I once weighed 62 kg with a BMI of 26.5 and was included in the overweight category, and this happened because I often went out of town and went on culinary tours in that place and held meetings at hotels that served tasty food. Besides that, due to the high workload, I often feel pressured and relaxed with food. As a result of being overweight, I often feel sleepy and tired quickly at work, and sometimes I also feel pain in the left chest area. I finally decided to go on a diet and exercise regularly. It is tough to do because of the busy schedule and mobility. I tried to learn how to diet by watching many videos on YouTube and found diet influencers who gave complete knowledge about diet based on research evidence in journals. I had never been to a gym before, and I decided to become a gym member and set a calorie deficit diet. Initially, I weighed all my meals and recorded the number of calories I ate each day. I lost weight up to 54 Kg with a BMI of 23.1, and the percentage of fat in my body also decreased from 35% to 27%. I now adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious food and a calorie deficit and exercising every day. I feel healthier, and chest pain complaints have also disappeared. Lifestyle changes can be done if we have high motivation, knowledge, and have a support system.

I once had a dream of becoming a beautiful novelist but upon my insecurity and inner indecisiveness I won’t able to achieve my dream. I was scared, scared that I would get the bad criticisms. Horrified by the things that yet to happen. Those pushed me to point that I couldn’t even strut out of comfort zone to pursue my only dream. But on that Sunday morning, on my friend birthday, I designed to buy a novel as a gift. I read the brief author’s biography with his photo (perfectly retouched, of course!). And what he said hit me in a depth of my soul. He said he just wanted to be a writer and all he had to do was writing, even if he had never get published or received bad criticisms because that was what he love to do – just write!. At that moment, something that once extinguished had re-ignited again within me. I thought “Well, I want it too, but something has to change. I can’t always be about sheltering in this comfort zone”. I has started to learn about the plot and structure from the books and gradually build my own story plot, everything is going fine. My thoughts has changed, my eyes shine brighter, my voice is softer, my lip corners raise higher, now my feet are firmly stand outside the comfort zone. I couldn’t care less about the forthcoming criticisms as I couldn’t care more about my desire to write – I just write!.

I use to study and work at the same hospital for 12 years (medical students, residency training, and working as a staff). I have a good opportunity to train family practice right after I graduated MD and the opportunity to continue my career as a family physician instructor at the same workplace. I have never changed my workplace since I entered the university. Being a family physician who involves primary care tasks but never steps out of a tertiary care setting (university hospital) really questions myself about my potential of being a family physician. However, after working for 3 years I realized that life in the university as a primary physician in a tertiary hospital didn’t suit me, and I have been married for 2 years, but I have to live alone (my wife works in a different province).

So I decided to quit my old job and start my new job as a family physician in a public hospital the same as my wife. Here I have opportunities to practice primary care, live with my family, and have my new mentor here advise me to take this course.

Overall, the risk I took to step out of my comfort zone is really worth it!

Thanks for sharing Professor and dear classmates.

Here’s mine. I shared this story on my graduation day post in Facebook. I figured out this story fits this week’s topic discussion.

I was, at that time, a Computer Engineering freshman at a prestigious university. It was during the subject enlistment of second semester when I realized and stood firmly on who I want to be, and what I want to become in the future. I wanted to be a health professional. I know I can never go back to my home college if I fail to get accepted on another college / university. I was afraid that I will hold a “floating” status in the university.

I took all the risks. My classmates then were very determined to be future engineers, but I wasn’t. I took entirely different subjects from them. I didn’t know anyone on the classes. I was shy person back then – my classmates were either upperclassmen, or had already group of friends which was impenetrable. I went as far as applying to other universities and took their respective examinations.

One by one, these universities rejected my application. I was lost, and a lot of times I pondered, “Did I make the right choice?” I was ready to leave my university but the College of Pharmacy found me. The experience wasn’t all that easy, but the rollercoaster of successes and failures made me the person I never knew I would become. Humbling as it may seem, but it was all worth the risk. It was fulfilling to see myself excel in my chosen field. Have I chosen Computer Engineering, I may not have met the some of the most amazing people I now cherish.

I think the most valuable learning from my experience is that, sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone to find yourself. Luck may not always be on your side but good things come to those who wait.

I very rarely spoke in public and when I did, I feel very nervous. However, one day, my supervisor was assigning me and my teammate to make a module and give a teaching on how to use Geographical Information System (GIS) for malaria surveillance to a group of malaria health officers. I was okay making a module, but I never had the experience to teach in public, so I am very reluctant to say yes for the teaching part. My supervisor then encouraged me said that it will be okay since I am paired with my teammate, we can take turns and cover each other. He also will be there for doing an introduction before we teach and have our back. It was really assuring, I finally said okay I would like to try to teach the participants.

I was stuttering a lot at first, I was very nervous. When the class was over, I feel I could melt to the floor. However, that nervousness was gone when I saw the participant demonstrate their ability in creating maps after they take the class. That was really boosted my confidence. I am glad that I step out of my comfort zone and had taken the part in teaching. I still feel very nervous when I have to speak in public but now I am having more confidence after several teaching activities.

To be an early morning person is worthy. Two years ago, I listened to the podcast “mission to the moon” about how good that early morning person can be, which fascinates me. In the past, I usually get up around 6.30 am, and I rushed to work every day. So I decided to change my routine morning by waking up earlier, around 5.30 am. As a result, I have time to list and set priorities for my tasks on that day. I do treadmill exercise run and find some good coffee and breakfast. After I wake up earlier, I focus more on jobs, and my task is more complete and effective. However, to be an early morning person is not that easy, especially when I have nighttime jobs.

When I was at the school, I used to quite introvert person (of course, right now I’m still be!), I never took extra tutorial class or even went to the cinema with my friends on the weekend. I don’t like to attend to any activities in the school. One day, I found the brochure of a university which quite far from my home (in my opinion that day). I don’t know what I thought that day but I decide right away that I would like to attend in this university. Although my friend told me that this university teach in English which is quite hard for me who have fair grade in class, I agree with myself that I have to do it no matter people say. I decided to go take the examination, it was quite anxious for the one who never step out of the comfort zone. I was failed at first and many people including my teacher said that ‘I told you, you must fail for sure’. It was quite disappointed me but I thought I won’t give up. I went to took the examination again in another round and that round I can attend to that university as I intended. I was very happy and grateful. From the person who don’t like to associate to any activities at first, I was attend to most of activities in the university. I think it is because I can achieve the goal that I decided and it makes everything delightful. I was found the friendship and experiences from there aside from academic context. I think it is really worthy to believe in yourself and walk through the goal no matter how something or someone distract you.

I started my career as a laboratory technician in Japan. It was in my 5th year working in the laboratory of a general hospital, when I found a call for a registration for international relief and development operations.

It was not an easy decision, because the deployment to underdeveloped countries in post-disaster or under conflict situations would involve security risks, while working in a laboratory in Japan seemed very stable and comfortable back then. The registration led to my first mission in one of the African countries under internal conflict.

My decision to sign the agreement has changed my career path drastically. I have participated in about ten emergency operations since then, and ended up resigning from the comfortable general hospital.
However, despite the difficult working conditions both mentally and physically, I have no regrets about my decision (so far) thanks to the rewarding experiences I had in the fields.

Thank you everybody for sharing intriguing stories.

I would like to share my story here. It’s about improving my English skills.
Since I was young, I was good in studying English in school but It was just about grammar.
When I started studying in high school, I found that most friends can do well in all English skills other than grammar, including speaking, listening and writing. So English was my weakness since that time and it was getting clearer that English was my weakness when I was in a medical school.

I tried try to improve my English skill by watching, listening, and reading in English, but there was no significant effect. When I graduated, I decided to spend a huge amount of my saving account to study English that I would have chances to talk with native speakers. Moreover, I tried harder to read news and everything in English even I didn’t understand it all. I gradually improved my English skills since then. I confidently talked with foreigner when I traveled abroad and I can watch, study and reading in English much better. For me, a huge amount spent for the English course changed my life forever and it was the most worth spending.

I love traveling and doing new activities since childhood. Before, I was afraid to do new things alone and relied on friends and family, especially for a trip. It was difficult to have the same available date when I planned for a trip with friends or family which led to cancellation multiple times. I felt down about that but still didn’t dare to travel alone due to fear and shyness. One day, I said to myself that I should stop relying on other people, start doing something on my own and go out to see the world. Therefore, I started traveling abroad alone since then. I went to somewhere near first, then further. After traveling alone for the first trip, I actually like it so much. I felt free to do and plan anything on my own, meeting diverse people and I gained several experiences so far, both great and bad. Beyond the comfort zone, I found myself being more confident and open-minded. Nowadays, traveling alone, meeting new people, exchanging experiences have become my favorite things.

I worked in rural public hospitals for three years. This was an excellent experience for me until my last year as an intern. A job became more routine and mentally demanded me. I had a work shift for three days in a row, a couple of times a month. There was also no scholarship that suited me. Despite the difficult situation, I thought this job was a comfortable life because changing to a new job may be more challenging.

Last year I had an opportunity from my friends working at a regional health center in my hometown. They told me that this center holds a vacant position, so I decided to quit my old job to fill this position. At first, I need to accommodate a lower-paid job. But I have peace of mind and good health than ever before. Currently, I have a good opportunity to attend several conference and education which my director fully supported. Such as YSEALI program, NCD fellowship program from DDC, short course on occupational physician, to name a few.

I want to share one of my previous experiences working in a remote health center. There were limited staff and resources but the patient flow was quite high. So, the next day the meeting was conducted and I’ve noticed a few things which when changed can improve the facility and the health outcome of patients. A triage system was introduced for the patient and coaching leadership was implemented for staff which yield a positive outcome for both the staff and the patients.