Thoughtfulness – David Koestler

Life of an EMT

This is an image of me applying a device called a tourniquet which stops hemorrhaging.

I joined Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CVAC) because I wanted to feel that I was making a direct impact on individual lives when they might be in their worst moments. After becoming a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), I began riding as a trainee, where a supervisor trained me in patient communication, documentation, and more. I found it particularly challenging to communicate and calm the patient down when I also had to document the incident. Additionally, in the town of Chappaqua, hospitals were within 15 minutes or less of driving distance, which limited my time for documentation. I approached these challenges with the mindset that patient care comes first. I knew that documentation was important, but I chose which aspects were most important to write down at the moment, such as the patient story, symptoms, and vital signs. Later, I could put these pieces together. Finally, I learned that a sense of humor was a vital skill in the field.

Trainee to Crew Chief

I soon graduated as a trainee and became a crew chief. Being a crew chief meant that I was in charge of communicating to the hospital what type of patient I was bringing in and several other aspects that required leadership and the ability to designate roles. This change was difficult, especially during COVID-19. I had to become more aware of the complex protocols to inform my decisions about patient care and hospital procedures. Additionally, it was scary because I didn’t want to bring home any germs with me. However, it was also rewarding because I knew my Nana and Papa would be proud of my devotion to helping others, as they passed away (one of them due to COVID). Despite losing them, I am proud that my work in the field positively impacts several people.

Takeaways

As an EMT, I have gained several skills, from keeping my composure to building leadership and enhancing my communication skills. I believe these skills have helped me outside of healthcare, such as group projects for class. In the future, I hope to continue upholding the certification and riding in my free time because of the meaningful interactions I get to experience.

Zero Expectations, Infinite Possibilities: A New Mindset

This image are my notes of the valuable takeaways I grabbed from the self-help book.

I am not a big reader, yet I started this self-help book called Braving the Wilderness, which speaks about independence and accepting individual time. This book specifically speaks about living a better life with true belonging and dealing with pain. Throughout my life, I have struggled to find belonging, especially in school. I never did sports, but I participated in theater. However, while I had some sense of community in theater, I never found my true friends. As I entered college, I thought it would be a fresh beginning to a great four years. Part of this statement is true as I found my best friend, but I continue to bug myself for not having a friend group. I thought that having a friend group would make me feel more comfortable when I went to parties. I have these large expectations that blur my positive moments and make it difficult for me to enjoy life in college. Thus, living a life of happiness does not come easy.

When I started this book, the key themes that struck me were that I need to have zero expectations and be curious and neutral. While everyone wants true belonging, we need to accept ourselves before we find ourselves in friend groups. Not everyone has the same behavior or perspectives as me, and thus, I cannot hold expectations that people will react the way I want them. Additionally, I need to keep a curious and neutral mindset to meet people. Regardless of whether I become friends with them or not, I can’t let people drag me down. I thought this mindset seemed ridiculous and difficult to follow because I am an emotional person. Yet, the book recognizes that braving the wilderness is learning how to trust ourselves. This trust will allow me to grow as a person confidently! I think trusting myself and following the mindsets written in the book will allow me not to become stuck on problems that come into my life, but rather grow and expand these bumps in my journey as reflective experiences that will inform my future life. Overall, I continue to grow as an individual and learn better life management skills to embrace the wilderness.

Mindfulness

This image is a set of goals for living a healthy lifestyle including having daily spiritual practice, going to the gym, meditation, getting out in nature, giving back to my community, and having a healthy sleep cycle.

Previous Thoughts of Mindfulness

I never thought I would spend time doing mindfulness during my day. I always thought mindfulness was a joke and a waste of time. I thought that the concept of mindfulness was silly; however, I recently engaged in mindful practices and even enrolled in a mindfulness course at Wesleyan University. This change in mindset was largely due to the fact that I have been struggling with chronic pain in my neck and back. While I have cycled through several different treatment options, they have not been helpful. I attended several seminars to help inform me of different treatment methods, and I came across mindfulness/meditation.

Transformative Thoughts of Mindfulness

I decided I would finally give it a try because I had become so stuck and run by pain in my life that I needed to change courses. So, I began waking up at around 5:00 am and listening to a guided meditation I found on YouTube. Some days, I would listen to a meditation on love and kindness; other days, I would listen to a guided meditation on being present. I realized that during the practice, my pain sometimes persisted, but after meditation was done, I felt pain relief that lasted a few hours. I also found that putting this time in my calendar actively got me to participate in this practice and lifestyle. Without making time for this practice, I found myself going on my phone and making excuses as to why I would avoid meditation. When I did make time for practice, I truly disengaged from the technological world and was able to appreciate my body and those around me further because I was grounded and more connected to the present.

Recent Thoughts of Mindfulness

As I began my mindfulness class in the Fall of 2023, I learned different methods of mindfulness and soon joined a club that did yoga every Tuesday. I found yoga to have a similar effect as meditation did. However, I found that I was challenged more in yoga than meditation, where I was still. This challenge was a blessing and a curse. During yoga, sometimes my pain would increase; however, I found the same effect as meditation, with my pain subsiding after the practice. The mindfulness class taught me that while I didn’t always enjoy yoga, I was being mindful by recognizing my comfort and physical sensations. Later in the course, I began journaling my thoughts and my days. I found that recognizing these thoughts gave me comfort because rather than ignoring my pain, I was able to transfer my emotional discomfort into positivity. I won’t say that journaling, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness completely diminish my pain, but these practices help me become more aware of myself and help me engage in healthy practices that will help me develop a great lifestyle. For example, rather than walking across campus listening to music, I walk without music and notice my surroundings (e.g., people, nature, and noises) and connect more to the present world.