9/10/13 was a proud day for me. My sister Kim graduated from PA school. There were hundreds of graduates at the ceremony, all with their own story, but Kim’s might be the best. She was the oldest student in her graduating class.
This 5 year journey began after a 16 year marriage unfortunately ended. She was 37 years young. She was a stay at home mom for many years before she decided to take on a monumental life goal. A lot of qualities went into her achieving this including hard work, focus, and persistence. While all of these are important, I’d like to point out another important and often overlooked factor….SACRIFICE!
Kim sacrificed a lot to get where she is; things that not everyone would be willing to do. Since she wanted it bad enough, she persevered. What did she sacrifice? Money (As you know tuition isn’t cheap). Time with family was another and I know this was not easy as Kim loves her family more than anything. She has 3 kids that she loves and PA school is extremely demanding. For Kim, the light at the end of the tunnel (a career in a respected professional field and a better more secure future for her kids), was worth the sacrifice.
Kim Staples, PA is a great example of sacrifice and single minded focus. We see others like this as well. My friend who fights in the UFC trains as much as 3-4 times per day. Not everyone is willing to do that.
This may sound blunt but I think it’s important to recognize. To ignore that it takes SACRIFICE to achieve anything worthwhile is foolish.
What is it that you have as a major goal for yourself? Perhaps it’s a new career. Or a dream house on the ocean. How about a dream body! Whatever it is, it’s worth taking some time to think about it. Once you have a goal, what are you willing to sacrifice? Share your answers below. Typing it out will be very useful for you!
*I am so proud of you Kim for following your passion, working hard, and completing something so AWESOME. You will make a wonderful PA.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this article which will reveal the recipe for reaching a big goal.