In my journey of recovery, came a rude awakening I never wanted to confront— that medicine was never my first calling.
The epiphany felt traumatic – what had I done with two decades of my life? Was it a waste? Where do I go from here? Had I failed?
Discovering that this wasn’t “failure” but a brave awakening took time — I needed to fall off a cliff into an abyss, needed the courage to grieve, to celebrate what I’d done in medicine, and then, to turn away from those who would not understand and call it folly.
Coming to the UK, I was surprised by an uncannily-timed God-invitation to travel to a third town on my only free morning to meet an amazing international team welcoming my midlife pivot.
Medicine will always be a part of me. I’ll carry it into whatever season comes next. But here’s to saying— there’s more to life and our identities than what was picked for us or what our 18-year old selves chose.
To every midlife career-pivoter out there— you’re not alone. Seasons change, and so can you💛 You carry the wisdom, ferocity and power harnessed from a different world to bring cross-sectoral magic to wherever you go next. ✨
Nothing is wasted. God will use your old life to build the new one.
PS: Would you like to guess which one of these I did and what mid-life pivot I’m exploring?
- A 🎤 Walked into the BBC to explore becoming a documentary host and stand-up comedian.
- B 🐋 Met with a team of marine biologists to explore my conservation dream.
- C 🍳 Visited a renowned cooking school to explore becoming a chef
- D 🧠 Met a famous neuroscientist to explore becoming a trauma therapist
✨New season. Same courage. Same God.