“A single profession or hobby should not have to define anyone, especially if they do not find it fulfilling..,” says Gastroenterologist, Jonathan Kung. Instead, he counsels as many as are interested in listening: “If you want a well-rounded lifestyle, you should actively pursue everything that you want to achieve.”
Whether it’s helping others, a particular hobby like skiing, painting, or even playing an instrument; if you feel incomplete or unfulfilled when not pursuing it to some level of engagement, he advocates that you probably should go for it.
As a multi-hyphenate himself, Jonathan isn’t only a medical professional; he also has other passions that he actively pursues. He also makes time regularly training as a boxer in his local gym, traveling the world as a motivational speaker. He does all these and confesses just how fulfilling each day is for him as a result. If you’ve been feeling cramped up, unmotivated, or even bored of your life, below are a couple of tips you could find useful.
- Be more deliberate about your life:
“The issue is, too many people look for some easy path to success and happiness,” says Jonathan. “There is no easy path to accomplishing difficult goals while still maintaining good health. If it were easy, everyone would be in good physical shape with big smiles on their faces.”
As a result of seeking an easy way out, so many people have fallen behind to live thoroughly rewarding lives. Hard work is not usually palatable; it only becomes a more enjoyable process if they begin to consider the long-term benefits of the efforts.
- Surround Yourself with positive people:
We cannot belittle the effect of relationships in a person’s life. Many have fallen behind, not even because they lack a proper education or upbringing; they’re also always surrounded by negative people who tell them what they cannot achieve rather than what they can achieve.
Identify such people in your life and be deliberate. Change them!
- Just Do It!:
As a final course of action, sometimes you have to take that step. It doesn’t matter if you have a support system or not, sometimes only you know what you need in your life. Waiting for external validation in such cases is a self-sabotaging act that you may subsequently regret it.
Jonathan recounts how he developed this ‘give it all it takes’ mindset, crediting how his parents raised him as a significant factor. “My parents never let me think negatively about myself, as so many other parents do with their children. I grew up having the mindset that I could accomplish anything if I put forth the time and effort in doing so.”
When asked why he does all he does, Jonathan says that his experiences while growing up revealed to him how lucky he was to have such an upbringing. Thus, Jonathan takes time out of his daily life to reach out to other people on social media. He seeks to be a positive voice in their life, encouraging them to change their lives for the better.
“For me, I love to help people in any way that I can. It doesn’t matter if they’re a patient in my office or a random stranger on social media from five thousand miles away. I get my happiness from changing the lives of others.” Jonathan says.
