When Jason and I last recorded an episode, the COVID-19 pandemic was still the biggest topic affecting society. However, a few weeks ago, things changed. The police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a revival of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and an awareness of racial disparity and oppression throughout our country. As healthcare providers, parents, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and community activists, how can we have that difficult conversation with someone who may not share our same opinion or world view and still maintain the necessary relationships that are required? What Stoic principles can we use to help guide our thoughts and actions?  This is a longer episode than usual, but I hope you find it as valuable as we did. Issues of race and social justice are challenging issues that affect every fabric of our society and culture. Hopefully, the conversation and movement is only just beginning.  You can find us on twitter and instagram:  Jason Boddu- @37cycles, Andrew Rothschild- @spear_physio

Andrew and Jason discuss the latest revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic including why it seems that some people are resistant to wearing a mask, surprisingly within a healthcare facility. 

Andrew and Jason check in and see how each other has been doing over the past week handling the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the challenges we face with physical isolation and what we can do with the sudden amount of free time we have available. We also discuss the uncertainties we face as physical therapists in private practice regarding whether or not to stay open and keep seeing patients. And, of course, we discuss Stoic principles and how timeless they are and how we can apply them to our current situation. As Ryan Holiday, author of "The Obstacle Is the Way" writes, 'within every obstacle is the opportunity to improve our condition.' What positives can we glean from this pandemic, both personally and professionally? 

Andrew and Jason discuss the current global pandemic from COVID-19 and how we can apply several principles of Stoicism into our response. Those principles include understanding what is in our control and what isn't; sympatheia - that we're all in this together; momento-mori - we're all eventually going to die, so let that determine what we say and do on a daily basis; and justice, one of the big four virtues of Stoicism- doing what's right-- what's good for the hive is good for the bee. 

We know that effective treatment is dependent upon building a good relationship with our patients. However,  we're going to encounter patients and colleagues who share a world view that differs from our own. Sometimes, our patients might express their beliefs to us. How would you handle this situation? Andrew and Jason discuss encounters they've had and various strategies they have used. At the end of the day, we find that even when people may be on opposite sides of an ideological spectrum, there is often more common ground than what appears on the surface. Although this episode is longer than our previous ones, we think it's an important topic and something that all of us in the healthcare field will encounter on a regular basis. 

Memento Mori literally means "remember you will die." However, it is not meant in a negative or morbid way, rather, it is a reminder that death is inevitable for us all. Therefore, we should focus on really living, and enjoying the present moment. The untimely death of Kobe Bryant, along with one of his daughters and several members of other families in a recent helicopter crash is a stark reminder of the fragility of life. However, the outpouring of emotion that it evoked, not only from family and friends, but from fans and other athletes that Bryant impacted is also a reminder of the effect that people can have on other people's lives.  Andrew and Jason discuss how to incorporate Memento Mori into our own lives and how this Stoic concept helps us clarify what our values are, what is truly important, and how it can influence our work as healthcare practitioners

Andrew and Jason discuss whether or not practicing Stoicism can sometimes be selfish, due to the idea that we should focus on things we can control, and not worry about things we can't. However, this may be a misinterpretation as one of the over-arching values is that of Sympathea- that we are all in this together. While we may feel helpless in the wake of certain events or tragedies like natural disasters, there are always things we can do to help, even if we don't have control over the situation. 

Jason and Andrew discuss the concept of Gratitude: why it's important, what the Stoics thought about it, and how we can incorporate it into our own lives and clinical practice

Sympatheia is the ancient Stoic word meaning affinity of parts to the organic whole, mutual interdependence. It basically means that we are all connected as human beings, even though we often divide ourselves into tribes, which serve our multiple identities. This is no more evident than within the mass media, which consistently portrays things in an "us vs them"  context, and on social media. However, in reality, we are all more alike and probably agree on more things than we disagree. Especially within our field, the assumption should be that we are working towards the same goal- to help people, even though we may all go about it a little differently. Whether you subscribe to a particular school of thought or identify yourself as a particular type of practitioner, in the end, we're all doing similar things and striving for similar outcomes with our patients. 

Jason and Andrew discuss visualization and how it can help prepare us for people and events we may encounter during any given day