Yesterday, I was down. Man, I thought I could just cry when I got off work. No, a patient did not upset me. No, I did NOT upset a patient! Nice try! It seems that changing over to electronic medical records has been one of the most emotionally fatiguing things I have ever done. As savvy as I am on the computer, I have had to master the art of templates and managing a user unfriendly system. I can only hope that in the coming months, the Lord will provide me with the knowledge to overcome the obstacles I have been encountering. I can only tell you that it is so frustrating to end the day with 25 charts left to enter and have to do them at home or worse yet, let them pile up over the week and have to do them on the weekend.

But hey, today, I am upbeat. I am 25 charts behind but looking at it with a positive note. Today, I spent quality time with my patients. I sensed that each and everyone of them truly ENJOYED coming to the doctor. I listened to them, empathized with them, and cared for them. Did you know that one of the most basic psychological needs, at the core of being human, is to love and to be loved. As a matter of fact, I would say that love is one of Mother Nature’s most powerful forces. It drives us to do all sorts of things as we seek loved ones or wish to strengthen the connection we have with those significant others already in our lives. Love is critical to our well-being.

Showing and expressing love, however, is easy for some and nearly impossible for others. One of the things that I have always found interesting is that some people seem to have no trouble showing affection and proclaiming their love, while others seem unable to even say the words not to mention show the emotion. It is, however, very important for us to hear those words. Saying “I love you” is good for both parties, but it is particularly important for those we love to hear us say it.

If you are one of those people who, for whatever reason, does not tell those you love that you love them, why not make today the day you change that?

I am not sure how I got off on a tangent here. I simply had a rough day yesterday. I did not feel like I gave good medical care to my patients because I was worried about the charting. Today, I was my old self.........caring and loving toward my patients. Despite the fact that I am behind, I feel so much more fulfilled for having given my patients the time they needed with me.

Go ahead, show someone tomorrow at your job how much you love them. That will surely warm their hearts! But before that, don't forget to hit the weights and/or do some cardio to get the body going and the heart purring like a fine tuned machine!