Learning from failure.

Today was an off-day. For a brief moment, I felt like hanging my head. I failed one of the psychomotor stations during my midterm examination. I have seen so many successes during my time in this program, I work hard to perform at the very best of my ability. But failure happens to everyone, and it's an entirely different feeling. It's discouraging... It's enough to make you quiet. I felt that today.

But it was short-lived.

I heard the news of a young gentleman earlier today that I met back in middle school who just recently passed away from a seemingly unfortunate occurrence. It's none of my business, of course, but he was a good character. I spent quite a bit of time with him in the past... At one point,  I knew him very well.

We fell out of communication over the years...

All that there is for me to do now is tell him to rest easy, and pray for his family. He is now in the hands of someone extraordinary, and I am confident to say that he is in a better place.

It really pushes me harder to succeed. We only have a brief period of existence, and we only get so many opportunities to move forward. He will always be a contributing factor in my self-realization of this concept.

It brings me back to the topic of that one particular midterm station. But it's a much bigger picture. It isn't only about that sole mark on the single piece of paper that I received at the end of class today. It is a life concept that needs to be both taught to, and understood by, just about everyone. You need to evaluate the areas of weakness in your life, your career, or your relationships... And correct them. Because you only get a certain window of opportunity to do that.

My brief moment of failure today will teach me to become a better provider. It will pave the road that leads me to become a better person.

It was Colin Powell that once said, "Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence."

Only those who don't know how to accept failure as a life lesson will fall short of their goals. In more than one particular instance in my life thus far, I almost allowed myself to become one of those people. I almost allowed myself to give up on my dream to contribute to the world of medicine, and told myself that it was out of my reach.

Nothing is out of your reach until you stop reaching for it, until you are no longer pushing yourself in that direction. I quickly realized this, and reverted myself back to where I should be. Because on this very day, I have never been more inspired to make the changes that need to made in my life in order to rise to the very top of my potential. It is amidst the spirit of the hardest days, and the most difficult experiences, that will either make or break you as an individual. The essence of your character is defined by the way you react to it.

I challenge you to think back to your most inspired days. What were your goals? Have you achieved them? Are you satisfied with where you are now?

If you are following in the metaphorical footsteps of your most profound aspirations, then you are on the right track. Optimize the experience and tailor it to who you really are, or who you feel that you should be. Treat it as the best thing that has ever happened to you, be passionate, and dedicate yourself to it one hundred percent. You will go very far.

If there is anything that you see yourself doing differently, don't wait. It sounds like an incredibly overused statement, and I know you've heard it before, but you may not have as much time as you think. Many of you have realized this today. Many of you may realize it tomorrow.

Make your mark on the world, and love every minute of it. Volunteer to do something different. Buy lunch for the homeless man down the road. Don't allow yourself to bypass an opportunity and think twice about whether or not you should have taken it. Make these experiences happen for yourself.

You only get one go at life...

Live.