I’m Jessica, a veterinarian who lost, and then found, the fun, the challenge and the satisfaction in this unique and amazing profession.
I truly believe there is no other path or purpose that carries the same potential for joy, achievement, and space to do good as we find in being veterinarians. I mean, come on, we are saving the lives of helpless animals, when nobody else can. Read that again… when nobody else can. You, my colleague, are amazing. But, I also know the heartbreak that comes from wanting to be able to do more, being faced with moral dilemmas and having to make hundreds of decisions a day—even if they’re the same decisions you made the day before… The exhaustion, burnout and compassion fatigue are real. For me, this showed up as impatience, inability to find the energy to keep in touch with the people in my life who matter most, complete decision paralysis and difficulty remembering what makes me happy, at work or outside of work. For a while, I thought this was just the nature of the job, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By looking inward, creating space for the good stuff, letting go and, envisioning a brilliant future, I reignited the spark in my work. I’m quite sure that you can too.