Each week I run into a few articles that I feel are especially valuable. Every Monday I would like to share some of the best with you, my readers. I hope you find them helpful.
This week’s favorites include what life feels like in the trenches of a COVID-19 hospital, fighting boredom in retirement, facts on the myth that all doctors are rich, and getting the most out of life.
Happy reading!
Most American doctors are not involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. My city, for instance, was not an epicenter for the virus and has not had a lot of COVID-19 patients. I imagine working at a COVID-19 hospital as being like residency again with the added fear of death from doing my job. Residency was tolerable in my 20s, but as I have aged I have less ability to recover from long days/nights. Residency would be very tough in my 50s. Dr. Bernard E. Trappey gives us a glimpse into what it feels like to be in the COVID-19 trenches and worrying about bringing home an infection to his pregnant wife. This article published in JAMA Network is titled Running on Fumes. I would like to take a moment to thank all the doctors, nurses, first responders and the workers who support them. America owes you all a debt of gratitude for what you do.
Many people are dreaming of the day they retire. Others are worried that they will get bored if they are no longer working. I had this worry before I retired. I wrote about it in Will You Miss Medicine When You Retire. Spoiler alert, despite my fears, I did not miss medicine. Adam from Minafi gives us insight as to how to avoid boredom in retirement. He addresses some of the concerns I had when I was about to retire. It is a scary move. It’s one thing to dream about retiring when retirement is years away, and something very different when you are about to pull the trigger. Read his article and set your mind at ease.
Most people believe that all doctors are rich. I have not found that to be the case. I think all doctors have a better potential to be rich than those with a lower income, but often doctors don’t take advantage of that potential. The Debt Free Doctor walks us through the numbers comparing the lifetime earning of a UPS driver and a Physician in his article Are Doctors Rich as the Public Thinks? We would be a lot richer if we learned The One Word Secret to Happiness.
Americans are consumed with the pursuit of happiness, after all, it is in our country’s declaration of independence. But what happens when what we pursue doesn’t make us happy? J.D. Roth, a fellow Oregonian, discusses this on Get Rich Slowly in an article titled Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative. I have this discussion with myself frequently. It all comes down to one thing, will the activity I’m considering bring joy to my life, or will it just take up my time? Surfing the net, watching a 24 hour news station that is stuck on the same news item all day, moving my clutter around to find the thing I want, or playing a video game are all up for consideration. After reading this article, you will walk away with the desire to reevaluate the way you spend your precious time.
I hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did. I look forward to updating you again next week with a few more articles I find especially interesting. If you read an especially good article, send me the link so I can share it with others.
