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BITESIZE | Life Lessons from a Brain Surgeon | Dr Rahul Jandial #297

Sep 22, 2022 11m 11s 8 insights
We can learn so much about living from people who are coming to the end of their lives.   Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.   Today’s clip is from episode 185 of the podcast with one of the world’s leading neurosurgeons, Dr Rahul Jandial.   Rahul is the last hope for patients with extreme forms of cancer. He’s observed humanity at its most raw but also its most robust and, in this clip, he shares some of the powerful lessons he’s learned that are applicable to all of us.   Show notes and the full podcast are available at https://drchatterjee.com/185. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Embrace Difficult Times for Growth

Reframe difficult times as opportunities for growth and use the awareness of life’s finitude to focus on quality of life and live more fully, as observed in advanced cancer patients.

2. Live with No Time to Waste

Cultivate a mindset that there is ’no time to waste’ by taking days less for granted and appreciating each one, inspired by the perspective of patients reflecting on their lives.

3. Compartmentalize Stressful Periods

Adopt the technique of compartmentalizing stress by allowing specific, designated times to experience anxiety, but intentionally protecting the time before and after to live fully.

4. Embrace Life’s Seasons

Conceptualize your brain and life experiences as having seasons (e.g., growth, winter, dormancy) to understand that difficulties are temporary phases to be managed through, not permanent setbacks, anticipating a new ‘springtime’ will arrive.

5. Triumph and Tragedy are Seasons

View both triumphs and tragedies as temporary seasons in life; enjoy the present moment when things are good, and be resilient during difficult times, knowing they will pass and a new season will arrive.

6. Live with Intentionality

Avoid living on autopilot by cultivating intentionality in daily life, potentially by establishing rhythms or fixed points, to ensure you are actively thinking about and prioritizing your actions.

7. Struggle Reveals Hidden Strengths

Understand that experiencing life at its depths, through struggle, can reveal tremendous, previously unknown powers, strength, and capacity for growth within oneself.

8. Daily Gut Health Support

Consider incorporating AG1, a daily health drink with five strains of gut bacteria, into your routine to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome.