If you know me, you know that being a student has been a wondrous paradox. I love to learn, but I hate not being challenged. And strangely, our university system over here in the UK hasn’t really tugged at the muscles of my mind.
I think we can be challenged intellectually or emotionally, and both are important. Fifth year of medical school has started amazingly, for the reason that I feel like I’m being challenged both intellectually and emotionally.
I’ve started working at a GP practice and my GP mentor is the most amazing person - kind, empathetic, and supportive. In the two days that I’ve worked with her, she has complimented me repeatedly (about my approach to medicine, and the rest of my life). It has given me so much confidence, and inspired me to want to do better.
It made me realise that we don’t get anywhere by criticising people. I think it became popularised for a while that if you weren’t brutally honest, you weren’t a good friend - or that you weren’t really pushing that person to their maximum potential. What if people aren’t ready for their ‘potential’ yet? Harsh truths aren’t as powerful as we think.
We need to tell people how great they are, because it only makes them want to lean into it and be better. It gives them the energy they need to keep going.
I feel like I’ve been criticising myself for so many years, that the energy within me can be so hard to find sometimes. This lack of energy drags you down, confuses your path and dampens you.
I’m on the journey of being in balance: reminding myself the things I’m good at, whilst also knowing that I can be better. It’s so hard!
I also strive to be the person that boosts those around me and reminds them that they are doing great. I think its important to focus on the positive aspects the people around you bring. For a few years, I’ve focused a lot on the more negative things that people contribute to my life and it is draining and isolating.
Overall, feeling very lucky and grateful. Learning to enjoy the small things each day brings & feel more settled than I ever have been.
I encourage you to think about how often you tell those around you how cool what they’re doing is vs. how often the thought remains in your mind. Spread the love!!
Bring on the last year of uni!!!
Lots of love,
Jess <3
Quote of the week:
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe