& Things I Would Have Told Myself Along the Way
Life as a dental student has been quite a journey this year, constantly adapting to changes and charting new territory. I never thought I’d be practicing to work on dentures in the same room I learned long division in — but that’s 2020 for you.
January to February: I started my second semester of dental school back when the world was a relatively simpler place, and things were business as usual. …
Your schedule is in your hands now — let’s make the most of it
Since starting dental school about one year ago, I’ve had to bring my organizational game to the next level. With the incredibly demanding workload, I need to navigate the best way to use my time to make sure things get done. Whether studying for tests or practicing for a competency, there is certainly no shortage of deadlines.
With the world shifting to a largely online format, having a clearly defined schedule is more important than ever. …
An update on where I’ve been — and what’s next
Dear Medium,
You don’t know this about me yet.
I was waiting for the perfect moment to share this with you, but in the pursuit of perfection, I never actually did.
I’m a dental student … and I just finished my first year.
For the last ten months, I’ve been completely immersed in a world that’s taught me how complex our physiology really is, and how our teeth are more intricately designed than we give them credit for.
Needless to say, I’m enthralled by it. I honestly could have (and probably should have) documented my experience every week to observe my evolving understanding of the dental world. …
It will happen the way it needs to
“Nothing will happen the way you expect it to; it will happen the way it needs to.”
These are the words I began my year with.
I had been in a perpetually reflective state of mind since graduating. I thought about all the little things which led me to this point, and realized how remarkable it was that every detail ended up playing a meaningful part in the big picture.
Since first glimpsing this big picture, and realizing it was now my reality, these are the words that echoed through my mind. Simple, humbling, and remarkably true.
I never expected for this to be my story. …
A tale of two perspectives
I’ve raved about my vision board, and the power of vision boards in general, endlessly.
My first time creating one was at the beginning of 2018, and I was absolutely thrilled about it.
As a visual representation of everything I wanted to achieve and everything I wanted to be, I saw the collection of photos and inspirational quotes as something to strive towards. I had enjoyed putting it together and every time I looked at it, I was reminded of that joy. It pushed me to harness that happiness as I worked towards my aspirations. …
Revive the authenticity in your work this year
I find words liberating.
There’s something about having a written language in front of me that feels inexplicably comforting. It’s a beautiful experience. Reading, writing, anything with words — I love it.
I know I’m not the only who does, either.
Many of us are here because we find purpose in words. This is a platform which clearly believes that they matter here. There is a widespread admiration for the written word, and we’re here to cultivate it.
Yet for some reason, we don’t channel that passion as often as we can. Writing these days is deeply calculated, and while having reliable outlines for our work ensures an intellectual flow, shouldn’t there be an element of pure creativity in the process? Why shouldn’t we freely share the boundless ideas that inspire our work? …
As another year wraps up, here are some lessons worth sharing
So, it’s mid-December and we’re already preparing for a new year. It feels like just yesterday I was wondering whether to post my first piece on here — and now here we are.
Time flies, so I couldn’t let 2018 pass without writing about how valuable it’s been.
These are simple ideas, but behind them is a wealth of potential to make the rest of this year the best it can be.
1. Patience is key
Regardless of what your goals are, remember that things take time. …
Times are changing — the way we take care of ourselves should too
In today’s day and age, we’ve gotten relatively better at understanding that health is more nuanced than we realize.
The way I see it, there are 3 major areas of our health we need to tend to, with 2 of them already sharing the spotlight. Given that our world is largely driven by social media now, I figure it’s time to give the third area some serious thought.
Social media is a game of perception. Our impressions of others, and their lives, are formed based on what they choose to let us see. Conveniently, humans are creatures of perception. We are physiologically designed to react to what we detect — and what we think we detect. …
It all comes down to these 3 simple techniques
In my last article, we explored why consistency is so difficult to achieve. We realized that the key to staying consistent is what I like to call “finding the fun”.
This means aligning our aspirations with what we enjoy in our everyday routine, so we don’t overthink it — we just do it. So that on an everyday basis, we actively progress towards what we want to become.
The next challenge that arises is figuring out how to realistically “find the fun” in everyday life. …
Spoiler alert — you already know the answer
Be honest: when was the last time you actively worked on something every single day of the year?
When I posed this question to myself, I genuinely couldn’t remember. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything every day of my life.
To my relief, after speaking with a few of my peers, I realize that I’m not alone in this. A lot of us, despite having a “big picture” idea of what we want for ourselves, struggle with moving towards that vision throughout the year.
We intend to undertake several things a day, telling ourselves that intention is the fuel behind action. Of course, intention alone is not enough. It goes without saying that motivation matters, but we need to consistently act in accordance with that intention. …
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