Meaning-full: the backstory

It’s all in the question.

I believe that everyone is worthy of love, acceptance, and the opportunity to pursue a meaningful life. 

And so, for a number of years in my work as a palliative care doctor, I have sought to find out how my patients define this - moving beyond the medical ‘what’s the matter?’ and asking them ‘what matters?’ as they share some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. That subtle grammatical change has meant everything.

Gandhi once said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

What change do I wish to see?  

That subtle grammatical reframe.  I wish to see medicine move from a focus on disease or patients, and towards a humanity-centred approach where health is part of what makes up a whole person; where healthcare is part of what makes up a whole community of caring. I wish to see all participants equally valued and honoured - where the humanity of the healthcare professional is as important and integral to the provision of care as that of the person receiving it. Where we recognise that healing and wholeness are possible alongside brokenness and mortality. 

Alongside: both-and, not either-or. That subtle grammatical reframe. 

What change do I wish to be? 

I wish to live a life full of meaning and, with compassion, to helps others do likewise.  By letting what I do come from who I am - what I believe in, what I am trained in, where I am placed in the world;  skills, knowledge and science alongside art and humanity. To find enjoyment and fulfilment alongside a way to contribute and serve. To use what is within me to change what is around me - to subtly reframe healthcare; alongside, both-and, not either-or. I wish to be someone who nurtures ‘wholeness in healthcare’. 

And because meaning matters to me, you might question what’s behind the logo?

It is a visual representation of this choice to reframe, the ‘what matters’.  The bold circle represents those I serve, a whole person, complete. The three intertwined circles are the community, context, and values giving them their place in the world.  The dots represent all the moments in life which come out from the four aspects of their humanity - physical, spiritual, psychological, and social - extending beyond the person and beyond healthcare. It is in life’s moments where meaning is found, each is unique, and yet all come together to make the up the whole; the dots are hand-drawn, imperfect, as we are in our humanity, and yet it is in the imperfections where our hearts may be found.  There is a resemblance to a bullseye or target, because coaching, like life, is all about choosing what we focus on to better understand and make meaningful change. There are no capitals but for my name, because who we are matters more than what we do; and the cross represents the whole-soul spiritual foundation which gives meaning to all I am and hope for. 

So this is me choosing to be the change. Choosing the subtle grammatical reframe. Choosing to nurture wholeness in healthcare. Choosing to honour the answer to ‘what matters most?’ in my own home, work, and life. 

Encouraging you to ask ‘what matters?’.

Be the change.