Finding My Voice
Finding My Voice
This is not just a blog. It’s a diary. A diary of transformation. As I pull away from clinical medicine and start to explore the purpose and identity that I want to build the rest of my life around, I continuously work on finding my voice. My unique voice. The road to transformation started years ago when I realized that being a doctor was what I am best at, but less and less my passion. Writing here as well as in other places has made me realize that my true purpose is more aligned with the idea of communication. I love writing content, giving talks, and exchanging ideas.
This is what wakes me up every morning excited and ready to go. Given that I am financially independent, I don’t necessarily have to even be good at these things. My intention is to find joy and meaning, mastery would be an added and unexpected bonus.
So I decided to write this post to further delineate the ways in which I am finding my voice.
Blogging
I love writing. I always have. It is as close to a true life hack as I have ever discovered. It is my daily meditation in which I delineate my moment to moment thoughts as well as my future life plans. I have tried writing books in the past, but in reality short form writing is my favorite. I love to flesh out a unique idea or leave a thought germinating in the minds of my readers.
Finding my voice includes continuing to talk about both medicine and personal finance. It also involves delving into philosophy and contentedness. How do we use our jobs and our financial savvy to live the so called good life?
This blog will continue to house the playground of my thoughts.
I hope it is entertaining!
Public Speaking
As many of you know, I joined a speaker’s bureau recently. Although I still get butterflies every time I step on stage, I can find no other way to quench my need to tell stories. And stories are truly what I love.
I think we should tell ourselves the stories about our lives that make it magical. That we should form an identity and psyche deeply in touch with our own inner protagonist. I look at the sentinel moments of my life (my father’s death, having a learning disability, embracing and leaving medicine) as rich vaults to mine for significance.
If I can use my stories to empower people, if I can use my experiences to lessen the intimacy gap between doctors and patients, my skills of communication will truly align with my purpose and identity.
I will be acting as my best self. I will be finding my voice.
A New Journey
As a few of you know, I am starting a new journey soon. As I run towards my half retirement I will have more space to fill in. Based on suggestions of my friends and a hope to push my communication skills further, I am jumping into the void.
I don’t know if this journey will work out.
I don’t know if I will be any good.
But I know that I am ready to find my voice, and learn, and fail forward.
Beginnings and Endings
Moving away from medicine is the end of a trajectory that started somewhere around the start of conscious thought. The dreams of my boyhood and young adult life are transforming.
I will begin again.
Finding my voice involves writing and public speaking. It will also be consumed by new ventures big and small.
I hope you have enjoyed reading.
I’ll keep you updated.
Another benefit of FIRE. You are now free to explore things that make you happy even if it doesn’t bring in the same monetary rewards as the medical career you are transitioning from.
I am in the same boat in that I am more passionate about blogging than I am in medicine. I can tell this is true because while I am practicing medicine my downtime quickly turns to stuff about my blog and what I can write about.
I’m not quite where you are to make the transition right away (and if I didn’t have the hiccup in my life of marrying the wrong partner I know I would have been there by now) but the way things are going I am hoping to make my half retirement transition something I can accomplish in a year or two
Awesome. We will be half retirement buddies.
As you embark in your new life chapter, I hope others find your voice too. It’s definitely a voice worth listening to 🙂
Thanks. And I hope so.
Finding my voice has been tricky for me as well. Coming from a girl who used to be super, super shy growing up, so shy that people didn’t think I talked, putting myself out there on the blog and in person has been a big challenge. But if we don’t push ourselves out of our comfort zone, we’ll never grow and progress forward. Over the years, I have learned to embrace this challenge and use it to motivate me to be better. I too am starting something that will really put myself out there. I wish you all the best!
I can’t wait for you new venture. i’ll be watching.
The line that jumps out at me is to “tell ourselves the stories about our lives that make it magical.. form an identity and psyche deeply in touch with our own inner protagonist”. Thought provoking stuff. At FinCon, I was chatting with the Wealthy Accountant, and he spoke to me about how much he writes and how over time, he has slowly found his “voice”. He stressed the importance of that. Your voice, the new voice, will be an exciting new way to continue that journey. I’m looking forward to “hearing” it.
Thanks Susan. I missed talking to him. i wish I had.
Kudos to you on acknowledging and expressing that voice! Looking forward to hear what comes next!
No surprise that I had stumbled upon your blog ; I find myself in a similar place entering the void and finding my voice 🙂
I like the concept of entering the void. That’s where we go when we take risks.
You have a unique voice and a unique experience. Your voice is important because as semi-retired and eventually retired you become a template of actual success, not just projected success. If projected success doesn’t materialize, they call that failure, so it’s vital for the folks to see actual success. Telling that story with distinctions between reality and projection will always win the day. It’s one of the things lacking in the FIRE community.
Yes. Proof of concept. We need more.
Your new journey will no-doubt be a smash hit. And we’re psyched for it!
I hope so. Thanks for the support.
I love how you stated that you are ready to find your voice, to learn and to fail forward. Props to you for having the courage to do this, share your story and empower people. Wishing you the best!
Thanks Pete!