My friend Lilian posted this on Pinterest and it really made an impact on me. I know its a long story, but it's definitely one of my favorite theories. Its pretty controversial and may seem crazy but every time I read it, I find new meaning in the words.

I come from an extremely religious background. My family is catholic and although my parents have done a lousy job of making me and my siblings go to church or join religious activities, I believe it is because my grandparents MADE them fake an interest in religion when they were young and now they resent the idea of me and my sisters having the same experience. It is something I absolutely adore about my parents, they give us the freedom to make our own decisions and sometimes fall on our face.. but hey, it was our choice! And they are always there to bring us back up.... But back to the story.

ALTHOUGH, I come from a catholic background, I have always believed in reincarnation and as I get older, and with my experiences in college, I've become more and more interested in the bible and learning more about how religion can coincide with science. This post about the reason for our creation means more to me than just that. To me it is less of a justification for our existence and more a lesson to follow. It is a lesson on growth and human compassion, and whether you take the story literally or just as a reminder to be kind to one another.. A lot can be learned!

-Enjoy and let me know what you think :)

Memorial Day Weekend (the lonely blues)

It is Sunday afternoon and I am home alone looking through Princeton Review MCAT books and trying to keep my mind from wondering. My family is all in Monterrey, Mexico (my hometown) and I have stayed behind to "study for my MCAT" and not miss class. But it is 5:30pm and as I ponder my progress for this weekend, all I can think about is how unwisely I've used my time.

As I waved my family goodbye, I told myself that I would sacrifice Mexico for the greater good of my education. I would stay behind and have a weekend filled of enlightenment and knowledge. But that has been far from the truth. I sit here on my living room table, three days into my study weekend only one practice test in and 0% of my homework done.

I am sure many students struggle with this. On the one hand, you want to study and have every intention of doing so, but on the other hand, distractions are many and the internet is only one click away (not to mention television). So what did I spend my entire weekend doing, you may ask? Did I go out and party like a normal college student? NO. I sat around and watched untold stories of the E.R, while I convinced myself that being a Doctor is all I have ever dreamed of and that staying behind to study was the right choice.

But was it the right choice? Is it worth all the trouble if all I did was one practice test and a couple hours of self-evaluation. I missed the last opportunity I had this summer to visit my family in Mexico only to pretend like I studied all weekend. And it's not like this is the only time I have done something like this. I mean don't get me wrong, I am extremely studious and I always pull myself together so I can make the grade, but I don't always make wise use of my time. I spend way too much time trying to study and I prevent myself form having a life outside of school. This all because I want to make time to hit the books but then I end up watching TV or snap chatting for hours and progressing insignificantly. I am so fixated on the idea of knowing everything and being perfect so that I will have the GPA, the MCAT scores and all of the volunteering necessary to get accepted into medical school that I forget to have an actual life. I make myself believe that studying all the time is healthy and I drive myself crazy with guilt when I'm not studying because "There is so much to do," yet when I set hours to study I don't accomplish much.

What I've gotten from this very unproductive weekend:
1. It is okay to enjoy life and do something other than studying because chances are if you don't feel like studying, you probably won't get much done anyway.
2. Put down the remote!!! NOW.
3. Organize my study time so that I actually know what I have to accomplish and when I want to accomplish it.

#Pre-Med probs!!