Dr. J on finding your inner Rambo
Contributor: “Dr. J”Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.
In medical school, the chairman of the psychiatry department wanted me to go into his specialty. Of course it felt very nice to be complimented like that. True, psychiatry was the only area of the body I couldn’t reach with a knife, but the excitement and challenges of being a surgeon was where my destiny lay, and I chose another path.
When the chairman talked to me, he told me there were three different types of psychiatrists: the three-piece-suited, the leather-patches-on-the-sleeves-of-a-tweed-sport-coated, and my version, Rambo Psychiatrist!
I you want a change in your life, sometimes you have to let things happen, and sometimes you have to make things happen. Wisdom is knowing when to do each! Rambo is all about making things happen!
When you need to make a change, think Rambo
As well as for a psychiatrist, Rambo makes a pretty good surgeon’s idol! Actually Rambo is quite versatile and can play a role in your actions. Get the fatigues on and the flamethrower lit, it may be time to find your inner Rambo!
I had a patient who had a pain syndrome that I was putting a treatment program together for. One of the things I asked him to do was walk two miles every morning. He had all kinds of questions about why that would help him.
I said, “It’s a leap of faith, you’ll figure it out while you ‘re walking, and at worst you will be moving!” There is a time to think like Rambo! Sometimes the answers can only be found in the process of making things happen!
Changing for the better is all that matters
Making the change is the focal point. Getting to the focal point is the mission. Wasting your time wishing or looking for reasons to make a change is being stuck. If you want to keep getting what you’re getting, keep doing what you’re doing!
If not, you must make a change in your behavior! Do not spend your time looking for the why in making the change when you know you need to make one. Start with the change and everything becomes much clearer. If not, at least you have taken steps in a better direction. Sometimes we do not have to have understanding, we just need to have some action!
Having a good mental attitude can only be helpful to reaching our goals in health and fitness. Visualizing success can only take us so far, however. Sometimes we need to look for help from our inner Rambo!
I have a friend who used to talk about just “letting the weight go.” She was not successful until she started adding daily cardio to her mental imagery. It was amazing how the weight just went with Rambo on her side!
Find your inner Rambo! But be advised, Rambo makes house calls, and we don’t want that to have to happen, now do we?
(Send your questions for Dr. J to calorielab@gmail.com or leave a comment. If your question is used by Dr. J, CalorieLab will send you a $25 Dining Dough restaurant certificate — limited to U.S. residents. More Dr. J posts can be read in our archives.)
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September 8th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Love that, as a physician, you’re willing to take those leaps of faith and counsel your patients to do the same. It’s kind of like that saying, which I’ll probably botch: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I think it starts with your own life first.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:01 am
I always look forward to the doors you open during your journey. Always a fantastic read! Thank you!
September 8th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Sadly, I have to agree with you that pondering and visualizing and hoping just aren’t enough–actual ACTION is required.
Wish that it were otherwise! But even slackers like me need to get off our butts and exercise to be healthy.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I
LOVE
THIS
DR J!!
off to find my inner—-
September 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Am with Kara on your counseling!
And what I really like about the going ahead and DOING something is that so often, you just need to take one step- and then so much can happen from there. Its the initiating action thats generally the tough part!
September 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am
That gave me my much-needed push on this crazy Monday afternoon! Thanks Dr. J! :)
September 8th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Kara!
I really believe that as a doctor, I must walk the walk if I’m going to suggest it to others. Your saying is truly the only way to make our world a better place for all of us, thank you!
Mark S.
You inspire me, buddy! No tiger behind the door yet!
Crabby!
You set a wonderful example by doing it anyway, even if you don’t always feel like it!
Miz!
When Rambo goes into battle, he couldn’t find anyone better than you to watch his back! Just put a little camouflage on the blue dress :-)
Sagan!
So true! Sometimes for me, the first step can be a challenge. I always have managed to push through, and have always been glad I did.
Colleen!
Thank you so much! That’s why I’m here!
September 8th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
This may be one of my favorite columns of yours! “Sometimes the answers can only be found in the process of making things happen!” I need to get that tatooed backwards on my forehead so I can read it every time I look in the mirror and am paralyzed by choice. You are like my own personal Das Energi;)
I think you would have made an excellent psychiatrist (Rambo style, natch) but I’m glad you are a surgeon. The world just needs two of you!
September 8th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Thank you Charlotte!
I really don’t think you need the tattoo! I think you have lived that mantra, and demonstrated it to those of us who have been fortunate enough to know you, either in person or through your writings.