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In his parting words as US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, urges togetherness as it works through current and future issues, as opposed to continuing down the path of divisiveness.
“Today, we are faced with a profound choice: do we continue with the status quo, marked by pain, disconnection, and division? Or do we choose a different path—one of joy, health, and fulfillment where we turn toward each other instead of away from each other, where we choose love over fear; where we recognize community as the irreplaceable foundation for our well-being?” Murthy writes in his Jan. 7 valedictory essay. “As I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: choose community.”
Murthy based his essay on personal and professional experiences from his tenures as the 19th and 21st US Surgeon General. He outlines his individual perspective on the root causes of widespread pain and unhappiness he has seen across America and offers a prescription for how we can “cultivate health and fulfillment.”
The core pillars of community—relationships, service, and purpose—are powerful drivers of fulfillment, Murthy writes, because “community is a powerful source of life satisfaction and life expectancy.” In his essay, he describes how these elements affect our health.
Relationships can be a powerful source of joy and support. They can act as buffers to stress and break down the barriers of loneliness and improve your overall health. According to Murthy, one-third of adults and one-half of young people experience loneliness; and social disconnectedness increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
Service comprises the actions we take that benefit others. Research shows that sustained service efforts can reduce the risk of hypertension, stroke, early death, depression, and cognitive decline.
And purpose is the feeling of having an overarching life aim to guide our decisions and actions. Simply, it is the “why” we do something, and according to Murthy, a high sense of individual purpose may reduce the risk of early death as well as stroke, lung disease, and dementia.
Building community isn’t always easy, Murthy wrote. It requires “rethinking and, in some cases, rejecting the conventional wisdom that tells us what defines success and a good life.” At the conclusion of his essay, Murthy notes how choices we make now must be made with an eye toward the future.
“The choice we make to build community has the power to change lives and transform society,” he writes. “Let us never forget that good people with hearts full of love can change the world.”
In his parting words as US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, urges togetherness as it works through current and future issues, as opposed to continuing down the path of divisiveness.
“Today, we are faced with a profound choice: do we continue with the status quo, marked by pain, disconnection, and division? Or do we choose a different path—one of joy, health, and fulfillment where we turn toward each other instead of away from each other, where we choose love over fear; where we recognize community as the irreplaceable foundation for our well-being?” Murthy writes in his Jan. 7 valedictory essay. “As I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: choose community.”
Murthy based his essay on personal and professional experiences from his tenures as the 19th and 21st US Surgeon General. He outlines his individual perspective on the root causes of widespread pain and unhappiness he has seen across America and offers a prescription for how we can “cultivate health and fulfillment.”
The core pillars of community—relationships, service, and purpose—are powerful drivers of fulfillment, Murthy writes, because “community is a powerful source of life satisfaction and life expectancy.” In his essay, he describes how these elements affect our health.
Relationships can be a powerful source of joy and support. They can act as buffers to stress and break down the barriers of loneliness and improve your overall health. According to Murthy, one-third of adults and one-half of young people experience loneliness; and social disconnectedness increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
Service comprises the actions we take that benefit others. Research shows that sustained service efforts can reduce the risk of hypertension, stroke, early death, depression, and cognitive decline.
And purpose is the feeling of having an overarching life aim to guide our decisions and actions. Simply, it is the “why” we do something, and according to Murthy, a high sense of individual purpose may reduce the risk of early death as well as stroke, lung disease, and dementia.
Building community isn’t always easy, Murthy wrote. It requires “rethinking and, in some cases, rejecting the conventional wisdom that tells us what defines success and a good life.” At the conclusion of his essay, Murthy notes how choices we make now must be made with an eye toward the future.
“The choice we make to build community has the power to change lives and transform society,” he writes. “Let us never forget that good people with hearts full of love can change the world.”
In his parting words as US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, urges togetherness as it works through current and future issues, as opposed to continuing down the path of divisiveness.
“Today, we are faced with a profound choice: do we continue with the status quo, marked by pain, disconnection, and division? Or do we choose a different path—one of joy, health, and fulfillment where we turn toward each other instead of away from each other, where we choose love over fear; where we recognize community as the irreplaceable foundation for our well-being?” Murthy writes in his Jan. 7 valedictory essay. “As I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: choose community.”
Murthy based his essay on personal and professional experiences from his tenures as the 19th and 21st US Surgeon General. He outlines his individual perspective on the root causes of widespread pain and unhappiness he has seen across America and offers a prescription for how we can “cultivate health and fulfillment.”
The core pillars of community—relationships, service, and purpose—are powerful drivers of fulfillment, Murthy writes, because “community is a powerful source of life satisfaction and life expectancy.” In his essay, he describes how these elements affect our health.
Relationships can be a powerful source of joy and support. They can act as buffers to stress and break down the barriers of loneliness and improve your overall health. According to Murthy, one-third of adults and one-half of young people experience loneliness; and social disconnectedness increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
Service comprises the actions we take that benefit others. Research shows that sustained service efforts can reduce the risk of hypertension, stroke, early death, depression, and cognitive decline.
And purpose is the feeling of having an overarching life aim to guide our decisions and actions. Simply, it is the “why” we do something, and according to Murthy, a high sense of individual purpose may reduce the risk of early death as well as stroke, lung disease, and dementia.
Building community isn’t always easy, Murthy wrote. It requires “rethinking and, in some cases, rejecting the conventional wisdom that tells us what defines success and a good life.” At the conclusion of his essay, Murthy notes how choices we make now must be made with an eye toward the future.
“The choice we make to build community has the power to change lives and transform society,” he writes. “Let us never forget that good people with hearts full of love can change the world.”
