Breathing in the fresh air, I can feel it exciting my lungs. The energy rushes through and penetrates every vessel in my system. My heart pounds with every increasing step. My eyes fixate on the trail ahead. I see a lone white marker in the distance. I mentally see myself rushing past it, but oh this hill is so steep, and my feet are so tired. I shake the thought from my head. I'm obsessed with passing it. Suddenly the little white pole is out of my field of vision. What the heck? I glance over my shoulder, and, oh my goodness, of course, I passed it a whole minute ago and didn't even realize it!
Isn't that just how life goes? We work so hard to get past that marker in the distances of our imaginations -- whatever that marker may symbolize -- and we focus so much on it, and get so caught up in the process, we fail to realize when we actually have crossed past it! I'm not saying that focusing on the process is a bad thing - it's just that once we do realize we've had some success it's extremely important to recognize it and thank ourselves for the efforts we have achieved. Gratitude is such an important aspect of proceeding ahead, and we cannot lose sight of it.
Last night I had the privilege of receiving my white coat as a symbol of my completion of the first year of pharmacy school at SDSU. All of my classmates also received theirs too and it was such a special moment for us all. We pledged ourselves to professionalism and always being willing to extend a hand to those in-need. We promised our dedication to ethical behavior and to always center ourselves around our code of conduct. We are not only holding ourselves accountable -- we are there to hold everyone around us accountable. Which is another key aspect to success -- community.
I would be greatly wrong if I said I made it this far just by my own will. Sure my determination has helped me, but oh, that's simply a drop in the bucket. It takes a village to raise an individual to be where there are. I have countless people to thank, and I recognize their dedication and appreciate the time they have taken to assist me.
Yes, I am running this race, but I am not running on my own. I have the joy of running with so many other people (my classmates, those ahead of me in the program, and graduates). I also have the privilege of my supporters -- you are running with me too! It's an ongoing race and graduation will not be the finish line for me. This is a race I'll be running the rest of my life. I will never slow down. I'm determined to push for my personal best and remember all of the goodness you have all shared with me. Thank you for all being here with me. Here's to the trail ahead!
