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Embrace the real you: Cultivate a healthy
self-concept
REGARDLESS OF WHERE you’re at, your timing
is perfect. No ma er how old you are, no ma er
how many mistakes you’ve made, no ma er how
much time you’ve wasted in unfruitful thoughts,
activities, relationships or jobs, you are meant to be
here, right now.
One day, you’ll see how all those “wrong turns”
and difficult experiences in your life have worked
together to create the perfect you and your perfect
life. Right now, you are perfectly designed to live
and serve the world in a way that only you can.
This isn’t about creating a self-indulgent “me,
me, me” kind of life. Rather, it’s about finally
having the courage to recognise the person who
you really are, and to make your most important
life choices based on that. Your most authentic life
and your biggest contribution to society come from
the wonderful tapestry made up of all the parts of
you—your flaws, your mistakes, your dreams, your
16 NOVEMBER 2015 VOL X ISSUE 01
talents, your experiences and your natural likes and
dislikes. You are completely unique on this planet
and in history, and you are here for a reason. Until
you start being the real you, in all areas of your life,
you can’t possibly experience the fullness of the life
that most certainly is waiting for you.
Before depression and desperation forced me
to leap and embark on this wonderful adventure
that is my life today, my days used to feel like a
life sentence. Fi een years ago, I was a depressed,
anxious, burned out Emergency Medicine resident
who panicked under pressure and felt faint at the
sight of large amounts of blood.
One night, I reached the point where I no longer
wanted to keep living. Thankfully a miraculously
timed phone call from a concerned medical
colleague saved me from the brink. She told me
to take a stress leave, to consider qui ing the
residency programme, and to think about
COMPLETE WELLBEING