2015: My Year In Review

Hi everyone!

Well, the year is allllllmost over. It's been a crazy one. I remember sitting down surrounding New Years of 2015; my wife and I were talking and we decided that 2015 would be the year of adventure. Well, it surely was that, indeed.

Here's a snippet of the happenings this year:

• I almost moved my family out to Florida.
• I missed out on all sorts of Physical Therapy happenings, including PPS :(
• I finished my MBA program from the University of Michigan in Spring.
• I opened up topics in this blog into more open topics in life. And, I even extended out into an Asian cultural platform... just for fun ;)
• We went to Star Wars Celebration.
• I joined a start up media development & marketing company called UpDoc Media.
• I gave up on "traditional" means of income, namely: corporate work and regular work as a physical therapist.
• My baby boy turned TWO YEARS OLD!
• We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary at the Disneyland Grand California Hotel!
• Like many of you, I finally saw Star Wars... I say "finally" because my wife and I waited a week so we could see it in luxurious style at Cinepolis.
• I became a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt... which was a huge deal for me =P
• And, I kicked my cooking game up a notch by starting my journey down sushi chef-ism.

It's also been an absolute blur. If I've learned anything about 2015 and life in general, it's this: Time. Time is the one single asset in our lives that we should measure all other values by.

Time is the one thing we can't buy. Time is the one thing we can't beg for. Time is the one thing made equal. And, time is the one thing that at the end of our lives, we wish we had more of -- not things, not money, not houses, cars, tech, nor toys... it's time.

I learned that despite my "credentials," my time... was more valuable to the lives of my wife and my son by being at home.

I learned that it is absolutely possible to be a work at home dad -- as crazy and as scary as it is. In fact, I've been a work at home dad for more than 18 months.

I guess this leads into my launching of a new blog which centralizes on all these lessons... all these bits of life experience wrapped up into the year of 2015.

I am so very pleased and honored to share with you my launching of:

Daddy In The Raw:

The Real Life Of A Work At Home Dad

On January 4th, 2016, this blog goes live, giving you a transparent, vulnerable, raw look at how all this unfolded and why I gave up a $6-Figure job to be a better father and transform into Daddy In The Raw.

An Open Letter To Infighters

It's ugly.

It's like watching an ugly argument between mom and dad, weeks before a divorce. Wait... was that too close to home? Offensive? Uncomfortable? Inappropriate?

Yeah... that's how the rest of us feel. And, guess what?! Our consumers aren't exactly thrilled either. Fortunately, they see it more like that one couple, arguing discreetly in the mall. The damage isn't so bad in the public eye. Not yet, at least.

But, I'll say this. You remember that all common interviewing question:

• How would you handle a conflict with a coworker? Would you...
1. Make a scene and call them names? The louder the better?
2. Talk behind their back, making sure everyone knows how awful they are?
3. Internalize everything until it volcanoes all over the place?
4. Pull them aside privately, objectively express yourself, and create constructive discourse?
• EVERYONE knows... Option 4 is the best choice.

Funny enough... especially across social media, it's like driver's road rage. There is safety behind the screen. Option 1 is just too much fun. Except, that it hurts more than it helps.

Here's my issue. I'm all for discussion. I'm all for disagreement. I'm all for debate. And, I'm even for some healthy conflict.

However, what I am NOT supportive of... DESTRUCTIVENESS. DIVISIVENESS. DISUNITY.

We have enough of that already.

For crying out loud. We're a profession of healthcare providers who essentially serve in part to REBUILD, to RECONSTRUCT, to physically REHABILITATE. Why is it that our disagreements in the public venue take such childish, offensive, insulting, and vitriolic turns?

If you must infight in such mannerism... I'm asking you to do so in private forums, open to invitation within our own industry. However, not in the plain sight of the consumers we are trying to win over to our cause.

How can we ask for support when we are still divided? How can we ask for more, when we can't even agree on what to ask for? How can we say we're ready to be physician status providers when we can barely disagree with common decency?

This... is an open letter to infighters. If you want to fight, please do so... INSIDE. And, do our profession a favor by taking care of it in a PRIVATE forum.... not as a spectacle in the public eye. 

My First BPPV Case

This blog post is vlog really. It starts with my first BPPV case as a new grad. What's most entertaining is how this lead to me being the primary vestibular clinician in the department and how that lead down a whole 'nother road in Emergency Department PT and catching those strokes that like to evade the all powerful MRI. Yep... this one is alllll clinical ;) #backtomyroots

My First BPPV Case