”I want to share a brief story about my incredible aunt who began her dream of becoming a doctor at the age of 57. I rarely get to see my aunt but I have to say that she is my favorite aunt. So one day I interviewed her about her life.
My aunt is a beautiful, exotic-looking woman. She is a woman with the courage to take new risks. She believes dreams are possible. She married my uncle about 20 years ago. She is an African-American woman who ran a chain of pharmacies in south central Los Angeles and due to the L.A. riots many years ago a couple of her pharmacies had burned. She decided to sell the rest.
She took her profits and invested them in the stock market and lost most everything in the big bust of 2000. Around $3 million. At that time she and my uncle had to sell most everything including their beautiful home to survive. They settled in a small rental house. Trying to figure out what to do next she remembered her dream of always wanting to become a doctor. She decided at that moment to become one.
She told no one at first, except my uncle. She didn't want anyone to try to discourage her with excuses like: are you crazy?, you're too old, you're a black woman, it takes too long, no one will take you seriously, you can't afford it, etc. She applied to many medical schools in the USA and all of them declined her. That did not stop her from pursuing her dream. She began to apply outside of the U.S. She was accepted at a very prestigious medical school in Guadalajara, Mexico. It is considered one of the best in the world.
She accepted, and moved to Mexico without knowing any Spanish. Her first few years all her classes were in English but the last few years they were in Spanish. She had to teach herself Spanish and all the medical terms in Spanish also. She is now in her mid- to late 60s, has graduated medical school and is completing her residency at a very big hospital here in the USA. Here specialty is Geriatrics (medicine in elder care). She chose that because she says she is almost there and understands what people her age might experience. Her new goal is to finish her residency and to start a private practice.
She never spoke of any difficulties about her past or during her time in Mexico --like learning Spanish, barely surviving financially and being hit by a car while crossing the street. She has healed physically from this accident. Despite all her obstacles she could have quit but instead she always looked forward. She always kept her clear mental image going forward. She would always think and feel what it would be like to live her dream and that is what kept her going. She had no doubt about being a doctor.
Her advice to everyone with a dream is to go for it. Do not use your hardships as excuses not to. She said, "When you decide to move forward, magical pixie dust (Invisible substance) will appear out of nowhere and everything will fall into place magically." She is quite a remarkable woman.
Hope this brief story can inspire you to go for it no matter what.
*****
"Remarkable" doesn't begin to do her justice, does it? She seems to be one of those people who intuitively know and choose to live by these key principles …
Highlight #1:
If the "disasters" hadn't happened, this amazing woman wouldn't have had the open space to pursue her REAL dream. "Never allow yourself to be disappointed. You may expect to have a certain thing at a certain time and not get it at that time, and this will appear to you like failure. But if you hold to your faith you will find that the failure is only apparent.
"Go on in the certain way, and if you do not receive that thing, you will receive something so much better that you will see that the seeming failure was really a great success."
Highlight #2:
It's wise to keep your mouth zipped and not go talking about your tender, new dream amongst those who have lost touch with or given up on their own dreams. There's a good reason why all seeds and embryos begin their growth protected, hidden away from potentially damaging outside influences!(Oh, and notice that she knew not to talk about or dwell on any current or past DIFFICULTIES either).
Highlight #3:
You're never too old -- or too young -- to let yourself be Who You Really Are, in all your glory. (And you ARE glorious. You might as well get used to it.) Challenges -- like learning a whole new language, for example -- are gifts that open up more of the world to you, if that's how you CHOOSE to approach them. And they keep you young at heart,
too, no matter what your age in mere years. Consider all the people, of ANY age, whose fears have beaten their dreams into submission for a LIFETIME.
But that's not going to be the story of YOUR life!
Highlight #4:
Your "clear mental image" of what you desire to be, do, or have will pull you forward to meet it "in the flesh" if you "enter at once into the full enjoyment" and let yourself feel NOW what it's like to live that dream.
Whatever YOUR dream is, my friend, follow this remarkable woman's advice and living example: Go for it.
Now is the PERFECT time -- and you so RICHLY deserve it!
