I am reading (or rather listening to) The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, which is hard for me to summarize because it is a book I will need to read and re-read in order to fully understand what the author is saying. Not surprisingly, it focuses on the practiced pursuit of mindfulness — being present in the very moment you are currently in.
Like many of us, I already knew I was supposed to be doing this, but it is so very difficult to do. My pesky past and uncertain future march around in my head, beating figurative drums to get my attention. The present moment seems to sit in a corner waiting for me to notice her.
One of the times I really try to be fully present is with my patients, which can be very challenging — more difficult than other situations even. First of all, my day is a series of appointments punctuated by seemingly endless interruptions: new results, patient calls, nurse triage questions, order clarifications from my medical assistant. Second, my brain starts constructing differential diagnoses and treatment plans as soon as a patient utters their chief complaint. In order to make room for the patient's story without interruption, I have to attempt to pause my natural instinct to start solving the problem and try to focus and listen.
