A letter from January 24th, 2021

To 23-year-old-me, Wherever you are right now, or whatever you are doing, as you read this letter from yourself 5 years ago, I just hope that you are happy- genuinely happy. I'm sure that a lot of things had changed already and there's nothing you can do about that anymore. Just keep going. Keep doing your passion, no matter how many times you fall. Keep on achieving your dreams, no matter how disappointed you get with yourself. Keep fighting, no matter how much you want to give up. You'll be what you want to be if you continue to have courage in yourself. You may not be the best, you may not be the prettiest, the smartest, the strongest, the richest, you may be the worst, but remember that you are trying to be the best version of you. You are trying, and you are on your way to being what you aspire to be. So never give up. It's okay to feel down sometimes. It's okay to cry, it's okay to get tired, it's okay to fail. But remember your goal. Keep your goal. Whenever you are on the verge of giving up, just remember how enthusiastic you were when you were 18 - when you were me. Remember how badly you want to be a doctor. Remember how desperate you were to help your family. Remember how much you want to make your parents proud and make them say that "Anak ko yan eh, worth it yung ilang taong sinakripisyo namin para sa kanya". Remember why you had those dreams in the first place. Rest if you are tired, cry if you feel bad, shout if you feel suffocated. Do what you have to do but never ever give up; not now that you have finally came to this point. Five years ago, everything seemed impossible. But now you're here. So keep doing what you think would make you happy. I just really hope that you're happy right now. And if you're sad, i know that you can get through this girl. I know you better than anyone. Goodluck, doctor! You still have a long way to go, but it would be all worth it. From, 18-year-old-me [May 18,2020]