Doctor's Note: June 24
Doctor's Note: Musings from the desk of Dr. Mitchell Rasmussen, D.C.I often get asked, “Are you happy?” I don’t like that question. My typical response is something about ‘happiness’ being a fleeting emotion, triggered by something specific, with a clear beginning and end. No, I don’t think I’d call what I feel ‘happy’. But that doesn’t mean I am ‘unhappy’. What I feel is purpose. To me, that is something far more enduring. With purpose comes forward movement. I don’t rather enjoy goal setting, but I do feel directed toward a purpose. I get excited. A lot. If somebody asks me how their stress makes it more likely for them to get sick often, I can’t wait to discuss barrier permeability and its relationship with cortisol levels. Oh boy, that gets me going. If you’re curious how chewing your food improves your sleep, well, buckle up…I will go on and on about IL-6 production in the spleen, the feedback loops that the brainstem activates during mastication, and the parasympathetic nervous system stealing the show. Lately, our clinic has become a go-to for people struggling to conceive. Holy cow; that fills me with purpose. My mom used to say: “If the future has any chance, good people need to raise more good people.”
(Which was, I think, her way of encouraging grandchildren.)
The people who come to us trying to get pregnant desperately want to be parents. And I believe that every one of them we help brings more love, more intention, more goodness into the world. It’s the ripple effect we talk so much about.If I can help someone conceive, and they get to fulfill one of their deepest life purposes, that fulfillment spreads—into their family, their friendships, their work. Their world changes. And so does ours. As I read more about emotions, and ‘happiness’, I’m learning that it CAN be more of an enduring feeling, associated with contentment and life satisfaction. So, maybe I am happy. P.S. New Episodes of FACILITATED release every Tuesday! Make sure you're subscribed on your favorite podcast platform. Check out the latest episode: "Beyond Diagnoses: Reimagining Healthcare Systems for Patient-Centered Care" If you've consumed any content from us in the last six weeks, you know we launched order-your-own-labs! If this is a NEW concept to you, happy to tell ya all about it... |