Insights from VITAL WorkLife

Love Yourself Like Your Pet Does

Written by VITAL WorkLife | April 14, 2015

Most anyone who has owned a dog knows what it's like to return home and be greeted with unbridled enthusiasm, love and acceptance. Wouldn't it be wonderful to look in the mirror and see ourselves through the eyes of our pet? To remove the filter of our own perspective and to see ourselves with compassion instead of judgement is an important concept in achieving true happiness. In his efforts to decrease suffering and increase happiness, Dr. Amit Sood, Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Chair of Mayo Mind Body Initiative, teaches people how to interpret the events in their lives through the five principles of gratitude, compassion, acceptance, meaning and forgiveness.


Amit Sood, M.D.  is a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, and serving as Chair of Mayo Mind Body Initiative. He completed degrees in medicine from Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. Dr. Sood was a first-hand witness to the chemical spill in Bhopal as a medical student.

Dr. Sood held various positions at Mayo Clinic (research fellow, Consultant, Instructor of Medicine) and fellow of the American College of Physicians. Best known among his works are Attention and Interpretation Therapy (AIT) and Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) which integrates elements from neurosciences, psychology, philosophy and spirituality to offer a scientific approach for stress management.