Finding Your Tribe
I am just on my way home from the Institute of Functional Medicine's Clinical Practice training in London. There were 300 people there and I was delighted to hear over one third were GPs.
After 5 days of training from 7.00am to 7.00pm, in a very crowded and windowless conference centre, I do feel a little weary. Much of the content was not new to me and despite some great speakers it was hard to pitch the level between those who already practice Functional Medicine and those starting out.
However the experience of being around a large group of people who were passionate about the same things was quite an overwhelming and exciting experience.
Everyone was there because they wanted to change the future of medicine. We were there because helping people get well and altering their health outcomes really mattered. There was a drive in everyone to help people change their lives.
It made me think about how often we really get to meet and spend time with our tribe.
Although I spend much of my day in the clinic talking to patients my work is actually quite solitary. Despite my children's best efforts to entertain my interest in phase II liver detoxification over supper - they would really much prefer to be discussing how fluffy the cat is.
So there I was, with a bunch of people who love the complexity of the mitochondria as much as I do. We had some really brilliant conversations and it made me feel good.
I had forgotten how important it was to find a group of people who love your passions. It reminded me of what I learnt on my undergraduate Social Anthropology degree - being part of a tribe is an essential element of human nature.
In our busy and often insular lives it can be so easily lost.
Wishing you all the best in finding your tribe... I encourage you to keep looking...
Debbie
P.S. A little handout for you here on Functional Medicine
