A friend replied to my question. My life has just all been for didly squat with the following I said obviously I am very grateful and i will struggle to live up to your sentiments and are you sure they were actually meant for me or some other angelic demigod
s life ever sums to squat. I’ve done engineering, law, finance, business; studied at Melbourne, ANU, Cambridge and Harvard; done a range of amazing roles & responsibilities; managed $100+ million in other people’s money; know many millionaires/billionaires … but still don’t have a job! (Go figure!) I haven’t had anything like what you’ve experienced over the past decade, yet I selfishly say the same thing: “What has my life amounted to? It’s all for naught.” Obviously, flagrantly, patently false in extremis.
Think of the hundreds of people’s lives you directly impacted as a doc and (most fundamentally) as a mutual member of our common man: all your countless patients, your fellow doctors, your students, family & friends across the globe — astounding! You’ve made a profound impact on the world! I use your example of outright determination, hard work and conviction to achieve; I use that example, your (!) example with my kids and others all the time, to inspire greatness in others … and it works!
I openly admit that I am fundamentally incapable of understanding/comprehending what you’ve been through. But (in my humble opinion) it is that unfathomably unique experience that you can contribute to the world and much more … whether through doing a doco re your life, educational/teaching, a book re your experience, or something different again.
And my reply well obviously I was exceedingly grateful and I did wonder if his words were really meant for me or someone else and I will endeavour to live up to your words and I said obviously I am very grateful for your sentiments and are you sure they actually meant for me or some other angelic demigod