Inspiration from Walt Disney

I'm a definite Disney fan, I practically grew up with Disney and up until now even as an adult I still watch Disney animated films and computer animated films.  And the films still never cease to amaze me and give me such joy.

I've been to Hong Kong Disneyland, and I loved it there! There's just pure joy, and just "magic".  But the place I went to this time really touched something inside me, The Walt Disney Family Museum.  Going here was not part of the itinerary, but on our free day, I decided, I've been feeling really down lately, to the point I felt I was not able to enjoy fully the AUA Experience.  I know, people will say I was lucky and everything.  But I can't help it, it's like the song, "Lucky" by Britney Spears.

Anyways I was glad I made the decision to go here, this one legendary guy can give you really just the inspiration you needed.

Let's begin with my favorite quote I got from this trip:

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Inspiration from Airplane

I just discovered that the file where I typed my post for this in my phone was lost.  And this just sucks because I wrote it during the "moment".  Anyways let me try to remember what I had written....

I just love riding airplanes, and my favorite part is during take off.  I've always got this feeling that during take off, I'm flying closer to my dreams.  Weird right? I always had this feeling since I was a kid (after I've grown over the air sickness stage).  

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Rebuilding Yourself in your own Dorm

2016 broke me down and I had decided to dedicate 2017 to focus on rebuilding myself.  I figured I couldn't advance in my career if I'm so broken inside.  I'm an introvert type of person, so all the steps here are things that you can do alone in your own dormitory.  I'm not the type who will leave everything in the name of "soul-searching".  I'm not that courageous.

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The Last Lecture - Lessons

I thought I'll place some of the lessons here in from the book The Last Lecture.  So I can remember them...

1. Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome
2. If you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it.
3. You've got to get the fundamentals down, because otherwise the fancy stuff is not going to work.
4. When you're screwing up and nobody says anything toyou anymore, that means they've given up on you
5. People are more important than things. 
6. Complaining does not work as a strategy.  We all have finite time and energy.  Anytime spent whinning is unlikely to help us achieve our goals.  And it won't make us happier.
7. It's not how hard you hit.  It's how hard you get hit.. and keep moving forward
8. Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.  And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.
9. I still try to handwrite notes when it's important to do so.  It's just the nice thing to do.  And you never know what magic might happen after it arrives in someone's mailbox
10. If you work more hours than somebody els, during those hours you learn more about your craft.  That can make you more efficient, more able, even happier.
11. Sometimes  all you have to do is ask, and it can lead to all your dreams coming true.
12. We cannot change the cards we are dealt with, just how we play the hand.

Proper apologies have 3 parts:

1. What I did was wrong
2. I feel badly that I hurt you
3. How do I make this better

A year of Struggles - Rising from Depression

This post is made for those people who are currently depressed, sad, or had undergone depression.  Hope this experience of mine may help you in your struggle in fighting this disease.

This year didn't start out as great, I had lots of struggles in my residency that I cannot say here for it may lead to me getting kicked out of residency.

My major source of unhappiness this year was when I lost my thyroid gland.  This is something you can't control.  You get sick, even if you never smoked in your life, you've never tried prohibited drugs, you're not an alcoholic etc. Nobody wanted to get sick. This experience had given me a lot to ponder.  I've experienced symptoms that made me question if I can still be a surgeon.  Changing specialties came across my mind numerous times not because I didn't want to be a surgeon anymore, but because I may not be capable to become a surgeon anymore.  

People started to judge you, "You can't do this.", "You can't do that.", "You're sick, you should stop."  If you're on leave for a long time, the hospital may kick you out, who needs a doctor who can't even function in a position he applied for? But I kept telling myself, "hang on", if a plastic surgeon who also underwent total thyroidectomy can be a successful plastic surgeon, then there's a possibility that you can still function as a urologist.

Crying became a normal routine, I cry any time of the day and more frequently at night everyday.  Your parents started to get worried everytime they see you cry, and you just feel guilty because you can't help crying but you wouldn't want to worry your parents.  You'll receive comments like, "Why are you crying? Crying won't help. You have to move on..." These words don't help depressed people, they only make things worse.

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