The little space for impact

I knew it would soon be my turn before being asked what I wanted out of life, and having no clue or parental guidance, I spilled what I felt was the most appropriate sequel to the peer I found myself. I was one of the odd champs who had struggled his way to be among the children of elite and academicians. My parents had sacrificed their comfort to earn me the position I had found myself in life. It was high school, and our choices would likely pave a path through life's journey for us individually.

"I want to be a doctor," I spilled when my tutor asked me, just like he asked my other classmates. I was barely seventeen, but I had to decide what I wanted out of life. Being a doctor seemed to be one of the best professions, especially in Nigeria, my country, and the only alternatives were engineering, law, and the like. Nonetheless, I felt a commitment to my verbal profession, and onus lied on me to hold firmly the baton to the finish line or gropple in darkness seeking what exactly I wanted out of life.

My naive mind was curious in 2010 after commencing the trajectory of my life's career. I could say I was still blindly following my verbal declaration some few years back. I heard troubling tales of how people failed from medical school and, invariably, had their lives reshaped, probably into what they did not want. Then, I asked a question out of fear and curiosity, "How come people fail easily in medicine?" I remain grateful that my question was not answered the way I had asked it, even though this was a fear and concern in the hearts of the majority of my classmates.

"Rather than answer your question, I would say what makes people pass and excel in medicine." The convener of the orientation program replied. This was a soothing statement to my heart, as I was made to focus my energy on finding out what made others excel rather than fail. Perhaps I needed this statement as a bedrock through medical school, as there were countless nights I wept even as an adult and wished I could revert my choice into an alternative, one that would not cost me much stress. Many questions haunted me, making me wonder if peer pressure or pride had pushed me to my choice or if that was what I really wanted out of life.

Many of my colleagues would gladly say they were drawn from passion into their career. Probably I had a pinch of passion, but that seemed whisked away by the many troubles I faced during the course of attaining my professional certificate. We all handle situations differently, though. But rather than wallow in an unhappy or unfulfilled state, with difficulty traveling what I had into versus what I wanted, though I slowly had begun to find fulfillment while still extending a hand to humanity through my profession. One of such ways is availing myself of medical outreaches, getting a sense of fulfillment by improving the lives of vulnerables at no cost.

Also, rather than being hurt by not being able to give my best to patient care as a result of unavailable equipment or watch patients unable to afford the high cost of care, a diversion into health insurance as a career path puts me in the position of policy decisions (even though I am not at the topmost yet), but with a goal of attaining a status where a complete revamp can be implemented to make access to quality healthcare affordable remains my priority while still living content with the enough I need to live.

Unfortunately, we have focused too much on what we can get from life by forgetting what we can give life. True, I desire a life of comfort and ease, but beyond that, I want to be in a position where I can render help to those who really need it, equally placing opportunities for them to attain their highest potentials in life. I realize changing the world does not need me to have the abundance of wealth but intentionally maximizing the little things I own in judicious and well planned execution. Perhaps a comfortable yet simple life would be a message to many to emulate the kind gesture of helping those that genuinely require it. Money is a tool to this end, and owning some recurring legitimate investments like agricultural farms would be a sustainable factor to having what I need to reach out. To this end, living long is desired but not a priority; living well where I could have impacted the globe through my life and empowerment is what I desire most to give life. Some extra funds would definitely set a pedestal but even without that abundance, the little drops of efforts would be an appreciable start.

Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.