—
I have an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree, a culinary degree and roughly 20 different certifications ranging from personal trainer to paramedic. This is not me bragging, but just presenting what I already have attained. However, with all of that, I’m still going back to school, medical school to be exact. Yes, medical school in my forties. It’s a scenario that has gotten a number of mixed reviews from those in my life. Something that is an all too common theme with most of the decisions I have made.
Yet, even with all the noise from others and the noise from my own self, I can’t think of not being a doctor. I’m meant to help people. I have always been in some field that helps people in one way or another. It is a calling that can be frustrating at times, but one that is innate to who I am. I’m of the mindset that I’m going to get older regardless, why not be a doctor while doing it?
As I stated in my previous post, I was not one of the fortunate ones that knew what they wanted early on in life. I had a false perception of what I wanted, but not a true one. I had thought it was to be a doctor, but the level of commitment it takes was not something that appealed to me in my 20’s. Therefore, I tried a bunch of different things and had a number of careers, but deep-down medicine was always there. Even with all I have done over the years, deep down I had/have a true passion and calling. We all do! Some of us figure it out early on and others later on. There is no written rule of how or when you need to decide. One cannot let others dictate one’s self-worth or put their “time clock” on us.
In an age of social media and people posting their “life highlight reel”, it’s tough to always stay the course and believe that our particular path is ours and ours alone. This is especially true in your 40’s. As a number of my peers are in their “stride” per se, I’m about to head back to school and tackle a career most have started two decades ago. Yet, it is my calling and it needs to be answered. I guess I have always been a “nontraditional” student in my life, inventing new ways of doing things.
Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” If you want to walk a thousand miles you need to start by taking the first step, then the next one, and so on. However, I believe that life is a number of “1000 mile journeys”. When we reach one destination it’s just a pit stop until we start on the next thousand steps. Time to take the next first step.
#thisis40
—
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.