Not How Far, But How Well.

 

They say it’s not about how far one has gone, but how well he's come. True as that may be, I’ve come to believe that no matter how well, it is never truly well enough until one dares to go farther, until one stretches beyond the familiar and reaches for the farthest possible. I know farthest is subjective, from the subject's stand point and scope field.

Like many innocent children, I once dreamt of becoming a doctor, not the kind with a PhD, but a medical doctor, one that has earned an MBBS. It was a dream that glowed in my young heart. But as I grew older, reality began to say something different, wake up from your sleep and face me (so said, reality). I looked around, and not a single person in my environment reflected my dream. There was no example to follow, no one to say, “Yes, it can be done.”

Having a dream is one thing, but seeing it come alive is another. And when one finally does, it becomes one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences in life.

In the absence of any clear established path/pattern, I decided to forge my own. It was not smooth. It was not short. The road was rough, steep, and painfully long. But someone, I told myself, has to be the pacesetter, and maybe, just maybe, that someone could be me.

My journey began humbly as a clinic attendant. I swept floors, mopped rooms, emptied trash cans, and ran errands from one corner of the clinic to another. I still remember the day an uncle laughed scornfully and with so much disdain when he heard of my “clinic attendant-ship.” His laughter stung deeply, but I refused to be ashamed. I refused to let mockery bury my dream. I was determined to rise, from being a dreamer to becoming an achiever.

So, I picked up a diploma form in a health course. I studied hard, I pushed through, and I did well. But the thirst never stopped. The hunger refused to fade. The dream, my original dream, still burned fiercely. I wanted to be, not to be ignorantly assumed 'a doctor'.

I sat for the exams, didn't get some, tried again, and again. Each year taught me resilience, focus and determination, each setback strengthened my faith. And today, I am grateful to say, I got it .Alhamdulillah. The dream that once seemed distant is now within my reach.

This is only the beginning, but I walk forward with faith, courage, and gratitude. One day soon, I will look back, not just to celebrate how well I’ve done, but how far I’ve come.

Indeed, the depth of one's beginning shouldn't define his becoming for it's not just how well one has come, but also, how farther he has gone.

®Ahmed Salim Jn ✍️ RCHP 

#Uloko