From Control to Wisdom: A Physician’s Journey of Transformation

It has forever been part of my culture, as a Persian Kurd, to believe that hard work and persistence lead to success. Included in that was the assumption that I have complete control of all aspects of my life. This belief was deeply ingrained in me from a young age. When I emigrated to the US at the age of six, I carried this conviction with me. After learning proper English, I excelled in school, driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence.

I became the Valedictorian of my high school, determined to secure a place at a top college. Once there, I repeated this feat, becoming the Valedictorian of my college, ensuring my entry into a prestigious medical school. Becoming a physician was not just a career choice; it was a testament to my need for control. The revered profession gave me a sense of absolute authority over the diseases my patients were experiencing and the treatments they so often desperately needed.

Choosing to specialize as an emergency physician was a natural progression. I wanted to know what to do in every medical emergency, to control every outcome. My pursuit of scientific research was driven by a desire to create knowledge, to be among the most respected in medicine. My life revolved around having control.

Yet, little did I know that the universe had a different plan for me. In 2013, my body began to betray me. Erroneously diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, I received the wrong treatment, and my condition deteriorated rapidly. By 2015, I could only see patients in a rolling chair and had a difficult time getting up from a seated position. I lost control of most of my body. My muscles, speech, writing, and a myriad of other physical functions slipped away from me. As my body deteriorated, I realized that control was an illusion.

This realization brought into question everything I had ever believed. I began to question my traditional teachings and the foundations of western medicine. Seeking a broader understanding of life and disease, I turned to those who thought outside the box, to the wise. Wisdom, an age-old concept crucial to humanity, was largely anecdotal and subjective.

This quest led me to interview 60 wise adults across North America as part of The Wisdom Research Project. Through these conversations, I scientifically defined wisdom as comprising eight elements and encapsulated these findings in my book, Common Wisdom.

My journey from a life of rigid control to one of embracing wisdom has been transformative. I learned that true power lies not in controlling every aspect of life but in understanding and adapting to it with grace and insight. My story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the profound impact of wisdom in navigating life’s uncertainties.