From D1 to DR: Get Inspired

Over the past couple weeks I have been lucky enough to travel home to my parent's farm for a visit and have met some amazing new people up here in North York. I wanted to write this post to let people know how important it is to surround yourself with people who are not only positive, but who want the best in life for you. As I have grown to the ripe old age of 26 (ok ok, I feel a lot older than 26), it has come to light the differences between close friends and acquaintances. As I have gotten older, I can feel myself wanting the comfort of having about five friends to call my "close friends" and I am totally okay with that number. I feel as though it is hard to direct your energy and your attention to about twenty friends, and at the end of the day, how many of those twenty could you call at any hour of the night to talk about something really important?

The reason that positivity in one's life is so important is that it tends to directly affect who you are. In 2010, I had a very bad year. Basketball sucked, long hours at the gym, Steve and I broke up, my parents were going through some tough times, and school was harder than ever. If it was not for the people and my teammates that surrounded me everyday, I honestly felt like giving up. I look back now and there are some days, if not weeks, that I remember laying in bed thinking "I do not know if I could get up and do this all again tomorrow with a smile on my face." But that's the thing, you don't have to act happy all the time, you just need to get up and get it done on days where you do not feel like doing anything. Like the infamous line goes "Everything happens for a reason", in which I some-what agree with, but at the end of the day I feel that we are in control of our actions. I could have packed up and gone home, some of my credits would have transferred back home in Canada, I would be a year behind in my studies, I would be a regular student with no basketball, with a lot of debt. So I sucked it up, surrounded myself with some amazing people, kicked butt in practice, and studied hard. Life is not about putting a smile on because you have to, it is about knowing that somewhere else in this big world of ours, someone would love to be in your position right now. Someone would love to play basketball and graduate with no debt, and someone would love to make those friendships that you so deeply needed to get through those tough times. Life is way too short to settle for something less than you are capable of and you are SO much stronger than you think you are. I learned that the hard way.

When my sisters and I were little, and if we got hurt playing in the mud, riding a horse, or a grade 5 little mischievous boy broke our heart, my dad would always say: "You're a Cronk girl, nothing can hurt you". To this day, I literally keep that saying with me. Because even though my dad was saying that to stop the tears from slowly running down our cheeks, there is a lot of truth to that statement. I do not think I would have made it through the U.S without knowing what hard work really is, and persevering when your life seems like it's going to hell in a hand-basket. My parents have done a wonderful job in showing us that nothing in this world comes easy, and that you might as well work hard now, so you can enjoy anything you want in life later. Thanks to them, I can not wait to begin this medical school journey.

What I want you to try and do this month (it is the season for giving right?!):

-Be the reason someone wakes up one morning and smiles
-Call or message someone who you haven't in many years, just to see how the are doing

-Plan a trip for next year. Just for you. Even if it is for a night

-Talk about something that you have needed to get off your chest with that certain someone

-Be gentle to those that seem like they do not need it

-Do not go to bed angry

- Kiss your pets a lot!

Off to The Humane Society in North York to see if we can walk some dogs today! Stephen's idea!

Bye for now,

-E

Instagram: @d1todr