to me.
That’s a great prayer.
Dr. Singer, I find your post of Maimonides ironic of course given your heritage, but I think maybe the weirdest part is that you can’t just post what a man said, instead you had to say “excuse patriarchal language.” What a bizarre, confused world we are living in.