Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rajam Roose. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rajam, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
What a great question! The question about purpose in life seems to have been around since humans first developed and practiced introspection. “What is my purpose in life”, is such a common thought but during my teens, I reframed it to, “What can I do with my time here on this Earth”.
I spent quite a few years living outside the normal confines of society, both during my early teen years and also later as a young adult. These experiences led me to realize that honestly, I didn’t even want to live within society unless I could contribute in a positive way.
This is why I was in the massage profession for 16 years. I chose massage therapy because I thought if I’m going to join society and earn money, I should find something that is good for the community and also that will teach me someone about life. Although I am an empathetic person, I was lacking in compassion, so I thought massage would be a good way to learn compassion for others.
Later, I closed my massage business and started the San Diego Pain Summit because I recognized there was a need for clinicians to understand how to make the connection between current pain research and in their clinical practice. I would say that I didn’t “find” this purpose but that it found me!
I think it’s important to be humble, understand our weaknesses and strengths, and also how we can make our communities better. Finding purpose doesn’t mean that we discover some amazing thing that makes us instant superstar leaders or something grandiose. What are the goals you want to achieve that are based on our abilities? Understanding ourselves and thinking about what we can do with our time here in this life can be as simple as how we interact with other people.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I own and organize an annual conference, the San Diego Pain Summit to help clinicians translate pain research into practice. Since the first event in 2015, I’ve worked to created a sense of community and a safe space where clinicians can feel comfortable with the uncertainty that comes with working with chronic pain patients. I also bring in the patient perspective so that clinicians can hear about pain from the experts, the people who live with it!
It is a lot of work but what makes it worthwhile is that so many attendees have told me how much the events have changed their work, they’ve learned to examine their biases, listen to their patients, and made lasting connections with other attendees.
The next San Diego Pain Summit will take place here in San Diego, California, on March 1-3, 2024.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would say the most impactful aspects that have helped me the most were learning introspection, critical thinking, and confidence in myself. Building confidence is important to have the strength to follow through with your goals, especially those that require you putting yourself out there in the world, doing something different. Confidence can be built in small steps, write down all the things you would like to do- even if it’s as small as starting a garden, and then start doing them! The more of these goals you accomplish, the more you will feel confident in understanding your abilities!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed, I try and include an activity that I find that helps clear my mind. Things like hiking/walking out in nature, doing yardwork, working on jigsaw puzzles, and reading help me the most. Everyone is different though and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, figure out what relaxes and helps clear your mind and do those. It can even be as simple as washing dishes! Everyone is different, I’d recommend making a list of the activities that you find most relaxing and then try and schedule one or more of those into your week.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sandiegopainsummit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandiegopainsummit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandiegopainsummit
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajam-roose/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandiegosummit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sandiegopainsummit
Image Credits
Carolyn Silvernail, Nick Ng
