1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: This is Let's Be Clear with Shannon Dohrney. Hi, Let's 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: be clear, listeners. My name is doctor Tiffany Moon. You 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: might know me from the Real Housewives of Dallas on 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Bravo TV, but I'm also a board certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: and mother of twins. I came to this country in 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety at the ripe age of six, and I 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: remember sneak watching Beverly Hills nine oh two one zero 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: when my parents were running errands and I was home alone. 9 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: I remember watching Shannon, and like many of you, I 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: really admired how vocal she was about the things that 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 1: she believed in. And I'm very humbled to be hosting 12 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: this episode of Let's Be Clear. I hope that my 13 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: message connects with you in a meaningful way and then 14 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: I'm able to help you bring a little bit more 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: joy into your life. Today, I want to focus on 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: some thing that I'm passionate about, which is what joy 17 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: means to me, and how I stopped trying to live 18 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: a life that was perfect and by checking off all 19 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: the boxes, and instead live a life filled with gratitude, connection, 20 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 1: and laughter, which are the things that bring me joy. 21 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: I even wrote a book about my entire joy journey. 22 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: It's called Joy Prescriptions and is out on Bay six. 23 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: To start off, I want to give you guys a 24 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: little bit of background about myself because I think much 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: of what we think about the world, our mindset, and 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: the way we move throughout the world, is structured by 27 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: how our childhood was. For me, childhood was a turbulent 28 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: time because my parents left me in China when I 29 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: was three years old to come to America. Back then, 30 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: in communist nineteen eighties China, you basically couldn't get out 31 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: unless you had a student visa, and so because my 32 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: parents were both academically gifted, they were able to obtain 33 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: student visas to come and study in America, but both 34 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: going to school full time, they thought that having a 35 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: toddler in tow probably wasn't a good idea, so they 36 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: left me in China with my maternal grandparents. So from 37 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: the age of three until six, I didn't really know 38 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: my parents. Again, this was in the nineteen eighties. The 39 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: internet was not a thing. We didn't really even have 40 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: a telephone for me to hear my parent's voice. Twice 41 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: a year, an envelope would appear and inside would be 42 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: a printed out photo of my parents at the mall 43 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: standing in front of a Christmas tree. I had no 44 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: concept what that was. And one day, when I was 45 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: six years old, my grandma told me, your parents are 46 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: ready to accept you in America. And I thought, oh, 47 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: my parents, Oh yeah, those people. I kind of forgot 48 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: about them because when you're a child, you sort of 49 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: take every day for face value. You don't really worry 50 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: or have anxiety. That's part of the beauty of being 51 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: a child. And she said, well, your mom and dad 52 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: are ready for you to come to America now. So 53 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: we drove to the airport in Beijing, because we lived 54 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: in a small city outside of Beijing, and I got 55 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: put on an airplane by myself at the age of 56 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: six to go to JFK Airport, where when I got 57 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: off the plane, my mom and dad were waiting for 58 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: me at the gate. I knew they were my mom 59 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: and dad because I had seen multiple pictures of them, 60 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: and I had a slight recollection of these people, but 61 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: again I had not seen them since I was three 62 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: years old, which was half my life at that point. 63 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: So they took me back to their apartment in Queens 64 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: and put me in first grade in the middle of 65 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: the school year, and I knew not a lick of English, 66 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: like not even hello or Hi. I had never heard 67 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: anyone speak English ever before. It's not like now where 68 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: you travel internationally and even at the hotel in Beijing 69 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: or Shanghai, there's like a few American channels or something. No, 70 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: back then, there was nothing. So I don't want to 71 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: talk too much about my childhood, but the reason I 72 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: want to share this with you is that you know 73 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: I had a lot of abandonment issues as a child. 74 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: We continued to move every one or two years throughout 75 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: my childhood. Every time my mom or dad got a 76 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: slightly better job, we'd moved to a slightly nicer apartment. 77 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: I finally got my own room when I was ten 78 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: yearsyears old. So at the apartment, we'd always get a 79 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: one bedroom apartment and my parents would have the bedroom, 80 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: and my quote unquote room would in essence be the 81 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: living room where a mattress lay on the floor. That 82 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: was my room. But when we were ten years old, 83 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: my dad got a new job and we were able 84 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: to afford a home, a freestanding home with a two 85 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: car garage and a backyard and I got my own 86 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: room for the very first time. So that is like 87 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: one of my core memories throughout my childhood. I would 88 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: say the name of the game was about academic success, achievement, UIL, 89 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: math competitions, spelling bees, making a's. I distinctly remember bringing 90 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: home a ninety six on a math test, and I 91 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: remember being berated by my father for not getting one hundred. 92 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: I had missed I think two questions, and he went 93 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: and got the thick stack of math sheets that he 94 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: had for me and gave me ten extra sheets that night, 95 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: and he said, next time you have a question like this, 96 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: you're not going to miss it, because you're going to 97 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: do ten pages of it right now. That was the 98 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: environment I grew up in. I didn't know that you 99 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: could grow up differently. I started to make a few 100 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: friends in middle school, but again we moved every one 101 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: or two years, so it was hard to keep friends, 102 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: and I basically found solace in reading and doing extra 103 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: math worksheets. Because of this, I ended up finishing the 104 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: curriculum early and going to college at the age of fifteen. 105 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: So I left my parents' house. I went and moved 106 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,559 Speaker 1: into a dorm with a roommate who remains my best 107 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: friend to this very day, even though she now lives 108 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: in Dubai. I started dating a boy that was college 109 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: aged even though I was fifteen, because I was in 110 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: college hanging out with college people, and it really was 111 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: like my life opened up. I had no idea that 112 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: other people didn't do ten sheets of math work a night. 113 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: I had never been on a sleepover in my entire life, 114 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: and now I was in the dorm like basically having 115 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: the sleepover that never ended. So it was I opening 116 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways, not only academically, but I 117 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: feel like I'm matured a lot during that time. So 118 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: I ended up finishing college when I was nineteen. I 119 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: did not take a gap year. I asked my dad 120 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: if I could take a gap year to take a 121 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: little bit more time to study for the MCAT and 122 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: to do a semester abroad in Europe because there was 123 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: a program that Cornell had with another school and you 124 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: basically exchanged. And he said absolutely not. What could you 125 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: possibly learn in another country that you can't learn here? 126 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: And I was like, I think a lot, like different culture, 127 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: different people, you know. But I was like no, no, no, Daddy, 128 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: you're right. I'm sorry I asked. I was stupid. So 129 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: went through college, graduated from Cornell when I was nineteen, 130 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: went straight into medical school, graduated when I was twenty three, 131 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 1: went straight into residency. Was twenty eight years old when 132 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 1: I graduated from residency, got married the same year, had 133 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 1: about of infertility, and basically had my twins about two 134 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: years after I got married. So you're like, why is 135 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: she telling us her whole life story. I'm telling you 136 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: because it took me a really long time to realize 137 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: that life is not a series of checking off the boxes, 138 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: and that if, by chance, you happened to check off 139 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: everything on this arbitrary checklist, it still doesn't bring you joy. 140 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: I know this because I got to the point that 141 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: I thought I had checked off all the boxes that 142 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 1: I just listed for you, and I felt completely empty inside. 143 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: I did not know who I was, I did not 144 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: know what I liked. All I knew is that I 145 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: felt good when I helped other people. I felt good 146 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: when I was praised. I felt good when I was needed, 147 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: and that was generally when I felt good. I was 148 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: take the money that I earned from being a doctor 149 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 1: and buy lots of pretty, pretty things to soothe myself. 150 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: I have a affinity for luxury handbags, shoes, clothes, jewelry, 151 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 1: nice sparkly things. I think when you grow up in 152 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: an environment of scarcity and you really have nothing, I 153 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: mean my entire childhood, I remember all of our items 154 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: that we had were either from garage sales or from goodwill. 155 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: I never had any new clothes or shoes. My family 156 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: never took a vacation. I mean, we scrimped and saved. 157 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: And I think now that I have means, I'm still 158 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: never wasteful. You know, I still love a good deal. 159 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: I think, you know, when you grow up poor, there's 160 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: something inside you where you always remember what it's like 161 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: not to have. And so I thought that when I 162 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: had money and I was able to buy things and 163 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: go on vacation and buy a dress without even looking 164 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: at the price tag, I mean, I just thought that 165 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: that would be the epitome of what success meant. And 166 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: even though those things are nice, it didn't fulfill me. 167 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:35,079 Speaker 1: I was looking for joy in all the wrong places, 168 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: because joy does not come from achievements and checking off 169 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: the boxes and Chanel handbags and burkins. It just doesn't. 170 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: But I think many people still think it does. And 171 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: the joy that we sometimes chase in our day to 172 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: day life is not the joy that I want to 173 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: encourage you to cultivate. So there's three things that I 174 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: did on my journey to joy that I'll share with 175 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: you and you can consider doing. This was about the 176 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: time that I went on Real Housewives because two of 177 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: the worst and best things happened to me all at 178 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: once in the year twenty twenty. COVID happened, and I 179 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 1: filmed for Real Housewives of Dallas. These are both wonderful things, 180 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: and they are both terrible things, but they both made 181 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: me grow a lot. COVID was the thing that kind 182 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: of drove my anxiety over the edge of the cliff. 183 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: As a baseline anxious person who jokes around that I 184 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: worry for a living, I chose a career in which 185 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: it's quite literally my job to worry about my patients. 186 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is every day I 187 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 1: go into the operating room at six forty five AM, 188 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 1: and I pull up a bunch of drugs and open 189 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: a bunch of equipment that I may or may not 190 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: use that day, but it's just in case. A lot 191 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: of my job is looking at a patient's comorbiditis, level 192 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: of risk, the type of surgery they're having, and then 193 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: trying to in my best guess see how they're going 194 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 1: to do and pull up the drugs according to what 195 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 1: I think might happen during surgery. For some patients who 196 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: are healthy and undergoing ankle or knee surgery, I do 197 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: not call for blood to be in the room. It's 198 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: likely not necessary. When I have a octagenarian who has 199 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: heart failure coming in for a vascular surgery, or they 200 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: have lung cancer and we're doing lung surgery, I most 201 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: likely do have blood in the room because there's a 202 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: high likelihood I'm going to be transfusing that patient. So 203 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: I'm an anxious person at baseline, my job rewards me 204 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: for my anxiety. And then COVID happened and I just 205 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: lost it. I thought if this might be the end 206 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: of the world, which in early twenty twenty it certainly 207 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: seemed like it could be. How have I lived my life? Like? 208 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: Where has my joy been? I've been such a good girl, 209 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: I've checked all the boxes. But why do I still 210 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: feel like a shell of a person or a zombie 211 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: just going through the motions and if this is the 212 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: end of the world, Did I do it right? And truthfully, 213 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: the answer was no. I wished that I had gone 214 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: back and made deeper connections with people. I wish that 215 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: I had gone to my friends. My best friend from 216 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: the college program, her name's Vanessa, who now lives in Dubai. 217 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: When she graduated from business school. I did not attend 218 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: her graduation because I was studying for finals for medical school. 219 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: You know. Her commencement in May was the week before 220 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: my finals of third year of medical school. And I 221 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: didn't go because I needed to study so that I 222 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: could get an A, so that I could graduate with honors, 223 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: so that I I could get into the best antithesiology 224 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: residency program in the country. And I missed my best 225 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: friend's graduation from business school. Like that is so shitty. 226 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: Like I wish I had gone, but I didn't, you know. 227 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: I wished that I didn't listen to my dad and 228 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: I had gone to Europe and studied abroad for a 229 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: semester and taken a foreign lover, you know, Like I 230 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: wished I did all those things, but I didn't because 231 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: I was like one track mind. In my book, I 232 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: tell the story of going to the Kentucky Derby with 233 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: a girlfriend of mine, and I don't know anything about 234 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: horses or horse racing, nor do I now, but I 235 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: thought it was a good event. I could wear a 236 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: cute outfit and buy one of those super huge hats 237 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: that you wear, so I went for the fashion. And 238 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: she pointed out to me that the horses during the 239 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: race were these things on its head called blinders, and 240 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: the purpose of the blinders is to prevent the horse 241 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: from looking peripherally for even a tenth of a millisecond 242 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: so that it maintains its eyesight on the finish line 243 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: and wins the Kentucky Derby. And when she told me 244 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: this story and we were drinking our mint jewel ups, 245 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: I just in that second I was like, Oh my god, 246 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: it's It's a metaphor for my life. Like I'm one 247 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: of these race horses that has blinders on, and I've 248 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: literally been so singularly focused on the finish line that 249 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: i haven't had a chance to look around and to 250 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 1: smell the proverbial roses, so to speak. So COVID happened, 251 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: Real Housewives happened. I became an accidental social media influencer 252 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: that was not planned, and all of these things I 253 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: believe would not have happened if I didn't hit that 254 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: rock bottom time during early COVID, when I thought that 255 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: the world was ending and I had not lived my 256 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: life fully. I love doctor Brene Brown. She's a fellow 257 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: Texas girl like me. She does a lot of research 258 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: about shame and vulnerability and leading courageously. And in one 259 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: of her books she talks about foreboding joy and I 260 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: was like, what the hell does that mean? Foreboding joy is, basically, 261 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: how do I say it, not being able to live 262 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: in the present moment and enjoy the abundance of everything 263 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: your life has to offer because you're afraid of what 264 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: might happen in the future. And she I think she 265 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: was on OPRAH, and she was talking about a client 266 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: patient of hers, an older gentleman, and he had been 267 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:23,959 Speaker 1: practicing foreboding joy because his wife had been ill or 268 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: something like that, and he didn't want to feel too 269 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:33,239 Speaker 1: deeply with her because she was going to pass, and 270 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: so he, I guess, kept his distance and then she 271 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: did pass, and he said it did absolutely nothing for me. 272 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: Dress rehearsing tragedy when it actually happened did absolutely nothing 273 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: for me. So what I learned from that is, don't 274 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: do it, don't dress rehearse tragedy, like live your life 275 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: to the fullest. Yes, there are bad things going on 276 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: in the world. Yes people can be incredibly cruel and unkind, 277 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 1: but you don't have to subscribe to that. Like we 278 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: can all do our little part on this earth to 279 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: try to make an impact in someone else's day. And generally, 280 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: when I'm leaving the hospital at the end of a day, 281 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,199 Speaker 1: I know that I made a difference in someone else's life, 282 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: for sure. But on days that I wasn't in the hospital, 283 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: I felt a little bit lost because all my life 284 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: I had been equating my worthiness with achievement and success 285 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: and subsequently then earning money. And you know, I bought 286 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: my parents a car, I bought my parents a house. 287 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,640 Speaker 1: I would pay for dinner every time we went out. 288 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: And that's how how I felt my worthiness as a human, 289 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: as a doctor, as a daughter. And slowly, over the 290 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: last few years, I've had to peel away my worthiness 291 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: from achievement because, like my friend doctor Judith Joseph says, Tiffany, 292 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: we are human beings, we are not human doings. She said, 293 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: tell me this. Do you love your dogs, do you 294 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: love your children? Do you love your husband? I said, 295 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: of course, these are like my inner circle, Like you know, 296 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: if I had a time capsule and could preserve these people, 297 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: like for all eternity, these are the people I would 298 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: want to always be with. And she said, do you 299 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: love them all because they do so much for you? 300 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: And I was like, well, no, the dogs don't do 301 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: much of anything except the one that's a protection dog. 302 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: The other two like literally do nothing all day. My 303 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: husband does things for me, but that's not why I 304 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: love him. I love him because he's kind and generous 305 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: and funny and allows me to be my crazy self. 306 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,479 Speaker 1: And of course I love my children because they're sweet 307 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:18,160 Speaker 1: and curious and creative and crazy. And she was like, right, 308 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: so why is it that you love people because of 309 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: you know, all the things that you just said, But 310 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: you only let people love you because of what you 311 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: can do for them. And I was like, uh, like, 312 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, I just I feel, you know. She's like, 313 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: do you think your friends like you because of what 314 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: you do for them? And I said some of them actually, yes, yes, 315 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: And she's like, well, you need to get rid of 316 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:54,360 Speaker 1: those friends. I said, Okay, yes, I understand, but by 317 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: and large, I guess what I'm trying to share with 318 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: you all is that the people in your life who 319 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: truly love you love you for you, because you're kind, 320 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: because you're curious, because you're funny, because you're thoughtful, and 321 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: they just want to spend time with you. And I 322 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: think as a society we've lost touch with joy. I 323 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: think there is a cultural war on joy because of 324 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 1: what we see on TV, because of what we see 325 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: on social media. Everyone is in this terrible game of 326 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:42,879 Speaker 1: compare and despair, looking at everyone else's social media feed 327 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: and thinking that, you know, why is everyone out there 328 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 1: celebrating on vacation, getting a new house, getting a new car, 329 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: you know, and I'm sitting here worried about my bills. 330 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: My relationship is on the rocks, you know. It's you know, 331 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:02,479 Speaker 1: social media. Despite my self being a very prevalent user, 332 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: you have to know in your heart that it's not real. 333 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: It is real, but it's also not real, meaning that 334 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: you're only seeing the parts of people that they want 335 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: you to see, and you cannot compare someone else's greatest 336 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 1: hits with your every day It's simply not a fair comparison, 337 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 1: and the more you do it, the more you will lose. 338 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: I talked a little bit about friends, but I think 339 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:52,399 Speaker 1: every adult, at least every few years in life needs 340 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: to do a friend audit. This is not meant to 341 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: be mean, This is not meant to cut anyone out 342 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: of our life lives. But as we move through different 343 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:08,360 Speaker 1: stages of our lives, there are different people for different stages, 344 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: and some of your friends from previous stages of your 345 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: life may not be suitable to accompany you to the 346 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 1: next stage of your life. And that's okay. My maid 347 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: of honor at my wedding, I love her dearly. She 348 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: was my best friend when we were in our teens 349 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: and early twenties, but we've grown apart. She lives in 350 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: the far Northeast. She does not have children. She decided 351 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 1: by choice not to have children, and so we don't 352 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: have a lot to talk about right now, and that's okay. 353 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,159 Speaker 1: I wish her the best. Maybe she'll come back in 354 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,159 Speaker 1: my life at another time. But I think sometimes we 355 00:25:55,280 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: hold on to friendships for the sake of nostalgia, or 356 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 1: you know, just the fact that we've known someone for 357 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 1: twenty years and they used to be our BFF, and 358 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: we used to, you know, be on the phone for 359 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: hours at a time when we were fifteen years old, 360 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:17,120 Speaker 1: but sometimes that no longer works. And the worst kind 361 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,879 Speaker 1: of friend, if you can call them, that is the 362 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: kind that tries to compete with you, or is jealous 363 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: of you, or uses you. And I've had all of those. 364 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: I have had friends that have straight up used me 365 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: for money, promotion, academic advancement. And it feels terrible when 366 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: you kind of figure out that you've been used. But 367 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 1: I caution you against building your walls so high that 368 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,160 Speaker 1: it never happens to you again, because that's not good either. There. 369 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: It's like I say to my you know, supervisor, I 370 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: would rather write a prescription for someone who fooled me 371 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: and doesn't actually need the pain pills than to be 372 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 1: so hard that I'm not writing the prescriptions to people 373 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: who actually need them, you know, like you're fooling me, 374 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: and that lies on you. But I, in good faith 375 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: believe you, so when the truth comes to light, that 376 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 1: is on you. It's not on me, right, But I 377 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: encourage you guys to do a friend audit every couple 378 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: of years because time is a limited resource and I 379 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 1: want you to be spending time with the people that 380 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 1: uplift you and empower you and inspire you to do 381 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 1: bigger and better things, and not people who are bringing 382 00:27:55,200 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 1: you down. So I want to wrap up with negativity 383 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: because it's a question that I get asked often on 384 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 1: social media, and also when I do speaking engagements. It's 385 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 1: funny because I give a lot of keynotes, or I'll 386 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,119 Speaker 1: be on a panel for either a medical conference or 387 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: a non medical conference, and there's always, you know, questions 388 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: at the end, and then there's the questions after the questions, 389 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: which is when you get off stage or you're mingling 390 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: at the cocktail hour afterwards and someone comes up and says, 391 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: you know, I really enjoyed your talk, but can I 392 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: ask you this? And one of the frequent questions that 393 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: I get is how do you deal with the negativity 394 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: that you get? And this is my answer. Be glad 395 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 1: that people are talking about you, even if sometimes it's negative. 396 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: And I want you to imagine it like this. Say 397 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: you're Joshmo, You're not very well known, you're not on 398 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: social media, you have kids that go to school, you 399 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: have friends, maybe you have a church community, so your 400 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: sphere of influence is like one hundred people. You know, 401 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: about one hundred people come into a regular interaction with you, 402 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: and five of them just do not like you. They 403 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: don't like your fashion sense, they think your voice is annoying, 404 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: they don't think you're an effective leader. I don't care. Whatever, 405 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: five of them don't like you. It's five percent. Right now. 406 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: You create a business, you're an entrepreneur, You go on 407 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: social media, you're posting about your business, maybe you decide 408 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: to run for PTA president whatever. You are putting yourself 409 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: out there in one way or another, and now it 410 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: seems like all of these people don't like you, don't 411 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: like your ideas. You hear them talking stuff behind your back, 412 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: and you're just feeling terrible about yourself because you're like, man, 413 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: I must really suck. I should not put myself out 414 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: there anymore because I'm getting all this negative feedback. The 415 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: fact is that we as humans have a proclivity towards 416 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 1: negative thoughts and negative feedback because back when we were cavemen, 417 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: it behooved us to know if someone in the tribe 418 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: was upset with us, so we didn't get kicked out 419 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: and have no protection. Right, we need to stay inside 420 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: the cave when the wooly mammoth run through. Right, So 421 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: we have a proclivity towards not upsetting the status quo 422 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: and being very hyper sensitive to negative feedback. Okay, then 423 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: what happens when you're an entrepreneur. You're trying to put 424 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 1: yourself out there, you go on social media, you're getting 425 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: this hate. I want you to realize it is likely 426 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: the same percentage of people who don't like you, but 427 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,719 Speaker 1: because you're putting yourself out there and your sphere of 428 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: influence has now increased from say one hundred people to 429 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: one thousand people, fifty of them don't like you, and 430 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: they're vocal about it versus the old five. So you 431 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: are getting more negative feedback in an absolute sense, you are, 432 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: but it's only because you're putting yourself out there and 433 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 1: your sphere of influence is growing. So I want you 434 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: guys to realize that. And I always tell my coaching 435 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 1: clients if someone is out there imitating you, talking about you, 436 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: or throwing shade at you, honey, it means you are 437 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: doing something right. Because if you were basic and doing 438 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: nothing and not putting yourself out there and you had 439 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: no new ideas, who would be talking about you. No 440 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: one right, So don't let the negativity keep you from 441 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: doing what it is is you want to do. You 442 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: must work through it. Okay. I just want to give you, 443 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: guys that little pearl because it comes up a lot 444 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: with my coaching clients and when I speak. So we're 445 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: going to wrap up here. Thank you for listening to 446 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: this episode of Let's be clear. If you've enjoyed this 447 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: episode or if you want to hear more about my 448 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: personal journey to joy, I want to encourage you to 449 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: pick up my book, Joy Prescriptions, How I learned to 450 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,720 Speaker 1: stop chasing perfection and embrace connection. You can find it 451 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: at Joyprescriptions dot com or anywhere that books are sold, 452 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 1: and you can follow me across all of the social 453 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 1: media platforms at Tiffany Moon MD. I really hope that 454 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: each of you are able to find more authenticity and joy. 455 00:32:50,480 --> 00:33:00,080 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. M