Meredith Grey Quotes

Meredith Grey (narration): In surgery, we work to make our sutures as precise as we can. We try to minimize scars and to return full function. We try not to leave any trace of the injury. In Japan, when a piece of pottery breaks, some potters fill the cracks with gold. The potters, they see the repair as something beautiful. They know that the unexpected happens. Change happens. They know that nobody gets through this world in one piece. That doesn't have to diminish us. The cracks are part of our history. They will always be with us. They made us better. They made us stronger. They made us something new.

Meredith Grey (narration): Before surgery, we ask patients a series of questions. Do you have a job to return to? Do you have a support system at home? We're screening for mental illness. Anxiety, depression, delusions. We need to make sure you're of sound mind. We need to make sure you know what to expect. But if we check patients for mental illness, why not surgeons? Someone should really get on that. Fixing your mental health isn't like surgery. You can't just run the blood work and check the vitals. With mental health, progress is way harder to measure and if something's wrong, we have to take action. There's a lot of uncertainty. There's a lot of fear. And what might be easy for one person, for someone else might take inner strength you can't even imagine. But we have to try. We have to stand up to our demons. We have to face reality whenever possible and ask for help when we can't. And when we do that, healing is possible.

Zola Shepherd (about Andrew): How come Maggie's friend never has to take a bath and we do?

Meredith Grey: Because he's... European.

Meredith Grey (narration): In your first year as an attending surgeon, you're told to take babysteps. Look for the easy cases, the sure wins. No sense of making an ass of yourself. Better to rack up some easy victories. You can't avoid bad outcomes for your whole career, but you can sure try. 'Cause getting a bad reputation can finish you before you start. We define ourselves by our actions, but it doesn't mean we have to live by that definition. We can change our own story. We can refuse to accept the way people define us. We can work like hell to escape a bad reputation, only to wonder if we succeeded. It can be hard to shake the mistakes of the past. They'll always come back to haunt us. But one thing we never do. We don't stop. We don't quit. We get up and re-join the fight.

Meredith Grey (narration): Adrenaline is the body's response to stressful situations. It's one of many vital chemical compounds our bodies produce that alter our state of consciousness. Oxytocin makes us feel bonded with others. Dopamine makes us more alert and motivates us to seek reward. A lack of serotonin has been linked to depression. GABA, an amino acid neurotransmitter, helps reduce anxiety. And endorphins create a heightened state of happiness. Like the kind we feel when we win. Surgeons can benefit from altered states of consciousness, but only when they're achieved naturally. The lows drive us to do better. The highs of saving a life are the rewards of a job well done. And then there are times when our state of mind is altered and it has nothing to do with brain chemistry. New opportunities open us up to greater possibilities. New information and a new perspective can permanently shift our consciousness and the way we see the world will never be the same.

Meredith Grey (narration): When you're little and you announce to your parents that you want to be a doctor, they're thrilled. You practice medicine on your stuffed animals and you dream. The dreams turned to plans: pre-med, med school, residency, fellowship. It takes almost 15 years to prepare to be a surgeon, but no matter how much you prepare, 15 years isn't enough. We spent our childhoods writing our dreams in diaries. As adults, those dreams quietly come true every single day. Only sometimes, we forget to notice until it's too late. So slow down and take it in. Let yourself feel it. Because sometimes, even the most beautiful dreams disappear when the sun comes up.

Meredith Grey (narration): Life doesn't owe us a thing. It just is. Like a river, it goes where it goes. You can try to fight against the current. Or you can learn to ride it. As surgeons, we dedicate ourselves to an endless fight against the current. All day, every day, we fight against the current. Sometimes we lose, sometimes we win. Sometimes, the current carries us exactly where we need to go. And sometimes, it slams us right into the rocks.