Celebrate One Another’s Gifts

Posted on October 11, 2026 by Catherine Cheng, MD

Friends, I have jetlag so I will be brief:

“I think we could all encourage one another to acknowledge and articulate our gifts more. That could make the world better.”
I wrote this to JP Greene, @typewrittenlovenotes, in response to his story reel describing his gift of acute and specific memory.

I traveled to Portugal this past week to attend the wedding of two of my favorite young people. What a gift and privilege, and a memory I will treasure lifelong. Not only did I get to spend enough quality time with both bride and groom, but I got to meet their and their parents’ dear and loving friends, and came home having made a bunch of new friends myself.

The event included multiple opportunities to reminisce and reflect on the newlyweds’ roots, personalities, and relationships. The ceremony and vows represented them both so earnestly and exquisitely. Their honest and authentic natures clearly present to us all right up front and consistently, as every description of them from the best mates to parents were exactly the people we all know and love, all why every one of us was willing to fly over an ocean to celebrate their marriage.

How often do you hear from others about your gifts?
How often do you exercise them in both confidence and humility?

How often do you express your appreciation of others’ gifts to them?
How often do you notice yet stay silent?

When we reflect others’ gifts and impact back to them, specifically and in real time, we reinforce what we love most about them. We validate and strengthen their self-awareness and self-worth. When we notice someone making a positive difference in the world, acknowledging it amplifies the effect and helps us all absorb and integrate that energy better. I believe we are more likely ourselves to act in kind thereafter–it’s a win-win.

This week, I challenge us to practice.

Articulate our admiration with assertive positivity. To be clear, we must be genuine and honest–actively responsive in and to our observations. It need not be effusive, per se, just earnest and direct. If it feels uncomfortable, may we muster the boldness to overcome the discomfort (maybe explore it?) and connect despite it. Sincere compliments make us generous on the receiving end; they can someone’s day, which brightens our own day. I think we consistently underestimate the vast and beneficial ripple effects of a few kind and encouraging words.

May we make one another feel seen and appreciated, my friends. May we openheartedly point out others’ gifts to them, and help them self-acknowledge. Far from stoking egoism and arrogance, I think we will simply call forth our best selves for one another and for the world. Imagine what a better society we could build this way?

The Languages We Speak

Posted on September 13, 2026 by Catherine Cheng, MD

愛 Love, written by me in eyeliner brush pen on Daughter’s hand

“…the medial aspect of my proximal left anterior forearm…”
–Me, describing where I would place the tattoo of my matrilineal surnames to Daughter.

What languages do you speak?

I speak American English and Mandarin with a Taiwan 外省人 accent. I am fluent in both but only literate to an early primary school level in the latter. In a previous medical practice I had so many Spanish speaking patients who were willing to teach me, that by the time I left if the patient knew a little English and the problem was not too complicated, I could get through an entire clinic visit without an interpreter. I had a long chain of Post-It notes in my office of words and phrases they had taught me.

Son and Daughter grew up with internist and orthopaedic surgeon parents so they speak a little medicine. Daughter spent five weeks learning archeology and osteology this summer, so her fluency in anatomy has improved–hence my description above. It’s just the most efficient and accurate way to describe the body part. Quick tutorial:
–Closer to central mass of body is proximal, farther is distal.
–Orienting left/right, closer to center is medial, farther away is lateral. For the hands, anatomical position assumes palms facing forward (anterior), so pinky side is medial, thumb side is lateral.
–Front of body is anterior, back is posterior.
–Closer to the head is superior; closer to the feet is inferior.
–Ventral is belly side, dorsal is back side (so back of the hand is dorsal but weirdly, top of the foot is also dorsal–which those fluent in anatomy already know!).
–Rostral is toward the head, caudal is toward the sacrum (tail).

How fun to talk shop with my kid!

It got me thinking again how bonding it is to share jargon. Consider any profession. We can go anywhere in the world and assume we can work with anyone in our field simply because we all speak the language of our discipline. It’s a built-in connection that precedes our acquaintance, that bridges other language and culture barriers. How cool is that!?

It all made me wonder what other languages I speak.
Here is a partial list, in rough order of verbal fluency:
Medicine (especially internal medicine and orthopaedics)
Biology
Chemistry (organic more than others)
Exercise/fitness
Nutrition
Volleyball
Mahjong
Pens
Paper/stationery
Writing
Psychology
Romance
Bread/sourdough
Audiobooks
Pottery

I also speak Relationship. I am highly fluent and literate verbally. But this language calls for and forth our greatest capacity for nonverbal communication, no? Huh. I love that.

Wanna know what languages I do not speak? This was fun to list too:
Sports other than volleyball (though I did learn once how to spot a moving pick in basketball)
Makeup
Skincare
Music (though I appreciate it greatly)
Pop culture
Fashion (though Daughter has taught me much about classic designers)
Money/finance

Aside from a lighthearted and fun reflection on Sunday afternoon while procrastinating housecleaning, the intersecting concepts of language, communication, and connection just make me shake my head in awe and wonder. How many more languages could I learn in this lifetime? I am convinced this is how people stay young and live longer: lifelong stimulation and learning, connection with and integration of the novel and interesting that brings us closer to our fellow humans. It could be anything!

Aspire to global human polyglotism, my friends!

A Five Year Plan

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Catherine Cheng, MD

The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, Whitefish, MT September 2025

It’s been a dense few weeks, friends! Or a dense year, maybe, as these blog posts appear late more often now than in a while. Life! I’m okay with it; eleven years is a long time to maintain a project that was only meant to last one. I’m just happy to be here! Family came in last weekend, and I’m about to fly myself tonight, so this post will serve for two weeks. Hope everybody is well and happy!

Daughter and I signed up for a pottery class back in June, 12 weeks ago, I realize today. It took a food twelve hours to call forth the muscle memory from 26 years ago when I made over 400 pots, and now I’m making progress again. The first batch yielded 27 pieces, teaching me how the glazes behave when layered. By the end, barring catastrophe, I will have over 50 creations to use and share this time. See below for photos!

I recently saw a patient who will retire in the coming year. Their annual exams brought us both warm connection over the years, and we agreed that they are as healthy as they could be on the threshold of this life transition. At the end of the day they asked me to include some parting advice for the next five years, a new request for me. How fun! Now I wonder what I’d write for any patient when I see them (potentially) for the last time. What would I write for myself? For the kids? My parents?

What advice would you write to yourself and your loved ones for the next some years? For your leaders? For our legislators and judiciary? How do you already think and communicate in these terms?

I listened to Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game again yesterday and today. He writes in terms of business and professional leadership, but his premise of an infinite mindset applies to how any of us may choose to live. Inspiring. One of the reasons I get behind on the blog is that I’m writing Love Letters to Patients (LLTP) every week. Every time I think I will address their medical concerns, I end up writing about their life, their relationships, and their impact on me… and my aspirations for them–for us all. I intend to edit and organize after one full year; that will be Book. Can’t wait to share it with you all. Meanwhile, I think this extemporaneous ‘five year plan’ may give you a taste of what that bigger project may feel like. What think you? 🙂

OK so in case I don’t see you next year (or ever again! 😦 ), you asked for my advice for the next five years. AWESOME, this will be my first time writing something like this, let’s see what emerges ! 😀

Continue to prioritize the most important things to you–the people and activities that give your life meaning. I think you are already very good at this, and after retirement you will have time, energy, and resources to engage and invest even more, no? How fulfilling!
Physical fitness will be important. I love John’s advice of using gym time to fill in the small gaps in lower body strength that you may not get from your usual activities. We discussed the ways you can tell if you’re still fit–getting up and down from the floor or low chairs/stools, feeling confident that you can embark on any new physical activity without limitation (hiking, skating, playing a new sport), etc. Functional movements in the gym are key for this: forward lunges approximate going down the stairs. Squats are getting up from a low chair. Deadlifts are bending over and picking up something from the floor. It’s the eccentric movement–the controlled deceleration–that is key for fall prevention: Think walking downhill quickly without hyperextending, torquing, or losing balance in your ankles and knees.
Stay open to learning anything. Hang out with curious people who know different things from you and are generous with sharing. Say yes to trying new things. Spend time with folks from all generations. I really think this keeps us young–openness, curiosity, exposure to and engagement with novelty, and just growing our neural networks in any possible way–visual, auditory, tactile, intellectual, emotional, and in movement!
Assemble your medical pit crew, if needed. You have a primary care doctor, and you have us at Exec Health for exercise and nutrition advice once a year. Events may lead you to need medical specialists in the future, eg physical therapy, personal training, talk therapy–who knows? But finding *your people* in each of these domains, and connecting them whenever possible so they may compare notes and coordinate care, will give you all more connection and improve outcomes, in my opinion.
Vet medical and health information in the public domain with a very critical mind. Sadly right now, that includes information coming from the federal government. Avoid influencers and even medical professionals who are selling products or services for very high prices. Look at financial relationships between public figures and the products they recommend. The number of non-evidence based, fear-mongering, capitalist health and wellness businesses increases every year, and I have yet to vet one that I recommend. Review things with your doctor before you pay for anything she did not recommend herself.

I think that’s pretty good general advice–not just for you but for us all… Thank you for stimulating the thoughts! Please tell me what you think and if you want me to add/address anything else.