Delightful failures

Dear Ummi Ayah,

It's embarrassing to admit that I almost failed my second week musculoskeletal assessment (a more positive way of saying it would be that I barely passed). Medic is tough. Some of the factors due to my mind being elsewhere, I was feeling a little under the weather and some of which I have discussed with Ayah. In fact, I knew that I wasn't fully prepared just before the exam and right after the exam discussion, I knew that I hadn't done that well.

I know at times I get so worried sick and scared if I might fail my exam. I know in an attempt to boost my self confidence, Ummi you would say, "What's the worst that can happen? You'd just have to repeat:) And there's this one guy who had to repeat three times but in the end, he became a doctor still."

Ummi, I don't want to repeat. I remember Prof Hatta's speech on my first day in CUCMS. He said; "Do it right the first time." Make sure that whatever we do, we do it to the best of our capabilities so that we don't have to redo it.

Something amazing and unexpected happened after my exam though. Instead of feeling depressed, dejected and moody, Allah gave me the semangat and right after my exam, I was so fired up to do even better in my third week assessment! I set to go to the library and finished up my next week's assignments on Friday itself and proceeded to constructing a timetable to revise the previous weeks' topics and to read up next week's topics in advance. I'm going to focus in every class (with the help of Basirah:P). At times, I did find it perplexing... but Alhamdulillah I'm glad that I have that intrinsic motivation.

It's not a big thing that happened; but that feeling of suddenly wanting to prove to myself that I can actually do way better than this taught me something great.

Sometimes we need failures to achieve greater things:)

Ummi Ayah, I know you'd love me all the same whether I fail or not:) And I'm so lucky to have parents who are so supportive. Funny, as a child I've never seen you guys fail; but I know we feel like we're failing a lot of the times.

I'd like people to know that if and when they fail, it's okay to feel down. But not for too long because you've got to get up quickly and make plans on how to succeed. Take failing as a step toward success!:D

I'm reading "You, Inc. The art of selling yourself" by Harry Beckwith and I love how they phrased one of the chapters: Successes and delightful failures.

Pray I do better and when I meet you this weekend, I'll be excited to tell you all about my exam:)

Lots of love from your awesome and only daughter,

Alia