The best moments of my life are when I immerse myself in my schoolbooks and the world of academia. I always feel pure joy whenever I learn a new skill or discover a new fact. This year, while coming to the conclusion of my final course of my higher education degree, I began and ended the semester in complete silence. I loathed this specific course as it was very difficult for me; until, one day, something changed in my understanding of the subject.
After the results of the first test, with which I was not pleased with the grade I received nor did the professor of said class, he requested a meeting to discuss my issues with the subject matter. I informed him that I was having difficulty with the subject and everyone knew that the most difficult test and exams came from this professor in specific. I also informed him of my health condition at the time, as I had recently been in a car accident and as a result of it, concentrating on my studies became an irritating obstacle. And, this is where my story begins.
My professor told me about another university professor who was with him while he was in the United States. This professor was in his fifties and in good physical condition and enjoyed excellent health. One day while at university, this professor passed out while next to me and was rushed the hospital. Once there, the doctors announced that he had fallen into a coma. His coma persisted for a long time and as a result he had to undergo more than one brain surgery to discover what had caused the coma. What was found was a hole in his brain that made treatment very difficult. As a result, this professor became disabled and had to cope with his new lifestyle.
My professor continued and told me that this person refused to accept the diagnosis that had been given to him or the fact that he had to live handicapped without a logical reason as to why. He spent his days laying in the hospital bed imagining how his life after he’d be treated would be. He would see himself driving his car from state to state during his vacations, surfing the waves, running on a daily basis enjoying his health. This continued until he was discharged from the hospital with orders to have a check up every 3 months.
This professor stood in front of the old doctor who was treating him and vowed that upon his next check up he would be walking on his feet again. Taking pity on his patient, the doctor accepted what the professor had vowed so as not to hurt his feelings and then the professor left the hospital. The professor decided to higher a full time nurse to stay with him at home so as to increase the amount of treatment sessions as possible. However, even the nurse maintained that trying to go back to his old life was not only extremely challenging but also next to impossible.
This professor continued to think positively and believed that with continued focus and effort he could regain the use of his legs again. Every time he tried to stand up, he would fall down. His nurse would weep for him, as she knew that the outcome would never change. Still, he continued trying for months, until the follow-up appointment. He walked into the doctor’s office on his feet with a cane whilst smiling at his doctor. The doctor was astounded at the extent of the miracle that was his patient’s recovery. From then, this professor’s case was written about and published in medical journals and, at the time, was talked about constantly. People, experts and physicians alike dubbed it a medical miracle.
I liked the story that my professor told me, but he continued to shock and surprise me when he revealed the identity of this other professor. It turned out that the story was actually about my university professor who was sitting and telling me the story! Not a day passed by that I didn’t see him smiling and in a good mood. He was always enjoying his health and continued to motivate others and encourage self-confidence in everyone. That day, he told me that he would help me until I got to where I wanted to be and that he likes intelligence as it helps him reach and achieve other goals.
It was here that my story began. He became the person who would guide, motivate and help me when I didn’t understand something or understand myself. He pushed and taught me to always be strong and not fear failure. The first achievement for me is when I passed the final exam with flying colors allowing me to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and honors. Afterwards, I started to focus on my goals to achieve them, and every time I would fall or fail, I would remember my professor’s story and get back up again and try again.
It isn’t wrong to fail in something or trip and fall down when we try something new. It isn’t, however, right to continue making the same mistakes and falling into the same traps. Try to write down a list of your goals and make a plan as to how you will achieve them. Break it down into as many small steps as possible, so that you can achieve your goals. Write more about yourself! Do you know all your strengths and weaknesses? Focus more on your strong suits and enjoy your life! Don’t listen to those who would seek to break you or bring you down…
Because life doesn’t ever stop… for anyone!
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