There is something I have seen many times but only later did I understand its meaning: why do horses often wear eye patches?
At first, I thought it was just part of the harness.
But when I asked people with experience watching horse racing, playing horses and raising horses, I understood the reason behind it.
Horses have very wide vision.
In the wild, that is an advantage, as they can quickly recognize movements around them.
But in some situations, that ability to see too widely makes them easily distracted.
– A side movement.
– Another horse ran nearby.
– A sudden noise from behind.
Just a moment of loss of concentration can cause the horse to startle, lose rhythm or lose direction.
So some horses are given eye patches.
Not so they can’t see anything.
But to limit movements to the sides and rear, helping them focus more on the road ahead.
Hearing that, I suddenly thought of my journey to study medicine and become a doctor in the US .
Up to now, I have been a doctor in America for nearly 10 years.
But when I was on the journey to become a doctor in America, I had very unsteady times.
While my peers are working, have a stable income, buying a house, getting married and building their own lives, I myself am still struggling with studying for exams.
Looking back, I realize that the thing that easily frustrates me the most is not necessarily a very difficult path.
It’s about looking here and there, then losing your focus
Indeed, there are periods in life when we need to broaden our horizons, learn a lot and consider many options.
But once we have thought carefully and know clearly where we want to go, we need to put on an eye patch.
– Not to live blindly.
– Not to refuse all suggestions.
– But to protect your concentration from unnecessary distractions.
Because big journeys rarely give you rewards right from the start.
Looking back on my journey, for a very long time, all I could do was:
– Study one more chapter.
– Do one more question.
– Pass one more exam.
– Take one small step further.
No one clapped.
There are no clear results.
There is no guarantee that all efforts will pay off.
But nearly 10 years after becoming a doctor in the US, looking back, I understand that it was those small, silent steps that brought me here.
Not a breakthrough moment.
Not a great decision.
But there are many normal days, I still continue even though I haven’t seen results yet.
There are times when, if you want to go far, you need to look widely.
But there are also times when, if you want to reach the finish line, you need to focus all your efforts on one path.
What do you think about these shares? Please comment to let me know.
Please share if you find it useful!
Dr. Christina Nguyen
Phoenix Medical Academy
