063 – “Why Not Me?” with Tanmeet Sethi, M.D.
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What do you do when life throws you a curveball and brings you to your knees? Sentinel events can either destroy us, define us, or make us stronger. What is the secret between those who get wrecked by life and those who get stronger? Today, we are going to find out with our guest and friend Dr. Tanmeet Sethi.
Michael met Tanmeet over 10 years ago, and he and Patrick are honored to call her a friend. She is an MD who is board certified in family and integrative medicine. She practices family medicine and OB at Swedish Hospital in Seattle.
She is a Graduate of Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine and Fellowship Director, Integrative Medicine Fellowship, Swedish Hospital, Seattle, WA. As well as an Assistant Professor, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA.
She is a TEDx speaker and a wife and mom. She is who Michael wants to be when he grows up. In this podcast, Tanmeet is going to teach us three words that we can use to instantly transform our perspective and empower us no matter what our situation. She is also going to tell us the magic two words that will change our lives for the better forever. We talk about gratitude, living a joyful life, and more.
Topics Discussed Today
[07:30] Tanmeet’s son who was almost 3 diagnosed with DMD which is a chronic degenerative neuromuscular disease that is fatal.
[08:27] She also was 9 months pregnant and had a one-and-a-half-year-old. Everything became more stressful, because she wasn’t sure if her body betrayed her and she didn’t know if her other children may have this also.
[09:50] She had some intuition that she had to work at it to turn things around.
[10:57] My husband and I were wondering why me, why us? Suddenly, everything shifted and we thought why not us? We decided to live this life with joy, and we are going to figure it out.
[11:23] Are we going to live and learn and teach your children how to live with joy or are we just going to give up and decide life is horrible?
[13:22] The worst thing that could happen to a parent is for something to happen to their child. I can’t even imagine how someone can get through something like that. The decision to go forward to something that you make every day when you get up in the morning.
[15:53] Tanmeet said that this turned her life around and might be the reason why she is so strong.
[18:46] Tanmeet works on gratitude and has taken active steps. She gets out of bed and says thank you for another day.
[19:58] She has a privileged job. Every month there is something new. Nothing improves with the disease. She is strong and owns what life throws at her.
[21:21] People who thrive show up to their life everyday. They live life fully everyday.
[22:15] Wake up with a sense of gratitude and a sense of excitement and be stronger than you were.
[22:34] Successful people who have a life well-lived are consistent overtime.
[23:08] Have a structure and a pattern ingrained in your DNA because that is what makes you stronger.
[23:42] Exercise your resilience muscle and it becomes automatic.
[25:40] If you are suffering and you own the sadness and you give gratitude for it. You are turning towards it instead of away from it. When you trying to start something your heart opens. When your heart opens energy and compassion flow in and out. It’s like a never-ending fuel of compassion in the world.
[26:16] Tanmeet feels that her suffering is actually fueling her compassion for others.
[27:22] We all have a right to feel joyful and fuel ourselves in ways that we don’t understand.
[29:02] There’s a difference between facing your suffering and becoming victimized by it and facing your suffering and becoming empowered by it.
[30:29] That big question why not me is huge. You can shift the victimized cycle of why me into why not me.
[35:54] I love support. The most beautiful thing a person could say is I’m willing to sit with you and support you.
[36:40] Sympathy makes you work to have to overcome pity.
[41:04] People also say why me when it comes to beautiful joyous things happening in their lives.
[41:27] Everyone needs to actively look for joy.
[44:57] Suffering is just suffering if there’s no meaning. Viktor Frankl found meaning with hope and gratitude.
[47:02] If life doesn’t look good then change the lens. The lens is what’s showing you what is happening.</span
[51:26] Negative and positive are so abstract. No one wants to be around negative.
[52:21] The way we judge things as good or bad in our lives is limited.
[53:56] Accepting what is is the only way to affect change in your life.
[59:34] Tanmeet also works with people suffering from trauma.
[01:04:00] Tanmeet has a website and community and her book should be out soon.
[01:09:20] When we question why not me we become acutely aware of our emotional state. We become accepting of our circumstances. We take ownership.
[01:12:01] Let’s follow Tanmeet’s lead and decide to live in a beautiful state everyday.
[01:14:16] What are you going to focus on? What is this mean? What am I going to do now?
[01:16:13] Say thank you, my life is beautiful everyday.
Links and Resources:
Uncle Michael @TheHollowTube on Twitter
Uncle Michael @TheHollowTube on Instagram
Michael Bays on Facebook
The Hollow Tube Facebook Page
Tanmeet Sethi, MD
Gratitude Community
Tanmeet Sethi on Facebook
Mind-Body Medicine
Two Words That Can Change Your Life
@sethimd on Twitter
062 – Looking at the Dark and the Light and Finding Equilibrium
Bo Eason Personal Power
Deepak Chopra
Viktor Frankl
Deep Survival
Quotes:
“My suffering is actually fueling my compassion for others.” Dr. Tanmeet Sethi
“My husband and I were wondering why me, why us? Suddenly, everything shifted and we thought why not us? We decided to live this life with joy, and we are going to figure it out.” Dr. Tanmeet Sethi
“The worst thing that could happen to a parent is for something to happen to their child. I can’t even imagine how someone can get through something like that. The decision to go forward is something that you make every day when you get up in the morning.”
Dr. Patrick Bays
“To me she’s invincible. Tanmeet is one of the strongest humans I’ve known in my life. ” Dr. Michael Bays
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