Nestled in the heart of Paramus, New Jersey, lies a desk unlike any other in the medical world. It doesn’t flaunt the typical trappings of success like framed degrees and glittering awards. Instead, it houses a captivating array of objects and photographs that reflect the inspiring story of its owner. Each item serves as a poignant reminder of the man he aspires to be, the grand visions he seeks to achieve, and the profound wisdom he hopes to leave behind for future generations.

Dr. John Chuback is a double board-certified general surgeon and cardiovascular surgeon who specializes in the treatment of vein disease. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine. He has been practicing medicine for over 20 years and is passionate about helping patients to comprehensively improve their quality of life through state-of-the art techniques. His vision became Chuback Vein Center — one of the first specialty vein centers in Paramus, New Jersey and the Bergen County area. Dr Chuback is also a personal development published author, and the co-founder of VitasupportMD, a nutraceutical company that produces flavonoid-based dietary supplements that work to promote a healthy vascular and lymphatic system.

In honor of his birthday, Dr. Chuback recently sat down for an interview to discuss the significance of three of the objects he keeps by his office desk.

“I keep photos of individuals I consider to be truly singular persons, who have achieved and contributed great things. They inspire me to be my best”, said Dr. Chuback.

Among pictures of prominent figures like Abraham Lincoln, Neil Armstrong and Albert Einstein, an object that stands out is Newton’s cradle, which serves Dr. Chuback as a visual reminder that for every action you take, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Here’s what he had to say:

Sir Isaac Newton teaches us that whatever we put in, we get out. It’s the law of cause and effect. And the more you put in, the more you get out. The more people we serve, the more joy, pleasure and reward we will have in our life. It reminds us of continuous service, to continue helping others and to do the best we can to contribute to our community, our society and our world in a positive way.

An hourglass sand timer, that sits on his desk at all times, holds a very profound teaching for Dr. Chuback. A man who is not only dedicated to his patients, but has devoted time and efforts to authoring two books that share his life lessons and wisdom.

These are his thoughts:

This object serves as a metaphor for life, with the sand on the top representing the future and the sand on the bottom representing the past. What’s gone is gone, and we can’t take it back or change it. And although one could argue that we can impact our future, the truth is that nobody gets to see how much sand is at the top. We make all kinds of assumptions about how much time we might have left. People would say that they have half a century. And they might not have half an hour. The top of the glass is a mystery to us all, no matter how young or old we are.

The most important thing about the glass is this moment right here, the waist, the narrowest point. And that narrow point where the sand is actually falling through, that small aperture is now. That’s all we ever really have.

This reminds us of the power of the now, living in the now and taking full advantage of the now. It helps us realize that worrying about the past or having regrets and concerns about past mistakes is a waste of our precious time. And to believe that we can do something tomorrow or that it will take care of itself later, is a foolish way of thinking.

The most effective and successful people take full advantage of this very moment and live as much as they can in the moment. Nothing gets done in the future, it always gets done now.

This is a very, very powerful reminder to make the best use of our time. Not wasting it. And in combination with Newton’s cradle concept, do as much as we can to serve others. Which is at the essence of a career in medicine and surgery; service to others.

He then points at a page he keeps open, from one of his favorite books. It features a mother and son looking at what appears to be a very simple painting of a palm tree. The boy in the story, -coincidentally named John like Dr. Chuback- sees the painting and declares that he can paint that too. To which his mother responds: But you didn’t.

We often find ourselves saying: I could have done this, I could have done that. But sometimes it takes somebody who loves us, like our mother, to say; It’s true, you could have but you didn’t.

It’s such an elegant and powerful argument.

She doesn’t tell him: You don’t understand the painting Johnny, it’s much more complicated than you think. It’s done by a famous artist. You couldn’t do it.

On the contrary, she looks at the painting and she thinks John probably could have done that. But John is so busy doing other things, or lazy or unmotivated that he hasn’t even done what he could. So, she says yes, Johnny, you could have, but you didn’t.

What that says about John is that he is not living up to his potential. There are simple things he could achieve that other people are being recognized for. Paintings he could make that could be in a museum, but because of his inability to act, he hasn’t even done that much.

I keep this powerful teaching here to remind myself that if I stay active, and keep trying to serve this community and working hard to make them well, to relieve them of pain, suffering, swelling and all of the other problems I see on the daily in my practice, a lot could be achieved.

In reflecting on the importance of caring for others, Dr. Chuback quotes one of his favorite poems from Rabindranath Tagore, which reads: “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy”.

As we mature and we grow into self-actualized adults, we realize that there’s no greater joy than serving other people. And that our service can be great if we would be motivated to act to do our best every day and take full advantage of every moment that the good Lord has given us.

Dr. Chuback is dedicated to nurturing a life of giving back and imparting his valuable knowledge to the younger generation through his publications, The Straight A Handbook, Make Your Own Damn Cheese and Your Blueprint for Success. He believes it’s each person’s obligation to share their wisdom and help build a better world.

Chuback Vein Center / 205 Robin Rd Suite 333a, Paramus, NJ / 201-261-1772 / @chubackveincenter