Using Your Emotional Strength

By: Dr. Julie Cappel

Often in the day of a veterinarian we have the opportunity to experience pressure, stress, and self-doubt. We can have feelings of distress when things are not going our way. If our day takes a negative turn it is up to us to be emotionally tough and control our emotions to protect our minds from negativity. That is when we need to use emotional strength.

Sadly, this week we suddenly lost one of our hospital cats to a blood clot secondary to his severe heart disease. Jabba, named by our animal assistants because we did not know his real name, was a big fat tabby cat that was abandoned on our doorstep along with his sister (Leia) last summer. Yep, just plunked into a cat carrier and left at our front door to be found in the morning. Interesting because the cats were left in a place where our security cameras could not see the car or the people that left them in the early morning hours. It was almost as if the owners knew where to dump them. Anyway, when Jabba arrived at the hospital and was examined by one of our doctors it was discovered that he had a heart condition and needed a visit to a cardiologist. That is how he managed to become our hospital cat. We could not ethically adopt him out to a family with his need for repeated echocardiograms by a cardiology specialist and multiple medications daily, so we decided to keep him knowing that his life may be shortened by his heart disease.

The reason that I tell the story of Jabba is as an example of our need for emotional strength. We have the ability to exercise power over our mind – not being influenced by outside events. The events of Jabba being first abandoned and then ultimately succumbing to his heart condition could send my team and I into negativity and depression.

Should we be upset that his owners abandoned him, or happy that he ended up with those of us that could care for him properly? Should we be sad that he died suddenly or happy that he had a loving home with us for the last year of his life?

If we embrace emotional strength we get to choose how we want to feel about it.

Emotionally strong people realize that they have the power over their thoughts, actions and emotions. They acknowledge that their feelings are the result of the thoughts that they choose. They can process negative emotions effectively in order to move their day in a more
positive direction.

Emotionally strong people realize that life is both positive and negative. They understand that there are negative things in life that are beyond their control. They do not feel sorry for themselves when bad things happen because they know that it is part of the deal.

Emotionally strong people take responsibility for their attitude. They understand how to control their reactions in order to navigate life more effectively. They treat other people with respect and understand that human relationships involve accepting people as they are. When you start to feel that you are a victim of your emotions and you are going into a negative space, think about your thoughts. It is ok to be sad when bad things happen – you want to embrace and feel that emotion; however, it will not serve you to live there or spiral into negativity. Embrace your emotional strength and choose better thoughts to help you feel invincible.

So here’s to the memory of our Jabba: We loved you even if it was for a short time. Thank you for teaching us a lesson about emotional strength.

Dr. Julie Cappel

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius

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