Still Fighting: Reflections on Progress, Pain, and Purpose
Articles | Still Fighting: Reflections on Progress, Pain, and Purpose
Sometimes I sit in stillness and reflect on the sheer amount of energy I’ve poured into my journey—into volunteering, building a strong academic and professional track record, uplifting others, and investing in meaningful relationships. I think about the degrees I’ve earned, the lives I’ve touched, the communities I’ve supported—and still, I find myself asking a painful, lingering question:
“How am I still not making progress?”
To hold the highest degree attainable, to be dedicated to service, and still feel unhirable is disheartening. And I know—I’m not alone in this experience. Many of us are caught in a space between effort and recognition, success and struggle, confidence and uncertainty.
As I sit here, fighting a week-long headache, I can’t help but wonder:
Will my blood pressure stay under control?
Will my lupus remain stable enough to allow me to live freely?
Will I be financially secure while relying solely on a small business that I’ve built with love and hope?
Of course, I don’t have the answers to these questions. And maybe you don’t either—for your life, your transitions, or your fears. But here’s the real question I want to ask today:
How do you manage the stress of transition?
Do you follow the Life’s Simple 7, as outlined by the American Heart Association (AHA)?
Manage blood pressure
Control cholesterol
Reduce blood sugar
Get active
Eat better
Lose weight
Stop smoking
For me, the one thing I have consistently clung to is my commitment to clean eating, staying active, and most importantly, surrounding myself with positive people.
These people may not hold the keys to my next job or career move, but they help me stay balanced and grounded. They remind me of the Middle Way—a place of steady perseverance, not extreme highs or lows, where I can just be.
They’ve been instrumental in helping me avoid depression during some of my darkest days. Their presence, kindness, and acceptance have given me the strength to keep fighting. Not because they need anything from me—but because they see me, even when others don’t.
I’ve struggled deeply with feeling unseen—by employers, by some loved ones, by the very systems I’ve given so much to. But those who remain in my life, who stay not for what I offer but because they believe in who I am, are a lifeline.
I love hard. I feel deeply. And I channel my overthinking into research, advocacy, and meaningful action. It’s my way of transforming anxiety into productivity, and pain into purpose.
So now I ask you, dear reader:
How do you stay grounded when your path feels uncertain? What practices help you stay emotionally and physically well in times of transition?
Let’s talk about it. Not just as professionals or people with resumes, but as humans—complex, striving, resilient, and worthy.
You are not alone. And neither am I.
