Heroes Not Zombies

Throughout my career as a doctor I always looked forward to meeting new patients, every one of whom would tell me a brand new story. By taking a focus on uniqueness I’d be unceasingly curious. Who is this person? What, exactly, are they experiencing? How did it come about? What are the circumstances of their life now, and what were they when their illness began? And so on and so on. You get the idea. When you focus on uniqueness, it opens your mind to find out more. Making a diagnosis, naming the disease, is no longer an endpoint of the consultation. Finding out just how different this patient is from the others you’ve met becomes an ongoing quest.

But a focus on uniqueness brings value to anyone’s everyday, not just to doctors and patients. The ancients taught us to begin each day with the knowledge that every upcoming experience would occur for the first time in our lives. We have never lived the day ahead before. And they taught us to begin each day with the knowledge that every upcoming experience would occur this time only. Today is our last chance to experience today.

A focus on uniqueness makes you aware of the here now, knowing, as Heraclitus taught, that we can never step into the same river twice.

A focus on uniqueness encourages a sense of wonder – l’émerveillement du quotidien.

A focus on uniqueness makes us more aware of transience and change. Transience is beautiful, and precious, teaching us to savour and relish every single moment.

And it does something else, too. It opens our minds to appreciate diversity.

Try it for yourself. Set out today with a focus on uniqueness.