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From suffering to healing: the role of trauma in chronic pain Cindy Perlin, LCSW | Conditions.The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools Helen Kim, MD | Policy.The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy.Your story matters.Īlexie Puran is a pediatric emergency physician. Connect with your colleagues and the human experience by sharing your six-word stories with each other. Reconnect with your “why” at the start of each day by reciting your six-word story. I invite you to write your own six-word story on your “why,” replicate or adapt My Six-Word Story and help support the well-being of your fellow colleagues. “It provides us constant motivation visually and verbally.” “We have all felt a lot of emotions during this time, and I think sadness was an overarching theme however, this piece signified a feeling of conquering/overcoming together.” “I feel like seeing everyone’s story was a window into their lives.” “Reminded me why I chose nursing as a profession.” “Being able to put decades of hard work and dedication into the simplest six words was a freeing experience.” Staff comments on my Six-Word Story Project Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.įollowing giant footsteps, making my own. Hearing the personal stories of our fellow colleagues revealed our common interests, mutual beliefs, and shared values. Reading everyone’s six-word stories sparked conversation amongst our team and interest in learning the back-stories behind them. Additionally, I made prints of each story for the staff to hang up on their refrigerator, desk, or wall so they can always remember their “why.” These poster stories were placed on a bulletin board (now known as the Story Board by the staff) and compiled into a book for all to enjoy. The six-word stories submitted were inspirational, and the staff was surprised with what I did with their stories.Įach story was amplified visually with illustrations I added to them. There was great support and enthusiasm from the staff as the activity did not require a significant amount of time, allowed staff to be creative with using only six words, and provided a shift in focus away from the pandemic towards positive thoughts. Staff members were invited to submit six-word stories on their inspiration in choosing a career in medicine. In an effort to support my team’s resiliency and well-being and also knowing the power of the six-word prompts, I designed a fun, meaningful activity, My Six-Word Story. My six-word story: power to reconnect and connectĪs a physician working in a pediatric emergency department in New York City, I saw firsthand the emotional toll the pandemic had on my fellow nurses and physicians. I was introduced to six-word memoirs from Jeff Black, a national keynote speaker, during his talk on the physician presence, which he delivered this past Doctor’s Day. Since then, the six-word concept has become a global phenomenon with over a million stories shared on. In November 2006, Larry Smith, founder of SMITH Magazine, created the Six-Word Memoir Project by asking its readers to describe their lives in exactly six words.
