*Disclosure: this post is not being written for sympathy. I am simply writing it to get my thoughts out of my head and onto a platform that may be able to help someone else in my position.
"Everything happens for a reason...
Maybe God has a bigger plan for your life that you just don't see yet."
This statement has been told to me multiple times this week. It's taken me a few days to realize that maybe everyone is right on that. Sometimes the path we think our life should be on is turned in a different direction towards something even better.
As I sit down to write this post I am filled with a mix of emotions. On one hand, I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. On the other, I feel like I have had the wind knocked out of me.
Nursing has always been something I have wanted to do. It took me 24 years to realize that and make the choice to go for it. After two years of applying, I was finally accepted for a January 2013 start in a prestigious nursing program. Ecstatic doesn't even describe my excitement. I did not know just how demanding this program would turn out to be, but I was ready to go all in.
Fast forward to the end of 2014, and I was officially dismissed from my institution's nursing program due to being just under the percent I needed on my exam total. Two years worth of late nights, early mornings, a lot of coffee and studying. I failed to make the cut... AND THAT IS OKAY!!!
Even though this isn't where I saw my future... I would do it all over again because it was something I enjoyed. Stressful? YES. Worth it? EVEN MORE.
PLEASE DO NOT let this discourage you from pursuing such a rewarding and amazing career. I can't even put into words how fulfilling it is to hold the hands of your patients and comfort them in their time of need. To cry with them and talk with them... and show them that you care. You are making an impact on their lives, even if you don't feel like it at the time. The best part is, at the end of the day they are also making an impact on yours. It is the most special feeling.
This week has been hard, no doubt about that. I've cried a lot and wasn't sure what to think or how to feel. It's embarrassing and somewhat freeing all at the same time. The constant stress of excelling was starting to wear me thin and affect my relationships with people I care about. I'll admit I struggled a lot with the change in how the nursing curriculum is run as I have never really been an "A" student to begin with. However I have made some great strides in my studies over the past couple of years, learned a lot about myself, my strengths, and my weaknesses. It has opened up my eyes to the fact that everyone is going through something and even though we may feel rushed to hurry through the motions of life, it is important to stop and really soak up the moments...
To be present. To listen. To smile.
Most importantly, to enjoy every minute of this beautiful life.
Give it everything you've got and never give up on yourself.
Maybe someday I will go back for nursing... but right now, I am content with putting my faith in God and letting him guide me down the path he has mapped out for me. I will be switching my major to Population Health Management. Ideally with this degree, I would like a career working with today's youth to end the trend of obesity. I will keep you posted on how it all works out.
"Every time life knocks you down, it gives you an opportunity to get back up and rise even higher!"
No matter how BIG or how small...
Follow your heart. Chase your dreams. Give it your all.
Follow your heart. Chase your dreams. Give it your all.
These are my recipes for a happy and successful life.
Best Wishes!
Best Wishes!
