What I Love About Speaking

Of the many facets of my working life as a physician and educator, the thing I love most is speaking. I speak to all kinds of groups, to all kinds of people. I speak to medical schools and at Emergency Medicine conferences. I speak to church groups and businesses. There’s something so thrilling about being invited into a room to share with others, offering what I have to give and receiving lessons from those around me in return.

It’s no secret that I love to travel. I’ve never been able to stay in one place for too long. Speaking is often a really rewarding way to see new places and discover things I’ve never experienced before— new foods, new sights, new faces. But these are all just small perks compared to the personal growth that speaking has offered me. Speaking regularly to large groups of people has forced me to release any fear I’ve been hanging onto. It has made me brave and willing to try just about anything. It has also forced me to get crystal clear about what I believe, what I value, and what I wish to communicate.

But the thing I love about speaking, above all, is the connection that it facilitates. Life is all about connecting with other human beings and with our own truth. When I speak, I get to meet new people and hear their stories. I get to learn from them and share what I’ve learned on my journey. I am so grateful for opportunities to share, learn, and connect. There are many aspects of traveling to lecture and speak that I love, but what I value most is the ability to connect.