Honor the Younger Version of You
- Dr. John Hayes Jr.
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Remember why you started this journey? The curiosity. The conviction. The wide-eyed belief that medicine could change lives—and maybe even the world.
That younger version of you worked hard, gave up weekends, missed sleep, and said yes to the call to serve.But somewhere along the way, that passion may have been buried under productivity quotas, bureaucratic headaches, and relentless expectations.
This isn’t about regret. It’s about remembering—and reconnecting.
The Cost of Disconnection
For many physicians, years in the system lead to:
Emotional distance from patients and purpose
A schedule too packed to allow for reflection
Quiet grief over who they used to be before burnout set in
A sense of going through the motions instead of living their calling
That younger version of you—the med student, the resident, the hopeful new attending—is still in there. And they deserve to be heard again.
What Would They Say to You Now?
They’d remind you:
That medicine is sacred work
That your compassion is a gift, not a burden
That life outside the hospital or clinic matters, too
That your dreams for balance, impact, and joy weren’t naïve—they were true
“Reconnection isn’t regression—it’s realignment.”
This is your permission to revisit the original spark and build a practice, career, and life that makes room for it.
Reflection Prompt
What did you hope your life would look like as a doctor—and what would it take to honor that vision today?
Write it down. Even one small change can be an act of respect for the version of you who began this path.
Ready to Realign with the Purpose That Started It All?
If you feel like you've lost sight of who you wanted to be in medicine, you're not alone. And it's never too late to come back to that vision—with more wisdom than ever before.
Book a strategy session with Dr. John Hayes Jr., MD Let’s talk about how to reconnect with the version of you that medicine called—and how to bring them back into your day-to-day life.
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