Healthy Living: Old love that one outgrows

 

"What a fucking privilege it is to sit here and outgrow things that you used to settle for"

So.. this past Saturday. I was sitting at a community play with a brunch of my friends, or let's say my friend's friend. I was just scrolling on my phone on facebook.. and sudden she came up. 

This is one of my old crush I had in medical school. I am sure you all heard about her. I wrote chapters about her on here. And to cap it all, I ran more than 600s miles that year to get over her. She was.. definitely a chapter in my life. 

I was young and naive. I fell for a young student doctor. She was cute then. Hahaha.. seeing her facebook profile on my recommendation page took me back a little bit. But wow.. From her profile, it seemed like she has resettle to Hawaii. She look older than the young girl that I used to love. And to be honest, at this time, I don't think it is really love. It appears like an emotion of a young girl that is still growing and still developing. 

She mark the chapter of my life when I fell in love with someone who couldn't accept herself. That is rough. With medical school and internal personal struggle, those aren't easy stuff. Oh, how I suffered crushing over her. Loving her or in the pursuit of her, I learned the lesson that some things weren't meant for me. The universe look at her and said "no". And no matter how hard I tried to come back to her, each time and time again, I just kept being pushed away from her. Until finally, when she moved to Portland for residency. I truly could finally let go.

I still remember the days leading up to my move to my new residency. I remember stretching my legs after one of my run and I can feel my heart break on how much I missed her.

I wonder if she is happy now. If she have finally came to a place of self acceptance. I hope she find a good partner that she loved and care for her in the next chapter of her life. From her pictures, it appears she struggled greatly. I hope her job provide her with enough financial independence to give her the freedom to travel and explore things. Part of me still care about her and hope she is well. 

After these thoughts, I quickly removed her profile from my facebook friend recommendation. I have outgrown the things that I used to settle for. Getting over her changed me. I found running. I started my photoshoot. I went online and dated girls. I came out to my parents, my cousins,  and my friends. Oh! and I lost weight! 

I can thank her for being a keystone in my life to help me one step closer to became who I wanted for myself. 

Healthy Living: Turning of the wheel

 

I wonder who idea it is as the story progressed this way. 

"Unbeknownst to us all, things are unfolding exactly has it should"

I would have say, I would have never imaged myself living in my friend house in my early 30s. I am coming close to the end of my training and bridging to my career. Its feels odd to be writing this because not long ago I was in love. That love fell apart and left my heart broken for many months. I use that time diligently to focus on my studies and prepare for my exam. After taking my exam, I was left with the feeling of what happen next. 

Its been 6 months since the start of my board preparation and the break up of my relationship. I love the girl dearly and still now, even a part of me yearns for her. I see her everywhere. I see her in the movies, the groceries stores where I frequent, and hoping and wondering if I would bump into her. But I think that is just part of me trying to hold onto what is familiar, what I am used to. 

Growing up and branching out is not easy, not when the familiarity and comforting patterns and old habits seem so much easily to fall back on. I say this is because I am single in a new city that I barely explore. I made a few new friends here and there, but still feels like a new person in a new city. 

Today is another day that brings me with a lot introspect. I am going on a date today. With a girl. I wonder if I am truly ready for this. Is my heart fully ready to accept and feel something again for someone? In some ways, I think it has. I do find myself thinking about this girl slowly day by day. Good vibes comes to me when I think of her. She surely is something a bit of odd, but still good vibes. I don't know how we will be. I don't think she is someone I would rushing into with emotions again. I think after my last breakup, sometime, I wonder when my heart will work again. 

I am scare going on this date. I am not sure if I am fully ready for her. I think if there were something to start, it would start slow. I am already taking my time to slowly get to know her day by day. Trying my best not to impede on the girl, but still be somewhat revelant to her life. I wonder what she really thinks about me. I low key liked her to see other people too so that way it gives her breathe of perspective of her suiters. For I, am only one of those suitor. I have not yet desire her to be all of mine; and I think at this time, with the emotional state that I am still residing, asking anyone to be fully mine would be selfish. 

My last love did not last. I still see the ghost of my ex. I still ponder about my emotional and mental health. My career path has not yet all that stablized. But, I am still turning this wheel of life. The story must go on. I know that I can still meet others and date others when I am not yet fully commit to them just yet. It takes time for my feeling and emotions to heal. But healing and letting are all in the same process. Turning the wheel and pressing forward with myself, introduction to new characters and plot line are some way signal of a new chapter and episodes. 

I never knew my break up would have launched me to a new chapter that I did not expect or in some way, fully prepare for. But as much as it takes away, life has also add. I became closer to my friends. I feel less lonely on the weekends with their company. I made new friends and gain new perspective. And in some way, I feel like, I myself have changed. The breakup has really changed me. I feel like I am more reserved. I guess, when you got your heart broken once, you might want to be a little bit more caution to avoid getting it broken again. And then I wonder, do I have a wall now too? hahaha 

But that all being aside, I feel good vibe over this girl. Really, she seems a little bit stronger in term of her wants and needs. Will we strike a balance or one is more over power than others. I just feel like, the wheels are turning, and life is moving forward, as it should. 

Corner Wall - Photoshoot Basic 101

Photoshoot is a way to reinvent oneself. 

"I think you have always been hovering around the aspect of girly girl. But you always ended up buy or resorting to the same sense of style you been wearing. Its either you have to let go of this safe, familiar, style of outfit that you identify. And wear something that you normally would not associated with. And at first, it will not be that pretty, but you'll work with the make up and the hair to create a new look for yourself." 

"You just have to let go of the style that is safe and comfortable, of what you would wear, and let go.."

To explore aspect of our personality, things we dreamt and imaged.

To create an alternative identity to ourself. 

 

Feminity isn't all about beauty. It is a way of expression. 

Healthy Living: Progress

 "Love may build bridges, but grief apparently takes down walls." - youtube

Vanity Affairs: April's road

 

I feel like a mess. 

It's been a month since the break up. I still feel like a mess. I think my therapist hates me. But then again, I don't think I am making her job easy given how much things I'm going through right now. 

I feel burn out. There are y when I feel like I can't do it anymore. The day that I do work, there so much to do. The day that I do read, there so much study to be read. And on the days that I need to study, there is still so much to study. I feel like ahhh.. I just have so much going on. On top of that, I have this broken heart. This sense of helplessness within my self. The question of am I worth loving? Am I broken? Am I capable of keeping a loving and warm relationship? AM I TOO MUCH?

And then, I remember when Minh thanh told me when she was board prepping, "I think anyone in this stage feels like this." I thought that was very enlightening. To understand one's hardship and to give one credits to feel the way one feels. I felt almost validated in some when I remember her quote. 

It is reasonale to feel stress and burn out because I am simply working 2 jobs. I am working 3-4 full days. Afterward, I am grinding hard for the lat 2-3 days. If I'm lucky, I will have an hour gym time and may 30 minutes of PG deconstruction class. Really, I think anyone in my position would feel like this. And to top it off, I'm feel lonely since she was gone. Her leaving me really shattered my confidence. I really love her and to face this rejection was so much to bear. 

I remember standing at her front door knocking on the day of the break up. I though to myself, well, if this it, then it is what it is. It is usually my gut feeling telling me that I lost. Its like all my rejections in my life. I know when I did well and I know when I flopped. 

On another note, my good friend help lit a candle within me. I got work to do. I have PG deconstruction. I have outfits to wear. Fashion idea I still need to search. Skin care to learn. There are still things to do even after she is gone. If anything, there is so much more things to do now that she left. 

I am reinventing myself again. 

Vanity Affairs: So plant your own gardens

 There was a poem I read from yasmin's blog many years ago. I loved it when I read it. I still remember it to this day. I wonder if the person who had cause her such pain and sadness. And with new dawn, she came to the realization and move forward. 

I am truly sorry I broke her heart. It was a lie I could no longer lived. I will repay her in my next life. 

This last quotes was what I remember of hers. 

Vanity Affairs: Self improvement - PG Deconstruction

 

I want to improve on myself. When I look into the mirror, it is hard to imaged what I need to change. Maybe I have seen myself so many time that I feel normal to look this way. But then again, I want to improve on myself. I feel comfortable being me. I have came a long way in term of looks.. I lost weight. I dyed my hair. I am trying to figure outfits. But still.. something still feel like I'm lacking. 

I want to superficial pretty. Let's forget inner beauty for the next few months. Let's get vain. 

Things that I think I can be better.. IF I CANNOT DATE A PRETTY, I'M GOING TO BE THAT PRETTY GIRL! 

If you can't beat them, let's join them. So.. how to be a pretty girl. This is some topic off the top of my head:

1. Skin care
2. Make-up (and KNOW how to apply them.. )
3. The Hair
4. The slim body
5. Outfits

That's it. I think.. 

But now, the only way to improve is (1) Get result (2) Get.a.brutally.honest.audience. 

I need to figure out how to make this possible. Now, I need to make a notion page to set up these corner stone. 

Vanity Affairs: The new start

 

After my recent breakup, I felt so lost. It made me have a lot of insecurity. I felt maybe she broke up with me because I wasn't pretty enough or she got tired of me. I wasn't sure, but I feel very insecure about my looks and my womanly physic. 

It doesn't really matter now what has happen. It matter that this is my new reality. People told me I should focus on myself and learn to love myself. Give it time, focus on self improvement, and live life. 

So, this is my attempts to improve myself. I am tired of thinking about my breakup. I am tired of spiraling every single time I have a though of her. The dear girl is gone, but my brain and my heart can't seem to leave me alone. 

Everything reminds me of her. It suck so bad. 

But okay, the real reason for this post to is to start something new. I want to put the past behind me. I want to make my little girl happy. I always wanted to be an attractive and pretty girl. I been nerd for so long in my life that I sometime find it hard to figure out to how to an attractive pretty girl. 

So okay, I been wanting to work on this project for the longest time. 

I want to learn the art of being beautiful. I don't mean inner beauty. I want vanity. I want to look so good that when I walk in the room, people notice me. I want to play on my feminem features. I want that typical instagram beauty. I want to look like an attractive girl and exude the confidence. I am not doing this for any other girl. I want to do this for myself so that I will never forget myself in my next relationship.

I would like to call this next chapter: The Vanity Affairs. 

Healthy Living: This too shall pass

 Last night when I was rearranging my bedroom. It was something I wanted to do to bring new changes to my life. 

I realized that ..

-The girl I love has left my life. 

-I am alone in this new city. 

-I have a board exam coming up in 6 months

Healthy Living: Picking back up the pieces

 

As you read from the previous post regarding the details of our conversation, it is clear that the post was a word vomit of everything that happen. No analysis, no perspective, but just straight recall of the events. 

I really don't know if I can analyze it tonight. There is just so much to unpack in our relationship. What was going with our fights? When was the fight? Why did we break up? Why didn't we stick it out and try again with new changes? Why? 

In the past 3-4 days since the break up, I have really close myself up to exploring the events of the breakup or spent too much time thinking about the reason for the break up in our relationship. It took everything I have just to bear with the pain. I still had to go to work. I still have to feed myself. I still have to live. And just bearing the thoughts that we were over and that the relationship was over is all I could handle. I simply just wanted to let thing be. And just, feel the emotions. I was not ready to unpack. 

I am barely able to tell close friends and family about the break up. The break up and the ending of the relationship still haunts me. I can't believe she is really gone. Someone I call and text almost every day suddenly just disapeared from my life. It was as if nothing we did togeth really matter. Its just a cold silent blank emptiness of space and silent. The void she left behind in my life.

She was one of the biggest reason why I moved to SF. To be with her. And there I am, not more than 6 months into the city, we broke up. She left. Now, the only thing keeping me here is my job. 

It's so shocking how easily someone can leave and walk out your life. Someone so important, and yet, they are gone. Completely disappeared. 

.. I missed her. What I would give to be back with her. To text her. To see her on the weekend. To know I have a girlfriend that I am so proud to show off to the world. Someone I can share my thoughts and my fears, my hope and my dreams. The funny moments we spend together. 

..and she is gone. Like that, she left. 

.. Grief has been a constant company in me since she left. Grief was there on the first day after the break up, Sunday. Then Monday came. And Tuesday happen. I lost sleep. I felt like I lost my mind. I tried to keep it together at work but the pain still seep in. 

I'm tired. I want to sleep. Tomorrow is Wednesday. Another day after the breakup. 

I have decided that after my job, I will go buy hiking shoes. I am going to a meet up this Sunday to hike a group of people. Hopefully this goes okay. 

Healthy Living: End of a relationship

 

My heart is broken. MM and I broke up last weekend on Saturday. I haven't been able to tell this story to anyone yet because it was too much to process. 

On Friday, she already expressed signed that she did not want to continue seeing me. We ended Friday and I couldn't sleep. I thought about ways to make it up to her and how I can changed. But really, I was scared. I came to visit her in person on Sunday and thought we were just going to hug and hang out for a moment. But who knew she already made the decision. We went for a walk and I gave her back Noodle so she can hold onto him with a letter from me and my promise to change and improve our relationship.

But as we walked, it was cold so we went into my car back seat. I hugged her and asked to kiss her but she pull me back and said she has made up her mind. She wanted to break up. This is it for us. We talked, and a lot of thoughts and words were said. Its is still a big blurred for me. I haven't been able to recall it much because part of me want to block it out to avoid the pain. 

So, let's start. Let's dive in on what really happen in the break up. 

#1) First, I told her I did not want to break up. She insist that she cannot do it anymore. She told me she is at her end and emotionally exhausted. She is broken and something has permanently changed for her. It was Monday when we fought when she decided to end this. She cried that day and she didn't say one thing to me about it. She hid her decision this whole week like nothing was wrong. 

#2) Second, I begged here again. I hugged her. I begged her. She said she doesn't see a future of us working out. It has disappeared from her mind of our future together. She said that she is emotionally exhausted to keep trying and she can only see our relationship getting worse. If we keep going, we are going to fight more and eventually I will be exhausted and want to give up as well. So, we should just break up while we are ahead. 

#3) Third, she think the future is better for us if we seperated. We would be better off dating other people because our emotional needs are different. I need someone of a higher level that she cannot provide. She is exhausted trying to live up to my standard. In reality, I was bending backward trying to please her. She couldn't keep up with me in term of the emotional needs. She need her space to figure her life out and her health out. She has tried to incorporate our relationship in her life but it has burned her out. She has cry and gone through so much emotional roller coaster in the past 2 months then she had in the 5 years she was in the states. 

--All of this, you can see, I was not aware. She went through these emotion in silent. I was blind to it. All I heard was silent from her. Nothing more. She suffers in silent without letting me know how she feels. 

#4) She looked at me as I was on my knee look up at her, begging for another chance and I want to change things drastically and I have already came up a plan with my therapist. She brush back my hair and look at me and said "It's over."

-- That was when I finally knew that there we were not going back. The time that we share together or hold each other. Its all over. 

#5) She told me, she is BROKEN. And I said, then you need to HEAL. 

#6) She told me that there were 3 instance that she remebered when she was so tried she can't text me. But if she didn't text back she would feel like a HORRIBLE person. She cried so hard when she said that. I HUG her so tight then. And then I cried, and I said no. No you are not. I am a horrible partner to you. You sufferes in slight and all this time I was blind to it all. I was a horrible partner to her. She suffers in silent and I gave her a hard time because all I got from her was silent through those events. 

--Clearly, our communication isn't there. At least, its not being heard. She has always told that she doesn't like communicating things to peple when they hurt her and rather take it in silent. She doesn't speak up for herself how she was hurt. So, the person who is perpetrator doesn't know. And they didn't think that is something wrong. 

#7) She doesn't like to bring up bad news. She is a very independent person and doesn't like to be help even when she is drowning. 

#8) I asked her if I can changed and make things better and be a better lover. She said she think I can improve and do very well in the coming months. I will be much happier. But she didn't even mention anything about herself being in the picture with me. 

And finally, she asked. Do you respect me enough to trust my decision? 

I gave it a moment of silent. I placed my hands on her. I thought about the future that she mentioned, the one were we would fight again and break up in several months when I'm depleted myself. I held her hand and said, yes, I respected your decision. 

Everything after that was just 2 people crying and coming to term that it is finally over. She cried a lot and I wipped away her tears. We hug and we cried. I held her hand and told her what my thoughts are after the breakup. I hope that she would take March to rest and start dating again in April. This would give her a good 2 years to find a new partner and get married. I know she is an independent person, but it is much easier to stay in the states if you married someone. She should have enough time to find someone in 2 years to married if she start in April. As for me, I will focus on my board preparing and will not date for awhile. After my boards, I will decide whether to stay in SF or return home to Southern California. 

Afterward, we parted ways. My final remarks angry her, but I really meant it in a good intention. I told her to start dating in April and if possible late March. I told her not to cry. She rush up toward me and shake me. She said somehting I forgot. Then, she said, that I don't understand her at all. She want the best for me but do something that she think it will be best for me. She said this decision would result in a better out come for both of us. It may hurts for several weeks but we will both have a better ending. She did it for herself and for me. 

 We both agree to not return each other stuff because it would be too hard. We would separate decide the ending for our stuff. I hope she would hold onto the necklace. We were both going to delete each other numbers. I am glad our road has crossed. And if our road cross, then we would meet again someday. 

-And then, we parted.

PracticeGrace: #1

 

I started therapy today and I liked to start journaling again. I would like to reflect.

#1 - 2/7/25: Things that I am thankful for today. 

1. I am thankful for Katie - honestly, she has a lot more things to worried about. But she called me to warned me about politics. My sweat roommate really has a good heart.

2. I am thankful for Olivier - He called. We were gonna watch a movie together. But instead, we caught up. My friendship made Chicago is still going strong. 

3. I am thankful for my job. It put food on the table, a roof on my head, insurance for me to seek care, and a routine. I am thankful for my patience. I hope in some way, I have made a positive impact in their lives. 

Healthy Living: Things that changed

 

I am reflecting tonight. Tomorrow is the first day of therapy. I decided to get myself a therapist to help me sort through things in life. Some how, tonight really takes me back to a time before medical school. A time when medicine is just a dream. The thought and yearning of becoming a physician. It is a much more innocent time. It was college. 

Things has really changed. It was hm... the year 2010-2014. What a time to be in college. I remember starting UCI and driving far way from school. New friends. New faces. New people. It was the time when I was trying to figure my life out. I was headed toward medicine given my clubs. I remember Daphne.. She was my college crush. She was smart and pretty. It was the first time I had a girl crush. She truly was my official girl crush. She had a high school boyfriend. All I could do was admire her from afar. I wonder how she is doing now. The last time I heard of her, I believed she is now a psychiatrist. Hoping she is doing amazing things and helping people feel better. 

And then there is lynh. She was probably the first girl I realized liked me. I could sense she liked me. But then again, she had a boyfriend. It made me super confused. It put me through hell for a good year, when I was questioning my sexuality. Oh, it was no fun. It was so rough but I was glad I had my friend linh to help me nagivate through things. Linh was the first friend I ever came out too. She accepted me and taught me it is okay to be me. Well, I like to share good news that both lynh and Linh are happily married. They eventually me the man of their dream. Linh has 2 beautiful children. And lynh just got started. But I am so happy for them both. Knowing they both had a happy ending bring warmth to my heart. 

Well, that is all my college crush. Oh, med school and residency was another journey of its own. I am sure you have heard all about the people I met. 

But, one more person. If I were to met in college, I would have fallen in love with her no doubt. That is Jennifer. I didn't met her until residency through a dating app. She was only looking friends and a friend I was to her indeed. Nothing more, promised. But wow, she was my dream girl. Someone you put on a poster and hang it up. She was smart, pretty, and she likes girl. She is a real pal. And.. yes, you guess it! She has a girlfriend when I met her. But I'm glad and would not have it any other way. She was the shinging star I needed her to be for me during my dating journey. There were some pretty dark nights when I felt so alone. Knowing someone like her exit really help me keep going. If Jennifer exist, then there surely is someone out there for me. 

And finally, on an unbeknownst day in windy city of Chicago, she showed up. 

New Year Reflection 2024

 What are the 3 things I am most proud of accomplishing this year?

-graduating and becoming doctor

-Establishing relationship with a girl I love

-Maintain Running habits

How have I changed or grown in the past: emotionally, mentally, or spiritually?

-emotionally, in tune of my own emotions and that of others

-spiritually, I know that there is someone out there protecting me

-Mentally: I need believe in myself and I need to address my burn out. 

[Healthy living] Picking thing back up

"Get your life together begins by getting yourself together" 

Tonight, I am getting back up. It's been almost month since I have walked away from the exam. Since then, I have been aimless. I didn't study. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I tried to focus on work and catching up on my inbox so that I wouldn't fall behing. I realized that there will always be work.

I was writing my accomplishment schedule for this week. I came across the "Most Important Task" list and I couldn't seem to figure out what I wanted to do. After some stretching and reflecting, I liked to get myself back together. I watched inspiration youtube videos and reels. I want to get back up now. I want to pick up the pieces and start again. I will reflect on my mistakes and seek guidance. I am picking myself back up now. It start tonight. 

Corner Wall: Be Better 2024

 

"I did not care about what happen tomorrow, for today, I knew I did the best I could." - MCAT 2014

"Have faith that it will be okay, have strength to continue the struggle, and have courage to do the things you need to do for this path is not easy." 

My wellbeing:  1 Running and stretching to preserved what I loved     --try other form of exercise 2. Sleeping enough hours  3. Eating correctly 4. Drink enough water

My social Health:  1. Call my parents and the people I love, mm 2.  Photoshoot and fashion; dreaming of the girl I always want to become 3.  Expand my social circle and build a network.

My career advancement: 1. Study for my boards 2. Make time for my boards  3. Read up on sleep  4. Keep up with my charts and sleep study 5. Invest wisely and putting my money to work

Healthy Living: Rekindling the fire

A year fly pretty quick. I blinked before my eyes and I became a physician. I blinked and medical school is done. I blinked and residency ended. I blinked and I am a specialist. Time fly with studying. 

I have been in a dazed since canceling my exam. I thought about my insecurity and second guessing everything I have done. But after talking to my parents, my mm, my friends, my mentors, I realized I need to get back up. There is something very important that I need to do. I need to pass my board exam to be a board certified physician in 2 speciality. I need to take care of myself, in term will allow me to be a better physician for my patients, a better lover for mm, and a better daughter to my parents. I will have to learn to balance between work, studying, and keeping myself afloat. 

I have a relationship with a girl I really care about and I cannot just leave her because I can't deal with my own life problem. Even though there is nothing set in stone with us, she isn't someone I want to give up on, especially when I knew how hard it was to find her. I want to cherish her. And that means doing a better job of taking care of myself. 

My mom and my dad are getting older. I can feel my emotional turmoil puts a lot of burden on my parents. They have their own lives and I simply do not want to be an emotional burden on them. I know they love me and want to be here for me. And they always will. But I want to navigate my own storm better. It's time to be a better sailor. 

It's time to stop crying and rekindle my own fire. I don't necessarily believe I have all the answer or will be perfect in the next step. But I forgive myself and appreciate the hard work that my previous self have put in. I do not believed the time I spent studying are a waste. I know that I cannot rush things until they are ready. Everything has its own time. I will study and put in the work. I will prepare better for this upcoming exam. I will revised my preparation. I will check in my coach. I will craved time for study and for myself. I will negotiate my hours to make time for it. On the bright side, I have another year to spend studying internal medicine. I truly believed this will solidify my knowledge for this field and allow me to better a sleep doctor. It will provide with financial freedom to pick and choose a job that best fist my need. I am will be able to practice in both field and choose the best position for myself. My strength lies in my versatility (ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities). 

I need to take care of myself. My body and mental health are vehicle for my soul. It is my obligation to feed it, give it enough sleeping hours, clothes it well, give it enough water, sunlight, social interaction, love and care. I am only give one body in this world. I know if I take care of myself, I will naturally feel better on my own. It will provide me with a calm and clear head to think through my problems. 

And lastly, I need not to neglect my wants. Running is love, running is life. It has forever better my life. It truly add life to my days. I need to bring back photography. I truly believe in the saying that if you look good, you'll feel good. I need to put more effort in my outfits and dresses. Photoshoot session needs to be reinstalled. I know nobody can make my life better for myself. It all start from within. Many years ago, I change the course of my life by learning how to run in 2018. My step score took off. My emotional regulation got better. Photography has brought self confidence into myself. It broaden my instagram network. And.. it allow me to appreciate of the things I love the most. My journaling helps me reflect and pencil down my thoughts and feeling. I also want give therapy a try. I don't think it hurts to ask for a little extra help in this life. It did my friends a lot of good, maybe it can help me navigate to be better a human being. I don't think it will be a perfect pill, but I could really give it a try.  

A year will fly by very fast. I should start coming up with my study plans. I will incorporate running and healthy eating into my life. I will make time for fashion and photography. I will call my parents. I will check in on mm. I form new social circles and make new friends. 

Healthy Living: No, you cannot give up yet.

 

"My journey in music has staggering highs and lows. I have seasons where I feel like I can’t miss, where I feel quite literally invincible. Then there are seasons where I wonder if I will ever write anything true or special again, whether I have anything to offer, whether I have simply fooled everyone up to this point. I am a positive guy but that just means that I go to war with my head when these doubts attack. The smile is often a smile through some sort of intense struggle. This is normal. This is everyone. If you hear this song and it inspires you to not give up on someone or better yet yourself I am with you. I am vulnerable, weak, unsure, while also being stubborn, hopeful, and optimistic. It’s a package deal." -- Andy Grammer - "Don't Give Up On Me"

I recently postpone my ABIM internal medicine exam. I did so because I realized I was not ready for it. I studied hard for it, carving time during my day off during fellowship, during my month of July, and lastly during august month. About 48hr prior to the exam, I sat myself down and be real to myself. I have review 5/12 organ system. Of which, I have not done any practice questions in the last 7 months. I don't want to be out of touch of reality but I do not believe I am ready for the test. Initially, I was going to take the test given there is no consequence other than the result of failure. But after realizing how behind I am with my study materials, I decided to the cancel the test.

The aftermath of canceling the test made me feel as if I failed it. It brought out all my insecurity. It made me questions about whether I am truly an adequate doctor, whether my current relationship is truly worthy, whether my path and life was a mistakes. I simply want to send in my resignation letter, break my apartment lease, break up my relationship, and run very far away. I am tired and overwhelmed. I am not okay. I tried not to do anything stupid because I don't want to leave my parents of the reality of a life without me.

I am very far away from home. I live alone in a new city with very few little friends. I am often left with my own thoughts and it makes me more sad. I called my mom and she told me I can quit everything and give up and stay with her for sometime.

                                  

I don't want to run away and give up on everything I have built for myself. It took a lot of work for me to get into fellowship and graduate as a sleep medicine doctor. It took a lot of dating and getting to know people before I met someone who I genuinely liked and like me back. Sure, there is still a lot of doubt whether she'll come back into the state or if she is even sure about me. It took a lot of work to find this apartment, find this job, and move from Chicago to the bay area. It took a shit ton of work to study during fellowship for my IM boards and then to study more during my month of July. It was painful to study during the month of August and starting a new job as an attending. It was a lot. I am tired. I am frustrated. And honestly, I think I probably wasted my time this whole time.

I don't want to give up. I'm hurting and I am in pain. I get teary every few hours. I don't feel like eating, its hard to get up in the morning and get out of bed. I don't feel like I want to even talk to the girl I liked. I feel like a failure. I feel inadequate. Maybe this is part of growing up and learning to deal with being uncomfortable.

If you actually break down the things that I go through, non of it is actually "hard". But it is super uncomfortable. To live in a new city with little friend. To be physically far away from the person you are dating. To have to study on top of working. To remind yourself to eat. To be at the end of your training and yet still have a big test looming on top of your head, which you can literally do nothing about until another year to address it. It is super duper uncomfortable. This suck!! And to deal with my internal thoughts who constantly think I'm a failure despite all I have achieved in life. I can barely even sit with myself.

This feels oddly familiar to the time I postpone my MCAT in 2014. I took it once when I was not ready and a achieve a low score. I scrambled to take it again before it changed and only voiding the test after the exam. I sat again for the the 2015 exam and it was the last time I took my MCAT.

Maybe there is something this place is trying to teach me. Maybe this stage of my life that make me feel so oddly isolated is actually growing pain. Something that comes with growing up and building a life for myself. I need to deal with myself while also trying to love others. I need to realized that I am far from where I once was, but not yet what I will become. I want to put less pressure on my parents and be stronger for them.

3 Rule of Resilence

 Resilience: 3 Key to Resilience

— We seem to live in an age where we're entitled to a perfect life where shiny happy photos on Instagram are the norm when actually as you all demonstrated at the start of my talk, the very opposite is true.

1. **Suffering is the part of the every human existence. Knowing this stop you feeling discriminated when the tough times come. Resilience comes from focusing on the things we can change, and somehow accepting the things we cannot.
2. Resilience people are really good at choosing carefully where they select their attention. Habit of realistically appraising situation and managing focusing on things they can change. As human, we are very good at sticking on negative emotions, like velcro. Resilience comes from knowing things are not finite, happiness and sadness are finite in a tangiable duration of time. Hard time are just time that are hard. Acknowledging the good things during tough time has shown by science to be a powerful strategy.
3. —“Don't lose what you have to what you have lost." In psychology, we call this benefit-finding. Make an intentional, deliberate, ongoing effort to tune into what's good in your world.
4. **Number three: Resilient people ask themselves "Is what I'm doing helping or harming me?" This is a question that's used a lot in good therapy and boy is it powerful. — This question can be applied to so many different contexts. Is the way you're thinking and acting, helping or harming you in your bid to get that promotion, to pass that exam, to recover from a heart attack, so many different ways.  
5. ex: “Is this helping you or is it harming you? Put away the photos, go to bed for the night, be kind to yourself."
6. —Asking yourself whether what you're doing, the way you're thinking, the way you're acting is helping or harming you puts you back in the driver's seat. It gives you some control over your decision making.

Inspire by:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWH8N-BvhAw

Healthy Living: Things I learn from Tiff

 Things I Learned From Tiff

I like a girl for the past 2 months. She ended up ghosting me. It hurts. 

I open with 2 kinds friends today and talked about my feeling. One to encourage to face my rejection. One asked I reflect on my wants and my needs. 

I have once again liked someone who does not liked me. I wanted to reflect on reason why I rejected other people. I have rejected girls in the past because I did not like they way they looked. So I only dated girls who I was physically attractive too. And I had higher success of catching feelings but then found that the girl I went after did not liked me. 

I may not be the best cultivators of words tonight. But I do not want to rest until I have written all that I have learn with my experience with Tiffany. 

-Communication: Through my time with tiff, I find that she resembles Jan in many ways. One specific factors that I didn't come to realized that is a deal breaker for is someone who is willing to open up and talk about their emotions and problems. No matter how smart or resources for I am, I cannot work in the dark. I am not a mind reader. When I was young, I always taught about what is bothering me and my problems to my parents. I raised to open up and share my concern. As I grow older, I realized life is hard and to live and survive together, I believed one need to communicate with their partner. I want a partner who is willing to communicate with me. I want someone to open up and share with me their struggles and hard time. 

-Different life path: I admire someone who carries a different life path then mine. I value their perspective and views they bring to the table. I do not look down on someone who is married before, someone who did not go to college, someone who was not raised in a well off family, someone who has been in neglected childhood. I do not discriminate someone base on their past. But I hold them accountable for their behavior today. I understand everyone has short coming but we cannot use our past as a clutch to explain for bad and hurt behavior to others. I appreciate their willingness to change and striving on working to improve. 

-Feminity: I realized that you don't have to dress like a man to be the dominent one in the relationship. I realized dominent and masculity are two different things. I realized I can wear a skirt, heels, be perfective with makeup, and yet still be the person who leads. 

-Physical Attraction: I realized I can't catch feelings for people I am not physically attracted too. I understand that there are many different type of attraction. Someone are attracted to looks, other to personality, others to the mind. I realized physical attraction is still a key part for my heart to develops feelings. I have fallen for every girl I found physically attracted to. And I have turned down all the girls because they are not. 

I wrote down a list today of what my brain wants and what my heart wants. I narrowed it down to 4 things that is non-negotiable between the 2 teams. 

1. Ability to communicate one's emotions and the willingness to open up during hard and difficult times 

2. Honesty 

3. No Drugs/ No Jail

4. Physical Attractiveness 

After creating this list, I look long and hard at the girls that I have dated. I realized that of all the girls I fallen for, only 1 met all criteria. Her name is Sarah. She did not have feeling for me. 

Then I pulled myself under the microscope to see if I possess all of these factors and I realized I do not. Of the 4 traits I menioned, I do not believed I met the physical attractiveness part. In another alternative universe, I would not have dated myself. 

I never forgot that Jan once called me "Ugly and stupid" in the time of spit. I am no longer stupid. But sometime, I question if I am ugly. Innately, I cannot change the face and body features that my parents gave me. But I can faulter myself for not being more vain. I am not very feminen. I don't dress very well when I go out. Looking at myself in the mirror, I dressed to be more comfortable to look presentable or favorable to others. Eventhough my heart is in the right place, I look sure does not. 

I realized I like these edgy, non-safe, badass girls is because in some way, I aspire to be like them. I like Sarah willing to try new things, to go to raves, to go to concerts and party. I like tiff because she falls in similar lines. I like it when you don't play it safe and you don't always fall within the lines. Now, I do know my boundaries and I am aware of the health I possessed. But I realized why I am drawn to these type of girls, maybe it was something I lacked. Maybe I feel the grass maybe is greener on the other side. 

Though, I do want to improve on certain things about myself. I like to become more feminene, dress better and play to my strength. I am aware that there are days i liked to look like a tomboy. But feminity is a strength that I do possess and I want to play my cards well. I want to look better, become more physically attractive, and dress more feminine. 

And I ask myself, what am I? I am a work in progress. 

Last, I want to cherish a special friend tonight who really gave me some good, insight advice about my relationship. She been through 12 relationship and countless romantic encounters. But hey, she struggles too with her own demons. I wrote a little bit about her. "Because of her depression, it creates opportunity for her to cultivate a special skill that allows her to be perceptive of her feelings and feelings of other. I have never met someone with an emotional IQ as high as hers."