Reflections

This year, with its ups and downs, is coming to an end.

And there were some great ups. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spend more time with my family, work an interesting job in the summer, and take some really challenging but enjoyable courses. In the spring I had a great time organizing the Montreal World Health Organization Simulation (MonWHO) as its Theme Director; and later launching the 5th volume of the McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal as its Co-Editor-in-Chief. I read some great books this year, I believe more than all of the previous years combined thanks to… digitized books. As well, the summer festivals in the city, including Osheaga (Arcade Fire! Robyn! K’naan!), provided for great happiness for my ears. I’ve also been working on my own research project in a field I’m deeply passionate about, in Montreal which is emerging as a hub of neuroscience.

From every down I learnt a lesson. Don’t fall down on ice. It’s self-explanatory. If you do, do ask your physician how to use your crutches if you’re not sure (thanks to the kind gentleman who made me aware of the fact outside). Pride comes before the fall. So don’t be afraid to ask for help, and sometimes lean on people when you need it, there is tremendous kindness in the world. Time management is not exactly bunching things back to back, but ensuring that there is always padded time for unforseen circumstances– so you don’t end up in the back of a cab praying to every deity that you’ll make it to an important event in time.

I’d struggled for years with the fear of either being boxed into one field and missing out on a world of things to know and things to see, or being scattered all over the place without ever gaining deep insight and understanding of anything. But Life is not measured in absolutes– nor in coffee spoons. This year I learnt that we can allow many fields to inform and shape us– while we focus and prioritize what is most important to us, what we are most passionate about.

Going forward into the sixth year of this blog I’ve realized that I haven’t exactly been using this my little space on the web to its full potential. I figure this can be resolved by sharing more reflections and cute comics in the upcoming year. Or better yet– both!

Happy holidays everyone!