if i can do it, YOU should be able to....

[Aeren]

Hey guys,

I know that my post are somewhat sporadic, but i do try my utmost to contribute something to the community. It is at times difficult for me to remain 100% active on what i consider to be my favorite forum. Call it mismanagement of time, call it preparing for the impending arrival of my daughter (7 WEEKS TO GO!!! im shitting my pants!!) But i sometimes get gems and feel i must share. Take my random posts as you want, the back button is your friend if you dont want to read, otherwise stick with me as i do sometimes have something inspiring and intelligible to say. If i light the fires of inspiration in at least 1 person then i have at least achieved something.

A momentous thing happened today. a simple, a4 sized manilla envelope arrrived by registered mail, and it's contents happened to have changed my life. First though i want to share some of my life with you.

As some of you know, my Name is Joshua. Joshua Wood. (james bond is BOTH awesome AND manly, something i am in copious quantities, hence the reference) And i have had a colorful life. I had a somewhat uninspiring upbringing, full of abuse and uncertainty. I have been constantly let down and put down. I was adopted, yet only just found out about it. i had been a rather SPECTACULAR liar up until a few years ago, and still suffer the consequences. i fathered a child at 14, and 6 years after, lost her in a car crash. As a result of that i went on a drug binge, once trying to end it all with A LOT of speed...

Granted, not all of my life has been so dark, i have pursued and obtained medical degrees, science degrees and relevant experience, but with all the aforementioned 'disturbances'. I have always been driven, had a desire to suceed. After each, 'disaster' we shall call them, i would let go, go insane and try to ruin everything...but i would then 'see the light' per se, and realize that destructive behavior gets me nowhere, and that if i work hard and just be honest, things will move a lot better. (seeing a message here??!!) I would have to face up to some realities, like my daughters death, but facing a reality and seeing the honesty of the situation feeds your mind the clarity it desires, and you then have a fertile ground to plant the seeds of success and move forward...

This is what i have done, i have 'battled' and moved on, and after a decade and a bit the honesty has paid off, Harvard Medical has awarded me my PhD in Psychiatry/Neuro-Science, to do with chemical synthesis, demographics, ethnicity etc... my point is, that no matter how low you think you may get, MOVE ON, no matter how 'slow' things may seem, analyze, decide and MOVE ON....

if you just be 100% Honest, 1000% Awesome, and dedicated you will achieve. you dont have to be hard working, just working. If you mourn your losses, you will stay that, in mourning.

Get to Achieveing people.

I wish you all the best success!!

Josh. Josh Wood.
Agent of Awesome

[willyboy104]

Hey Joshua thank you for an inspiring thread and I feel the need to some what congratulate you on you're PHD that is a fantastic thing to achieve and many people try for years and years before they achieve this.

I am glad things are going well for you now and you're thread has helped me feel a little better when I am not feeling the best I shall now go and get on with some more work.

Thanks Joshua

[Aeren]

Wily,

Glad you could get something from my post, and i thank you for your congratulations, it is a great thing to emulate the phoenix and 'rise from the ashes..' so to speak...

I am also saddend to hear at times you dont feel the best, but remember the only thing that can really defeat you is you....well that and death.... but you get my point, you affect you, you do this...YOU do that. Remember this, and the fact that you are NEVER alone

Peace

[Blackman]

Sad story with a happy ending

Congratz on your degree - that's a big achievement, Josh.

I like your attitude, I have the same look at life. In short, learn on your mistakes and move on getting better.

[Aeren]

Always the best kind of stories, bl4ckmaN^ my friend.

And again Thanks for the Congrats, it is a great thing to be recognised as an authority on something...THAT isnt Mario bros 3 on NES (which consequently i RULE at)

[MedicAffiliate]

Very inspiring post, congratulations first on your P.hd I'm a pharmacist so I can relate to how hard it is acquiring a degree much less a doctorate in the medical field, hope that brings you great opportunities ahead. Also, it's great that you have such an outlook on life with such things as have happened to you...it's always important to face up to responsibilities and realities and not let personal unrest get in the way.

It's said that in times of uncertainty, people often lapse into a fantasy of their own creation-either a future they can only dream of or a modified version of the past where everything fell into place. The challenge here is in having a concrete vision and working towards it instead of making the vision itself your ultimate achievement.

[SirKhan]

Great post and kudos to you for standing up after all those terrible things that happened in your life. Life is a long journey and if you're lucky you don't walk it alone. Love and happiness are the most important things everything else comes after!
I'm too inspired by your story and I'm glad you shared. This is a tight community with very good people and you can count on us.

Congratulations on your baby in advance and be sure to post pictures once she arrives! I'm too thinking about having a baby in the (near) future but I'll have to discuss that with my fiancee first

[Aeren]

SirKhan/Mark..... TRY TO STOP me SPAMMING pictures of Aivah (my daughter to be) when she is born

i wish you all the best on your journey into fatherhood, it is definitely an eye opening, testing journey, but one wholeheartedly recommend!!!

to Athma.M, thank you for your congrats, AND for sharing my pain in the medical field... what makes my journey personally inspirational, is my age, for me to achieve a PhD at 28, is something unheard of, and to achieve MBBS at 21 also, as the medical field is one saturated with more 'mature' people, so to be young and heard is definitely a struggle, therein lies a lesson, you will always meet friction, but strive on and let your work speak for itself!!! (lemonarian is definitely an example here...LOVE that guy)

to everyone, hold on to your dreams, never let ANYTHING get in the way. Truth and AWESOMENESS are the key to success.... assess and move on....you have the possibility to ACHIEVE anything you set your mind to, i am proof of that

Peace and Love to all

Josh

[hornetss]

this really did inspire me, sorry about your loss and thanks so much for sharing

[speed829]

it is encouraging since I lost my 6 year old less than a year ago in a car accident. I still spend half my day in a daze but hopefully I can pull through like you did. Thank you for sharing.

[tgrob]

Congratulations man and good luck with the soon to be baby. I enjoyed your story and it really did help me put a few things in perspective today. I've been upset with myself because I spend so much time researching and learning about IM but I haven't quite pulled the trigger. I keep shelling out money on domains and hosting and I don't really even have the money to do it! I'm getting overwhelmed with so many things going on, but this should really help me keep my head up and focus on the prize at the end.

GL with everything!

[Aeren]

i am really happy guys that i can be an inspiration, it warms me to know someone gets something from what i say, it is somewhat fufilling to know someone has been helped, for that is what I am here to do... help.

Speed i sent you a PM, and anybody else that is feeling dejected, uninspired etc, feel free to pm me and we can chat...

Good Luck, Peace and Love to all

Joshua

[Starwalker]

Aeren,
thank you for sharing,sorry for your loss,we have some things in ccommon,ease-up on your self about the coming birth, stay focused.

Peace