A Message to My Younger Self Prior to Starting Pharmacy School

A message to my younger self prior to starting pharmacy school.

Number one: there are no short cuts to success. Memorize everything. Even if the teacher says don’t memorize it, memorize it anyway. Short cuts are just dead-end illusions. Don’t fall into that trap. Be willing to do the work, or don’t sign up at all.

Leave yourself plenty of time to finish projects. Creativity takes time to manifest. It’s almost like watering a tree. The water has to sink in before the tree bears fruit. It doesn’t happen spontaneously. The right words always come to you in time.

Don’t worry about the future and how it will all come together. It just will. Magically it will happen if you keep showing up, put in the work, and do what is right and what is good.

As far as fitting in and being socially acceptable: just be yourself. You are enough just the way you are. You do not have to manufacture anything. Clear your thoughts, empty your mind, and listen to that small voice inside that will guide you to true happiness and success.

Don’t talk so much. Silence is divine. It is in the silence that you get insights and wisdom.

Keep a journal. Write all your thoughts down. Ask your journal why things are the way they are. In time the answers will come to you. You have all the answers inside of you, bothpersonally and professionally. They are there.

Process your emotions. Just like some people go through grief counseling and experience all the stages of grief, you want to do that as well with all your negative emotions-anger, frustrations, resentment. Get honest with yourself and get those emotions out of your body. Write about them in your journal and be done with them once and for all. They will stand in your way of peace of mind and good health if you hold on to them.

Don’t drink alcohol or do illicit drugs. Your mind is so precious. You don’t want to slow it down or risk damaging it.

Treat all people with respect. When you encounter someone new, look them in the eye, smile, greet them, and wish them well. We are all spiritual beings that deserve happiness and success. Some people have high IQs, some low; some are beautiful, some not. But we all deserve respect and dignity. We are equal in that way.

Be gentle with yourself. If you mess up, mentally cross it out like you are crossing out a misspelled word while writing a sentence. Don’t do it again, just keep on writing and living your life the best you can. Realize everyone makes mistakes. The meaning of life is to live and learn and love—in my opinion.

Don’t judge other people. Life is very hard for some people. If you had to endure what they have endured, you probably would have done the same exact thing they have done.

Realize the more you put into life, the more you will get out of it. The more involved in helping people with your pharmaceutical knowledge, the more you will receive back in terms of self respect, and financial success. Volunteer for that project; join that club, get involved.

Love your family and friends, but don’t be a doormat for anyone. Walk away if anyone is not treating you well. Realize it is human nature to ignore those who want us, want those who ignore us, love those who hurt us, and hurt those who love us. Resist and overcome that part of human nature. If you find your perfect partner in life, treat them well.

Realize that happiness is success. If you are happy, you are automatically a success. Happiness is something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.

Our lives are like movies on Netflix. Some are happy, some are sad, some are long, some are short. But they are all worth watching. They are all worth experiencing. They may not be equal, but they are all valuable and good.

Don’t compare yourself to other people. Just don’t do it. Realize we are all born perfect, and we remain perfect until we compare ourselves to other people. Then, we are inadequate. Don’t do that to yourself.

Love yourself. Be good to yourself. Treat yourself well.

I wish you all the success in the world.