Many people have cancer stories. I do not. My grandmother had nasopharyngeal cancer, but she maintained strong discipline throughout chemo/radio, and even to this day continues to exercise daily. 30000 steps a day, I'm the only one in the family that can keep up with her pace.
Many people have single parent stories. That I do. My mother gave up the chance to work at National Weather Service, instead compromised her career to get married only to experience domestic violence, with a loose tooth, took baby me away from that house. I was then raised among relatives all over China, and she climbed the company ladders to now a CEO in Telemedia.
Compared to these giants in my family, I was merely a reflection of a family tree that survived the Cultural Revolution that, for a generation, destroyed the wealthy and educated in the country, sending the society back into a darker age. The impact of such distrustful time with little education in mannerism is still felt today. I was raised to be adaptable. Being able to accept current scenarios and quickly adjust to a productive state was crucial to achieving any level of excellence in life, to function as the new kid on the playground, the transfer student to a new school in a new city that has more advanced education objectives. Every move meant I was falling behind in grades simply because there was a gap in my knowledge, and within a month I will catch up and return to the top 10 students in the class. Every move, on an average of 2 years, my ranking resets as thus, and I never failed to bounce back.
Being a physician means the composite of having geographical freedom, contributing to society rather than taking from it, and the self-actualization towards what I believe I can become. When I learnt to play Go, I aim to win; when I fenced (or played badminton, table tennis, basketball, soccer, martial arts), I practise to get medals. I would coach my teammates just so I can get more challenges and be better. Whether I actually achieved such goals is irrelevant. It is myself that I'm constantly fighting to surpass. Without achieving the best one can be, there is simply no point of living.
