As I progress forward in my medical training, my mind has been tormented, dwelling on my past and the unknown future. Maybe it is the realization that soon I actually have to start acting like a doctor, or better still an actual adult, but it has spurned some much-needed self-reflection.

I have had some incredible success in my life, but along the way the path has been challenging and unpredictable. The balance as a father/spouse/student has not always harmonized and on more than one occasion I have been guilty of taking on too many responsibilities, forced to accept the disheartening consequences.

Thus is life! And at the end of the day I am fortified by all of my experiences, and you should too. I’ve learned that you must celebrate your achievements, while acknowledging that the failures along the way are instrumental to your success and growth as a person. Never be ashamed of them. As the tree’s flesh is torn and ground by paper sand, poisoned by tincture and varnish, in the end it is made both functional and beautiful by the master carpenter. It’s every strength and unique characteristic that withstood the torrent of the winds, the invasion of parasites, this is laid out for all to admire.

A life riddled with failures, a road more pothole than road, is to be celebrated. Why? Because if you’re looking back on that tattered road, it means you continued forward.

No matter what trials may frustrate your journey you should never yield, perseverance must triumph. I believe these are some of the greatest insights a physician can offer to their patients as they struggle with day-to-day life, the uncertainty of disease, and truly, their own mortality. And whether you are a physician, a nurse, a laborer or a broke bohemian musician, these truths should guide you in your approach to life. Never be ashamed of who you are or what it took to become you. In the end, it is those things that have made you so strong, and believe me, so beautiful.