Busy Busy

Last week I was unable to volunteer due to the Apoptosis Lab, yet I still thought about the importance of the work I do. 

I can relate volunteering to psychology, and the many interesting benefits, mentally and physically, of using your time to help others. I learned about the different stages of life in my psychology class, and I learned that as people age, they start to wish that their life was meaningful. They begin to ponder their history and think about the lives they impacted and the impact they had on this world. This is called the "integrity" stage of life, and I think it is a big part of wisdom.

We associate age with wisdom, and those who are older, often are very happy to see young people helping out with services and society. Perhaps they see the individuals and believe that they truly understand the feelings of integrity as the older individuals are feeling, yet I feel it simply primes us to a life of good deeds. I can personally say that although I am truly feeling the benefits of helping people, I am not at a stage in my life, as depicted in my psychology textbook, where I am strongly considering only the impact I have on others.

This will surely change, and is already changing and an increasing rate. For example, I was speaking to my brother in law this weekend about what it means to be happy, and we were discussing that you should choose a career in which you will be satisfied and happy. 

Part of the reason why I want to go to medical school, aside from my interests in the human body and person, is because I know that it will be a truly rewarding experience which will give me unique life experiences. Those who are closest to me, who are approaching the integrity stage of their lives, realize that I have an opportunity to pursue a career where I will obtain high levels of mental and emotional benefits from simply the idea that I am helping those who are in need.

I am excited to continue my pursuits on to medical school, and I hope that I can seek what I am looking for, in the correct field, which will balance my future career with my personal interests, happiness, and my later stages of integrity when I look at all those who I helped in the past.