Mindset is everything
Sahar Gholam, DPM 2021
Mindset is everything.
“It’s all about Mindset. From the moment you wake up, to the moment you rest your head at night. Everything is up to you. Your emotions, your thoughts, your perceptions, your reactions. Every moment” - Michael Bliss
When I was diagnosed with SLE at the age of 12, I felt broken, defeated, and isolated. When I would look at my mother and father I would see the worry and devastation that illuminated their faces. Their tears seemed endless. And their worries were constant. Growing up as a 2nd generation Iranian-American, I knew my parents had sacrificed their happiness for the insurance of our success. Their dreams of me becoming a doctor, lawyer, or businesswoman had crumbled. After I was given my diagnosis, their mindset had shifted from creating a successful career path towards prioritizing my health and survival. They pulled me out of sports I loved to play and they stopped pushing me to excel in school. They would let me goof around, skip my homework assignments, and get away with low grade scores. As a young and naive kid, I let the change in mindset slide. I had accepted my fate of being a nobody. At one point, when people asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would shrug my shoulders and say “ I am just going to live off disability”.
Once college applications and admissions came around, everyone in my class was applying to the IVY leagues, and the UC school system. I genuinely knew I didn’t have a chance. At best, my future was community college. My parents, counselors, family, and friends, all of whom I respect deeply, doubted any chances of me getting accepted into a University. But I decided to apply anyway. What did I have to lose at that point?
My beautiful, smart, athletic, and talented twin sister was accepted to every school she applied to, and she truly earned that privilege. However, in my case, I was denied by every school I applied to, except for one, UC Berkeley. That moment became my silver lining. God had set forth a door for me, A door that I never thought existed. Tears once again wept down my parents' faces. But this time, they were tears of joy and hope.
I knew that the responsibilities of attending a prestigious school like UC Berkeley would be hard to juggle with Lupus, Especially given how stressful and rigorous the curriculum that I chose was going to be. However, I chose to open the door and was determined to go in with the mindset of giving 110% of myself to succeed. 4 years later, I had done it, I had graduated from UC Berkeley with high honors.
In 2017, after a couple years of battling several lupus flare ups, complications and a Bone Marrow transplant, I decided to tackle medical school. I truly had no expectations of being accepted. I’d sometimes tell myself that I was not enough, That I was not worthy. But once again, God was with me. Again, he opened another door for me. I was accepted at Western University of Health Sciences. The hope was still alive, and I was not going to take this opportunity for granted. This time, I gave medical school 200% of myself. All of me and more. My mindset was to always compete, never with others, but with myself. To always be and do better. To always show up and be the best version of myself. I was not going to let anyone or anything hold me back from achieving my purpose. A purpose given clearly to me by God.
After so many years of battling Lupus, I had come to the conclusion that my diagnosis was a gift. The countless hospitalizations, doctor’s visits, battles against pain, fatigue, and restlessness were just obstacles that made me stronger, more resilient, and most importantly, increasingly empathetic to people and their situations. I had transformed into a stalwart Iranian-American woman filled with grit. Now here I am, 4 years later, a soon-to-be doctor. I had prayed for this continuously. And now, it’s here, It's actually happening. On May 21st, 2021, I will be a physician. It is a day I had only imagined in a completely different world, or perhaps a dream. And it is on this day, where I will look to my parents and say, “Mamman, Baba, I made it.”
My journey for medical school was just a glimpse of my battles. There have been countless misfortunate moments in my life that I could have used as an excuse to give up. But I never did. I remind myself that mind triumphs matter and that if there is a will there is a way. I wanted to tell all of you my story because I know there are kids out there who are fighting hardships, disabilities and crippling feelings of self-doubt. I want you to know that you are stronger than all of those adversities. All it takes is to have hope and to have the right mindset. Look for the open doors and take advantage of them. Give life all that you have to offer, because I promise you that it will reward you. You will accomplish your dreams. I believe in you and I am here for you always. @DrGinspired