Benefactor Shares the “Secret Sauce” to Living a Life with Joy

Serving others is something that brings joy to both the person serving and those being served. Carla Paonessa, chair of the Chicago Committee of the Mayo Clinic Leadership Council, believes focusing on others is key to developing joy in your own life. She’s attended numerous trainings by Mayo’s wellness and resiliency expert Amit Sood, M.D., and shares her advice on how to have joy.

“I believe if you deliberately focus on the task at hand and find meaning in what you are doing, it will come back to you tenfold.”

Carla says this way of thinking might be the “secret sauce” at Mayo Clinic because she’s observed firsthand the joy displayed by staff and physicians.

“I’ve seen it from how they greet you to how they care for you,” she says. “I was once told, ‘One can be joyful when you are at peace with where you are, why you are here and you know how to behave.’ I believe Mayo exemplifies this more than any other organization.”

Carla says when she refers someone to Mayo Clinic she feels like she’s played a part in their journey to healing.

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