The One Skill Medicine Often Ignores
ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Tara Narula explains how mindset bridges the mind-body gap
Imagine waking up one morning with your world shattered—not by a natural disaster or a loss, but by words from a doctor: “You have heart disease.” Or cancer. Or a chronic condition that rewrites your future.
In that moment, fear floods in, questions swirl, and the path ahead feels impossible. But what if the real key to healing isn’t just the prescription or the surgery? What if it’s something you already possess: resilience?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the invisible forces that determine whether we bounce back or break down. We chase the latest diets, gadgets, and therapies, yet we overlook the one tool that could change everything—our ability to adapt, grow, and thrive amid adversity.
This question has haunted me since my sister Carolyn’s battle with pancreatic cancer five years ago. She faced identical diagnoses to others, yet her outcomes diverged wildly.
Why? It wasn’t just medicine; it was mindset.
That puzzle came full circle in my recent conversation with Dr. Tara Narula on the Passion Struck podcast. As ABC News’s chief medical correspondent, a practicing cardiologist, and author of the groundbreaking new book The Healing Power of Resilience, Tara has seen it all—from the newsroom to the exam room. Her story isn’t one of overnight success; it’s a masterclass in intentional pursuit.
And her message?
Resilience isn’t a buzzword. It’s the missing link in modern medicine, a skill we can all build to reclaim our health and joy.
From Smoothie Entrepreneur to Medical Trailblazer: Tara’s Passion-Struck Journey
Tara didn’t stumble into her role as a trusted voice on health. As she shared, her path was forged with grit and vision. Growing up in South Florida with a pioneering cardiologist for a father and a nurse for a mother, she had science in her blood.
But after Stanford, where she double-majored in economics and biology, she took a detour: launching Sun Juice Smoothies at 22. No business plan expertise, just a notebook from her month of slinging smoothies at Jamba Juice and a Barnes & Noble guide. The shop thrived—with magazine write-ups and steady profits—but after a year, Tara felt unfulfilled. “I can’t do a job where my heart isn’t in it,” she told her parents.
She pivoted to medical school, sold the business (which still stands today), and embarked on a 20-year climb from cardiology fellow to media powerhouse.
Her media break?
A cold email internship at NBC Nightly News during her fellowship—working for free one day a week at Rockefeller Center while begging her program director for approval. It led to gigs at CNN, CBS, NBC, and now ABC.
As Tara put it, “It was a path that was not carved out, but one that I felt really strongly and passionately about.”
Her story echoes what I always say: Being passion struck isn’t accidental; it’s pursued with intentionality.
But Tara’s real revelation came from her patients.
In her Manhattan practice, she’d deliver the same diagnosis—end-stage heart failure—to two people. One faded quickly; the other lived years longer.
The difference? Resilience.
“Human beings are so much more innately resilient than we believe,” Tara explained. Yet medicine often ignores this, siloing psychology from physical care. We treat symptoms, not the whole person.
The Mind-Body Revolution: Why Stress Is Your Silent Killer
Tara’s book bridges this gap, arguing that ignoring mental health in medicine isn’t just incomplete—it’s negligent. Drawing from her own scare (losing vision in one eye during medical school), she highlights how trauma—like a diagnosis—triggers a chronic stress response. Cortisol and adrenaline surge, designed for survival but damaging when constant. “The stress in our lives currently in America is just out of control,” she said.
This resonates deeply with my own experience as a combat veteran. I suppressed PTSD and traumatic brain injuries for years, leading to inflammation and symptoms the VA treated piecemeal. Only when I addressed the mind-body divide—through therapy and holistic care—did healing begin.
Tara echoes experts like Dr. Chris Palmer, whom I’ve interviewed: Our guts, brains, and emotions are intertwined. Fear, anxiety, and depression fuel inflammation, high blood pressure, and weakened immunity.
Her solution? Become the CEO of your health.
Don’t defer to doctors; lead the charge. Prepare for visits with questions and meds lists; seek second opinions; trust your symptoms.
My sister did this—pushing for an MRI that downgraded her pancreatic cancer from stage two to one, extending her life. Maria Menounos, another guest, scanned her whole body after dismissing symptoms, which revealed cancer.
As Tara stressed, “You have to be the one behind the wheel.”
Small Changes, Big Resilience: The Turtle Effect
One of my favorite chapters in Tara’s book is on small changes yielding massive impact—what I call the “Bee and Turtle Effect.”
Like a sea turtle methodically pursuing a distant goal, health transformations come from micro-choices: five extra minutes of sleep, one mindful meal, a short walk. “Getting from point A to point B does not happen overnight,” Tara said. “It takes little, small, incremental changes that build up over time.”
This mirrors behavior science from guests like BJ Fogg and Judson Brewer: Habits form through consistency, not overhauls.
Tara sees it daily—patients overwhelmed by “lose 50 pounds” succeed by starting small. It’s hard work, but sustainable. Start in childhood, she urges, to ingrain patterns early.
Confronting Fear and Embracing Love: The Heart of Healing
Fear paralyzes, but Tara reframes it as fuel. “It’s normal,” she assures patients. Time dims it; therapy (like CBT) redirects it. Groups and survivors provide hope.
I know this firsthand—prolonged exposure therapy unlocked my life after Iraq.
Then there’s love, a chapter that surprised even Tara with its impact. “As we contemplate how to build resilience... it all comes down to love,” she writes. Self-compassion first, then deep connections.
Hugging releases oxytocin; partners lift each other. In her exercise: If blind and granted sight for minutes, who’d you see? For Tara, her husband David, and daughters Sienna and Layla. It grounds her in gratitude.
This echoes Dr. Steven Post’s “unlimited love” from my recent episode: In your final moments, who matters? Connection buffers stress, combats loneliness (as deadly as 15 cigarettes daily, per Julianne Holt-Lunstad), and boosts outcomes.
We’re wired for it—yet America’s individualism isolates us. Tara’s call: Join groups, nurture bonds. It’s low-hanging fruit for hospitals to add resilience programs.
Living Passion Struck: Your Health, Your Choice
Tara’s wisdom boils down: Health doesn’t happen to you—participate in it. As she lives her passion-struck life—balancing career highs and family—her legacy inspires. “My kids are my legacy,” she said.
If you’re facing a health challenge or just quiet disorientation, start small. Advocate. Build resilience. Love fiercely.
Read The Healing Power of Resilience: Available at Simon & Schuster, Amazon, or Target.
Listen to the full episode below:
8 Ways to Build Resilience and Become CEO of Your Health
Accept the Diagnosis First: Acknowledge fear as normal. Journal your emotions to process—it’s the gateway to action.
Prepare Like a CEO: Before visits, list questions, symptoms, and meds. Track data from wearables to empower discussions.
Make Micro-Changes: Add five minutes of meditation or a walk daily. Build habits gradually for sustainability.
Confront Fear Head-On: Use CBT techniques: When anxious, pause and reframe (”This is temporary”). Seek therapy if overwhelming.
Cultivate Connections: Join a support group or walking club. Nurture one deep relationship—hugs and talks release healing hormones.
Practice Self-Love: Give yourself grace for imperfections. Daily affirmation: “I am enough.”
Advocate Relentlessly: If dismissed, get a second opinion. Trust your body—you know it best.
Infuse Love Daily: Do Tara’s exercise: Who’d you see if sight were fleeting? Express gratitude to them today.
What’s one resilience skill you’re building? Share in the comments—I read every one.
P.S. If this hits home, forward to someone navigating health challenges. And if you’re not subscribed, join below—it means the world.
Three cheers for this post!
Thank you for such an insightful article. The connection between resilience, mindset, and physical health is something that more people need to hear and reflect on. Usually, the conversation around healing focuses only on the body, while the role of the mind is overlooked. Messages like this help bring that balance back into view. Echoing and amplifying this perspective is exactly what we should be striving for, because awareness is often the first step toward meaningful change.