The Possibility of Yes

A friend of mine recently asked me this:

“Julie how on earth do you get all these research and scholarship opportunities? It’s like it all comes flying to you!”

Well that’s a bit of an overstatement that you think everything flies to me because it actually doesn't. If anything, I’m actually the one that actively seeks out opportunity and I also definitely have my share of rejections too. Just read my thoughts on getting rejected in my other post.

I just take a chance and go for it, and hopefully luck will be beside me.

There is an infinite amount of things you can learn (and achieve) in life if you just open yourself to all the possibilities. The next time an opportunity comes your way, just say yes. Dive in, explore, revel in the experience and see what happens.

I started to write about video game strategies on a blog site (mainly StarCraft and Hearthstone) to supplement my own knowledge and some people liked it. I got better at writing which helped a lot when I was applying to a bunch of stuff. I said yes to pursue my dreams in medicine. I applied to the Ford Family Foundation Scholarship, the biggest in Oregon, and was accepted. I said yes to being on the front page of The Oregonian. I said yes to behavioral neuroscience research and have been working for OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Center for the past several years with my incredible professor. I said yes to all the research opportunities and now I've got several poster/oral presentations and a manuscript publication in the works. I said yes to study abroad in Salzburg, Austria and met an Oregon House Representative who was also my professor. I said yes to doing health & education policy research at the state capitol in Salem and the data I collected helped facilitate a new legislation that would help low-income students get to college. I said yes to mentoring. I said yes to all the opportunities.

I just keep saying yes.

Just keep going forth and dive straight into things with two feet. You will build yourself, your expertise, your knowledge, and more, on the way down. It’s the experience that’s so valuable, regardless of whether or not you succeed.