Nothing Is Final: A Doctor’s Journey from Ridicule to Resilience and Impact

Nothing Is Final — Until You Decide It Is

Fifteen years ago, I was a young Consultant Physician at Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Thanjavur.

Few years out of CMC, Vellore — full of dreams, doubts, and that quiet fire that only comes after surviving struggle.

I still remember those early days — the long hours, the smell of disinfectant and coffee, the sound of slippers echoing in hospital corridors.

Life wasn’t glamorous then, but it was deeply alive.

Sometimes, when I pause and look back, it still feels surreal.

Because there was a time people laughed when I said I wanted to be a doctor.

They said, “Impossible… he won’t make it.”

Some told my father, “Your son is useless.”

One close relative said "Go to work man. Lazy bugger. " It hurt bad.

It hurt — not because they said it, but because a small part of me feared they might be right.

But something inside — quiet, stubborn, and divine — refused to give up.

So, I studied harder.

I failed, then rose again.

I fell sick, then healed stronger.

I doubted myself, but kept walking anyway.

I almost quit, but learnt to walk again...

And one day, I found myself in that white coat, a Doctor, a Consultant, a Ayya sir, caring for patients — not as a dreamer, but as a doctor who was their only hope....

That’s when I learnt one of life’s deepest lessons:

Nothing is final until you decide it is final.

Everything changes.

Failure softens into wisdom.

Pain becomes perspective.

And rejection — strangely — becomes redirection.

The Emotional Wellness Insight

When we talk about wellness, we often think of food, sleep, or exercise.

But the real wellness often begins much deeper — in how we process pain, self-doubt, and setbacks.

Emotional wellness is not about avoiding hurt. It’s about learning to trust that what hurts today may heal you tomorrow.

At 25, I thought the world was ending when I failed or was ridiculed.

At 35, I realised — it was only beginning.

What fuels your outer world — success, calm, recognition — is the inner decision to keep believing, keep doing, and keep forgiving.

The inner work always comes first.

The outer world follows quietly behind.

A New Journey of Impact

Now, after 25 years of learning, healing, and serving, another journey has begun — a journey of impact.

It feels different. It feels lonely. Not even your closest people may understand or support you.

This is a path of Grace.

It feels messy. It feels hopeless. It feels like giving up.

And yet — the old experiences of 25 years push me ahead.

Alone. Silent. With faith and belief.

In Grace.

It is a journey to give.

A journey to change.

A journey to impact, to inspire, to take charge.

This is what emotional wellness at its deepest level looks like — not the absence of challenge, but the quiet courage to keep walking anyway.

A Reflection for You

If you’re going through a phase where nothing seems to make sense — pause, breathe, and remember:

What feels like an ending might just be the starting line of something magnificent.

Everything will pass.

And someday, you’ll look back and smile — not because it was easy, but because it made you you.