Meet Colin Zhu

We recently connected with Colin Zhu and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Colin, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
So, this is for the question: Where do I get my resilience from?

I believe resilience is a combination of how we respond to life events, our experiences, and what we decide to do with them, as well as the lessons learned from different types of mistakes, perceived missteps, and failures.

For me, in particular, resilience is built and evolving while not giving up at the same time. It involves understanding that there is a bigger problem to solve, and it’s bigger than just me.

I am motivated by the simple fact of needing to make as much of an impact as possible and working in the space that I work in.

This allows me to creatively think of many different types of solutions to get there.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Dr. Colin Zhu is Board-Certified in family practice/OMT and lifestyle medicine. Passionate about the intersection of medicine, food, and nutrition, Dr. Zhu trained as a chef and a health coach at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition following the completion of his medical degree. To share his unique blend of medical knowledge with a wider audience, Dr. Zhu launched TheChefDoc in 2017, an online wellness and lifestyle education platform which has been featured in several publications. Dr. Zhu is an international speaker, the author of “Thrive Medicine: How To Cultivate Your Desires and Elevate Your Life,“ and the podcast host of Thrive Bites in which he interviews the latest health and wellness experts about incorporating a plant-powered lifestyle, enhancing emotional wellness, and creating a thriving mindset! He is also the creator/director of a self-educational masterclass series called The THR5 Formula™ where he combines inspiration, education, and practical tools on how to THRIVE! Here you will learn the 5 To THR5™ Pillars: Food As Medicine, Functional Fitness, Relationships, Community, & Emotional Resilience! Currently, based in the Southern California area and has a virtual lifestyle medical practice called TheChefDoc Lifestyle Medicine.

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?
The three qualities or skills that have been most impactful on my journey are compassion, resourcefulness, and vulnerability.

Developing these qualities involves, quite honestly, practicing them repeatedly. Gaining as much life experience as possible and stepping outside of your comfort zones is crucial advice for anyone aiming to enhance these skills.

Being willing to ask better questions, seeking help, finding a mentor, and not being afraid of making mistakes are essential steps in the process. If the fear of making mistakes hinders you from starting, it’s important to just begin, regardless of where you are in your journey. Recognize that experiencing any type of discomfort indicates that you are moving in the right direction.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
The most significant area of growth or improvement in the last 12 months has been my experience in leadership and working within a team.

There’s an African Proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” This sentiment has proven true in various situations for me. Once I allowed myself to work on a team, I found that having other voices to reflect back, constructively criticize, collaborate, give feedback, and engage in open dialogue immensely propels growth forward. It keeps me in the moment, prevents overanalysis, and avoids getting stuck in my thoughts for too long, preventing analysis paralysis. Being able to discuss ideas with someone I trust, with whom I have comfort and a good rapport, is paramount for personal and professional growth.

In the work that I do, collaboration is not just a preference; it’s a necessity. It’s vital to be plugged into the right community, have a support system, and surround yourself with individuals who not only support but also actively foster your growth. Creating an environment where you feel safe and comforted is not just a luxury but a strategic choice for ongoing development in a world where collective efforts often yield the most profound results.

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