I was going to put up a post with a bunch of stuff that made me laugh in the past few days. But some very serious issues have been eating at me for a while now, demanding to be written down. I can't ignore them much longer.
I don't care who you are or what you do for a living. I want you to answer a question. A question that everyone should ask themselves at some point in life.
First, if you can, watch this video. It shows CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta, a successful broadcaster and brain surgeon, giving the commencement address to the graduating class of the University of Michigan last week. He's funny, he's engaging, but he has some very important life lessons to teach.
It's 20 minutes long, but it may change your life.
Notice how he breaks every lesson down. Write them down. Remember them. This man got a standing ovation from 40,000 people that day.
Now I want you to come back tomorrow, whether you watched it or not. Because I will ask you a very important question. A question every person in this world should ask themselves before they die.
His speech was absolutely inspiring.
ReplyDeleteIt does change the way you feel about life and it does change the way I'll wake up tomorrow.
Thank you for this, Angry.
I am in my home, on an island in the Ionian Sea of Greece where I am doing my first part of my residency and mostly I feel as if I'm wasting my time and damaging my brain cells trying to provide medical care under awful conditions and a very, very disgraceful salary.
..but the fact that I can even watch this, a commencement speech from such a successful person and note down his lessons of life gives me a sense of purpose.
I am less lucky than those alumni and more lucky (I guess) than that girl in Pakistan.
So I won't give up on me, not yet, and I'll make everyone of my days count, so some day I'll be able to say that I have become who I wanted to be.
Amazing post, love it when you're being serius too.
It's almost 1:20 am and I'm on call tomorrow night- but I think it was totally worth it.
Love the vid. Can't wait for the question! Better be a good one! Grrrrr..
ReplyDeleteMoving speech. I think it could only have been delivered by an American.
ReplyDeleteL
ooh, i wonder what the question is?
ReplyDeleteMs Ellisa: Wow. I didn't know that much about you Ms Ellisa, despite being friends with you for what, 4 years now? Your story totally made my day. I'm so glad this helped you.
ReplyDeleteYou keep going, Ellisa! You're a kickass surgeon. I am 100% sure you'll get where you want to be.
YJ: Wow, ten years later and you can STILL as scary as you were! Haha thank you so much for the FB share, seriously. I hope I didn't disappoint :)
ReplyDeleteLeo: HAHAHA ah yes, those Yanks and their emotions and crowd-pandering :) Totally get what you're trying to say though, just look at the massive differences between the US and UK versions of The Apprentice.
ReplyDeleteAmazing site you have actually. Loving the Oxbridge post - will come chime in on it soon. It's been an issue close to my heart from Day One of this blog.
Suspiciously Familiar-Sounding Fat Bastard: Well, now you know. Sincerely hope I didn't disappoint.
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ReplyDeleteGo blue! Amazing speech. I just graduated from UofM 2 years ago but I wish I had found a way to prolong my graduation till now so I could have been in the Big House for this one!
ReplyDelete@Angry
ReplyDeleteWhats so suspicious about me? Just a regular late night troll here...
Allison: Wow, an actual UMich student? I know right, I hate it when you leave only to find out someone famous gave a speech or played a gig at your uni. Missed The Killers and Coldplay that way. But yeah this speech was an absolute knockout.
ReplyDeleteFat Bastard: Just that you sounded familiar that's all. Hey, we love late night trolls over here! Pull up a chair and have a billy goat, they're freeflow tonight.
ReplyDeleteAngry Medic: I took a long time to actually get back here and check these comments, but yes, I am a true blue student. Have you heard that we actually bleed maize and blue? But only during football season. :)
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