One Step Closer

Today feels like the perfect day to bring positive vibes and a discussion about accomplishment to your news feeds …

Because today is the day I would have formally graduated with my B.S. in Human Physiology from Boston University

With or without a ceremony, the graduation from a school or program can never be diminished, dulled or overstated. The accomplishment of a long term goal, a step forward into your future, the starting line to your next goal. It takes perseverance, discipline, and patience to reach a goal that at the beginning feels so far away. I could recite graduation speeches (which I love watching they are so motivational), I could talk about my college experience, I could and will thank those who made this stepping stone possible for me, but instead I want to talk about the idea behind graduation – the meaning behind the finale.

Note that I did not describe motivation in the previous paragraph. Motivation is sort of like your coffee in the morning – it gets you up, it gets you ready, it gets you hype. But it fades through the day, maybe you might need a second one once 11 pm hits. To reach the end of your day you dig deeper, you pull from your desire to check off your to-do list. You’re supported by those you surround yourself with. You make a conscious decision to finish strong and to stick to your short term goals. It’s much more than a fleeting wave of desire.

It truly does take a village

We celebrate the end gloriously, we did it … we made it! It’s a lot like tunnel vision, you enter with a picture in your head of what you want the end – your end – to look like. That can be a lot to take in at the start of something so monumental. This really applies to any goal that requires a stretch of time, challenge, and growth. When you reach it, and it looks a lot like you hoped and dreamed it would, its elating.

But what’s next?

For me? For you? My rule to life is to never finish a goal without the next in line. I’ll be on my way to the Boston University School of Medicine campus in September, to begin working toward my Masters in Medical Science: the next step in my endeavor to become a doctor. Excited is an understatement, I’m so grateful that Boston is in my future for at least the next 2 years. This graduation gives me tangible reality that I can continue forward, and that no goal is too large. It’s so important to use your exhilarating finish as a vault into your next finish, because you’re never really finished. The limit doesn’t exist, not the sky, not the galaxy … don’t let that intimidate you. Instead become empowered by each of your accomplishments.

Celebrate all of your victories, and even any of your failures.

Every single thing that you have done in your life has gotten you to where you are at this very second. Not every person starts with a foundation that supports growth and achievement at the level of graduation, but get there anyway. Despite any obstacle, step backward, or even failure, the end goal does not disappear. You can always walk forward. I mean, that’s exactly what this organization is all about. Providing the structure, the means, and the love that is essential for human growth and accomplishment for those who were not born into it. I’d like to congratulate all graduates – high school, college, graduate school, doctoral programs – from all years. A special shout out to Ernesto, our project manager and mentor, for the outstanding accomplishment in completing his law degree. Also pictured below are Alex, a first generation graduate of trade school in baking, and Ivan a first generation high school graduate.

Congratulations to everyone who has achieved a goal that at one time felt frightening, too large, or too hard.

Cheers to us.