Dr. Laura Gabayan author of Common Wisdom

From Physician to Patient to Author: A Journey of Resilience

I spent most of my adult life as an emergency physician — trained to save lives, make fast decisions, and care for people at their most vulnerable.

Then, life changed.

A series of unexpected health issues made it impossible to continue practicing medicine. After countless misdiagnoses and treatments that made things worse, I found myself in a place I never expected — needing help myself.

It was painful. Humbling. Disorienting.  But, it also lead me to something I had always valued in others:

Resilience.

Resilience was the first skill that emerged from the Wisdom Research Project — and it’s one of the eight core traits documented in the Common Wisdom book.

Why Resilience?

Because it shows up when life doesn’t go as planned — and you keep going anyway.

Today, I invite you to reflect on a time when you were fiercely flexible — when you faced something hard, adapted, and moved forward with strength.

That Strength.

That Grit.

That’s Wisdom in Motion.

Celebrate it. You are a warrior.

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