I Quit!

I quit. True story.

Well, kind of.

I certainly wanted to quit before I even got started after graduating from Howard University with a degree in Speech Pathology. I should note here that I knew I didn’t want to be a speech pathologist.  With my degree in hand, I transferred to George Washington University to get a second Bachelor’s degree in psychology with plans to pursue graduate school to become a psychologist. After completing only the first few weeks of classes, I knew I didn’t like it and I wanted to quit.  I marched home to tell my parents of my plan to withdraw from school. I was done.  My father quickly redirected me, explaining “Now we will see what you are made of,” and walked away.  I knew that was his way of telling me that I would not be quitting and, instead, had to finish what I had started.

The first semester was hard.  Both my head and my heart were not in it. I struggled and for the first time in my college career, I had not made the Dean’s list.  I had mixed feelings.  I was happy I had made it through but disappointed my grades were not as strong as they had been in prior semesters. The second semester improved significantly and I recognized myself again in my academic performance. School felt good again.  I was now determined to plow through.

I didn’t really understand what my father was asking of me in his response to my “I Quit” declaration. He wasn’t asking for good grades.  I had done well throughout college.  It was not about academic performance.  My father’s words were about digging deep and doing what you didn’t feel like doing.  It was about doing the hard thing. By staying the course when everything inside me said to run,  I discovered that I had some grit inside that would allow me to push through. At 21 years of age, this was my first big test. While I am certain it was not as tough as others have faced since then, it was my first big test. I remember those days of fighting to get through it. I learned and grew.  Remembering it reminds me that I have done tough things and that I can do tough things, and when you achieve after what felt like a major hurdle, you derive value that can serve a lifetime.

Do you remember your first big test? How old were you?  How did it change the course of your life?

Dr. Lisa

Our theme song is “I Am Enough” by Daphne Willis.

 
 
 

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