Toolbox - Weight Loss

Everything counts. I worked in a bug lab for three years. It doesn't seem related, but just knowing how to do research, and put together a book and presentation... those are skills you'll be using a lot. Put it all in your toolbox. Hopefully it's big and always expanding.

- UCSF Phi Delta Chi Pledge

That's good advice, and is something I should be doing. And well... I somewhat am. I always thought of this blog as taking on that function. But as I write more and more posts, it's going to be harder and harder to find those specific events that'll be placed in that toolbox of mine.  So it's time I start explicitly saying it straight out, and time to start labeling this specifically with the tag "toolbox" so when it comes time to fill out apps, I'll all be right there waiting for me.

And one quote leads to another.  This time quoting myself.

The fact that there's still progress, that I'm still motivated, and that I still believe I can make it is what matters.  Once I hit my mark, that's going to last me for years, if not the rest of my life.  A couple more months isn't that big of a difference.

I wrote that during my last weight loss update, and as soon as I typed that paragraph, it didn't escape me that the sentiment parallels the journey to pharmacy school as well.  I strayed a bit, but I'm on track now, and I see progress towards my goal.  As long as I believe I'm on the right course, can see that progress to the eventual conclusion, and remain motivated, once I get there, I'll be there, regardless of how behind I feel right now.

But that's not the part of the quote that goes in my toolbox. It's the actual weight loss. It hit me that losing weight might actually be worth talking about on my application.  It is something that I've been struggling against nearly my whole life.  If I do reach my goal, and if I do maintain that weight after I lose it... well... that's a pretty clear physical manifestation of the new drive that I have in my life.  It really does mirror the new state of mind that I'm in, and is clear evidence that I'm now willing to put in the proper amount of work to reach a difficult goal.

It's not enough proof all by itself of course, but once I show that I've also maintained straight A's since I've reached this new state of mind, I think it is certainly a significant enough event in my life that it's worth mentioning.