The practice of patience has never been one of my virtues. Anyone who knows me would attest to this. Once I decide on a course of action, I barrel on ahead at top speed, slowing only for the next turn. This works well if the map to the destination is definite and well known. Point A goes to point B, then to point C. Each level accomplished as prescribed, steps towards reaching the desired goal. Success follows as long as you stay the course.
This logic held true for me in college and medical school. At a very young age, I decided that I wanted to be a doctor. The course ahead was clear: study hard, make good grades and keep plugging along. Every class or rotation completed led to the next level up. Defined increments of time and effort divided my life for a period of 11 years. Point A went to Point B and then to Point C in a steady progression. Before long, graduation was behind me and I moved on to private practice. It amazed me that what had seemed so daunting was now over. Where did the time go?
In the 30 years since graduation, I’ve seen so much change in the practice of medicine. I’ve witnessed the advent of MRI scans, balloon dilation and stenting of blocked arteries, and medications that control the progression of HIV to AIDS. Things we take for granted now, did not exist when I started medical school. I’ve adjusted and adapted with each new discovery and innovation but the most difficult was the transition from paper to electronic medical record. Computers were in their infancy when I was in college. I did not grow up using them as the young students today. Thank goodness I took typing in high school to make it a little easier!
As with many careers, medicine demands continuous learning just to keep up in my own area of expertise. It has been a challenge for sure. Science and math are my world but even so, I never lost my love for the arts. I discovered as a young physician that I needed the diversion of a good book or a thought provoking play to keep a healthy balance. Now I see articles about studies confirming that reading at least one book of literary fiction a month prevents physician burnout. It’s no great discovery that art has an integral role in the mental wellbeing of everyone.
Writing like reading is therapeutic. I started journaling 6 years ago and wish now that I had started sooner. The storyteller within me reawakened a passion I had forgotten even existed. However, the craft of writing is time intensive and challenging. The path to success as an author is not linear like medicine but has peaks and valleys that require patience to navigate. I am just realizing how much I need to learn but this I know: Art must be practiced. To learn to paint, you must paint. To learn to write, you must write. There is no other way. Everyday I’m cultivating the practice of patience. God is at work in me through the process.
As we all grow older, it is essential that we continue learning even if it’s difficult. Do you have a dream of a new project or goal? Are you worried that you will fail or look silly for even trying? Don’t let this get in your way. If God has put it on your heart, he will help you on the road to accomplishing your goal. You’re never too old to learn something new.
