Cecilia
Humans

Cecilia

“Life, for me, is magic. A continuously evolving journey, full of surprises that only we can manage. The secret lies in living it to the fullest. However, throughout my existence, life has not always been magical. ‘There is nothing that is not an intermediate state between being and nothingness,’ Hegel used to say. And he was right. In beauty, I have indeed found ugliness, sadness, and shocking revelations.

I have endured many family and personal hardships. I have known the real meaning of loss, facing loneliness, pain, indifference, and the incomprehension of having to forever abandon the idea of seeing my mother even just one last time.

I often wondered why all this happened to me, feeling like the designated victim destined to suffer without ever tasting joy. Then, one day, something clicked inside me. I said to myself, ‘Enough, life is unique and I must live it my way.’ I had said this phrase many times before, but this time I truly understood it and believed it. From that day on, everything changed. I no longer saw things negatively or analyzed defeats as failures. I interpreted them as attempts that ended differently than I had planned, but still victories because I had tried.

Viktor Frankl said, ‘When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.’ In the ugliest falls of life, I chose to transform my falls into a source of strength rather than despair. I started to convince myself of my strength and fortune for all that I had. I felt capable of conquering everything, nothing could stop me. I decided that negativity would no longer have any influence on me and that I had to be the protagonist of each day, doing what I wanted in that moment. There was no more room for second thoughts or indecision, only for happiness. My new philosophy was: ‘Do what makes you happy right now.’ No more suffering, no more sadness, just the importance of asking myself if I was happy today.

All this to say that we often live life as spectators, staying backstage and letting others live it for us, perhaps out of fear of disappointment or anxiety about the outcome. But if there is one thing I have learned, it is that there is nothing more beautiful than living life our way! Making mistakes, experimenting, changing, but always believing in ourselves and remembering how special we are. Knowing ourselves deeply and loving ourselves for who we are is the key to success. Unpleasant things can happen to everyone, but reacting is what makes the difference and makes us proud of ourselves. When we consider what really makes the difference in this life to make it truly meaningful, I believe it deserves our complete involvement and dedication when we prioritize the value of experience, of trying, over the outcome, thus recognizing the fortune of having fully taken part in it and not, as spectators, seen it pass by in the blink of an eye.
So I say, nothing can stop you, always try! If you are convinced and happy, things will go well, but if you don’t try, you will never know. Life, as I said, is a journey with ups and downs, but if you can look at both moments with serenity and positivity, you have already won!”

Megan
"Why my mother left, then, I will never know. I have spent endless hours asking God for an explanation as to why He needed to take her away from me so soon. I still need her in my life – I wasn’t ready to let her go so soon. There were still so many things we wanted to do together in this life and so many topics to talk about. If I had known that the time with her would be so short, I would have hugged her a little longer, spent more time with her, opened up about many more things, and shared mo
Kaelan Yao
"In our preclinical years, before we ever talk to a patient, we first talk among ourselves and then with actors playing the patients. It’s hard! No one tells you how challenging and complex it is to have a conversation that sounds normal with someone while you simultaneously need to gather information, advise them on their problems, and develop a treatment plan. It seems that such a primary and simple part of being human, namely having a conversation, has suddenly become much more difficult. Yet
Ryan Sutherland
"After two years of medical studies, after countless hours spent reviewing lecture notes and exhaustively practicing for anatomy exams, I realize that the knowledge of the human condition is as important, if not more important, than understanding physiology. This realization first dawned on me through my various university experiences. The bold words ‘INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RELATIONS’ etched above the entrance of the Yale School of Medicine remind me that we are more than just scientists. We are als
Ashley Grey
"The first time I visited a hospital, I was 11 years old. Despite my mother having been hospitalized several times before, my parents tried to keep my sister and me away for as long as possible. But that day, there was going to be the hospital admission that would mark the end of all admissions: my mother was receiving a new kidney. I wasn’t bothered by the cacophony of alarms, beeps, and cries. The only thing I could see was my mother. The transplant was successful, but unbeknownst to everyone
Paolo
Business Consultant and Travel Enthusiast in the Orient Liposarcoma (rare tumor) Milan, Italy (Humanitas Rozzano Hospital) “When I turned 18, I took a trip to Venezuela. I had never been to South America before then. In fact, that was my first trip far from home. Far from Milan. To this day, it remains one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had. Venezuela remains in my eyes a landscape of surprising, at times surreal nature. With serene, sociable, lovable daily life scenarios. In sho