Driven
Recently I've been struggling with my running program. My body is strong but my lungs are weak. Or maybe it's my drive, will, determination, focus, inspiration that are weak.
I have a few people in my life that amaze me on a daily basis.
My nieces Joan and Karen are two of those people. They've been driven to succeed at a very early age.
Karen has a double Masters in Chemistry (don't ask me anything more than that) and is working on her Doctorate. She spends countless hours in the lab working on her thesis project. Some days her work fails, some days it shows no results, and some days she has success. Whatever happens, she moves steadily forward towards her goal...finishing. Driven.
Joan has her Ph.D in Cancer Biology and recently completed the final phase of her Ph.D/MD program by graduating from U of Minnesota Medical School. (In 8 years). She and her husband Matt leave for Chapel Hill, NC to start the next chapter of her (their) life - residency in Internal Medicine with a Fellowship in Hematology. When I asked her how long that would take, she said 6-8 years, to which someone replied, "Knowing Joan, she'll finish in 5". Driven.
I have a friend who just ran his second marathon (26.2 miles). Last year he finished in 5:34. His goal was to shave an hour off his time and run it in 4:30. At the half-marathon point (13.1 miles), he was on pace with his time. For whatever reason, he fell off his pace at mile 14 and lost his focus. He struggled that last half of the race and ended up walking a majority of it. He said that he wanted to quit (and almost did), but he kept on going. He did finish, in a time of 5:45. When I asked him what kept him going, he said, "I honestly don't know." It doesn't matter to me (although it does to him). The point here is that he kept going! Driven.
What drives a person to continue a marathon when their goal has been shattered? What kind of determination makes a med student finish a Ph.D/MD program in 8 years or to have a double Masters and work towards a Doctorate?
What makes people so driven? What personality trait do they possess that makes them continue on despite the disappointments along the way? Is it the personal goal to succeed? The stubbornness of showing people that it can be done regardless of what anyone thinks? Are they born with it or do they want to have something soooo bad that they'll stop at nothing to get it?
You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world. ~Sheila Graham
Whatever inspires them is of no matter to me, I guess. What does matter is that They inspire me every day. And maybe with that inspiration, perhaps I'll find my drive and will to succeed!
Namaste'
Sherry
I have a few people in my life that amaze me on a daily basis.
My nieces Joan and Karen are two of those people. They've been driven to succeed at a very early age.
Karen has a double Masters in Chemistry (don't ask me anything more than that) and is working on her Doctorate. She spends countless hours in the lab working on her thesis project. Some days her work fails, some days it shows no results, and some days she has success. Whatever happens, she moves steadily forward towards her goal...finishing. Driven.
Joan has her Ph.D in Cancer Biology and recently completed the final phase of her Ph.D/MD program by graduating from U of Minnesota Medical School. (In 8 years). She and her husband Matt leave for Chapel Hill, NC to start the next chapter of her (their) life - residency in Internal Medicine with a Fellowship in Hematology. When I asked her how long that would take, she said 6-8 years, to which someone replied, "Knowing Joan, she'll finish in 5". Driven.
I have a friend who just ran his second marathon (26.2 miles). Last year he finished in 5:34. His goal was to shave an hour off his time and run it in 4:30. At the half-marathon point (13.1 miles), he was on pace with his time. For whatever reason, he fell off his pace at mile 14 and lost his focus. He struggled that last half of the race and ended up walking a majority of it. He said that he wanted to quit (and almost did), but he kept on going. He did finish, in a time of 5:45. When I asked him what kept him going, he said, "I honestly don't know." It doesn't matter to me (although it does to him). The point here is that he kept going! Driven.
What drives a person to continue a marathon when their goal has been shattered? What kind of determination makes a med student finish a Ph.D/MD program in 8 years or to have a double Masters and work towards a Doctorate?
What makes people so driven? What personality trait do they possess that makes them continue on despite the disappointments along the way? Is it the personal goal to succeed? The stubbornness of showing people that it can be done regardless of what anyone thinks? Are they born with it or do they want to have something soooo bad that they'll stop at nothing to get it?
You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world. ~Sheila Graham
Whatever inspires them is of no matter to me, I guess. What does matter is that They inspire me every day. And maybe with that inspiration, perhaps I'll find my drive and will to succeed!
Namaste'
Sherry
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