A Season of Change: Investment Progress, Personal Loss, and What Comes Next

Mid-Year Investment Fund Update

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you readers on the investment fund. It now sits at $2,061 as of today, as the market continues to churn at the hands of the president and the chaos that has been coming out of Washington since January. Still, I am over halfway to the goal for this year, which is $2,500 by end of year.

School has kept me busy, from researching positions to keeping an eye on discounted companies. However, I have decided to take summer off to shift attention here, toward our personal accounts and the private investment fund. Not to mention, the sole reason I’ll be taking summer off is the recent passing of my mentor.

It’s important to process it all so I can continue to operate within my frameworks and mental models behind the scenes, something I am afraid I have fallen off of.

Rebuilding My Health and Focus

My fitness, for example, has taken a back seat. But these last two months I have been back on track and I see my body changing back. My health has become foremost, more important to me than sitting down at a desk completing assignments right away.

I am still an A student, haven’t had anything other than an A- that made me change my study habits. Not long ago, I wrote about how I want to be the best B+ student, and although that hasn’t manifested, I did end up going to class for the first time unprepared because I chose to take a day for my health, and I don’t regret it.

I was aware of the quiz to be had. It was worth 5 points. I got zero. And for the first time, instead of feeling upset or downtrodden, I was okay.

Redefining Success and Letting Go of Perfection

I’ll be in university for another year, and I refuse to let my health and fitness sit idle in the background, working against me while trying to build a future. It defeats the entire purpose.

There was a time when medical school was front and center, and so the grades had to be perfect in order to be just barely competitive. But as I have veered off that path, I am wondering if I should keep up the high performance. After all, I did write that article on being a B+ student as my goal, and I can’t help but wonder if it will make me not only a better student but also a wiser individual.

Because then, the pressure will be off the grades, and instead, the focus will shift to me doing what I love most: soaking up everything under the sun, learning what I can, engaging with it, taking chances to see if I understand the connections and patterns between concepts and subjects.

Which I can’t do when the focus is on checking boxes and making sure I do just well enough to pass with anything higher than an A-.

Grieving, Growing, and Making Space for New Connections

This summer will be the focus of reconnecting with self and processing the changes that have happened over the last 18 months, from the moment of thinking my friend was sick, to knowing she was before she did, to getting confirmation, to knowing this was serious and that it would take her life, to throwing myself entirely into school without regard for self.

I plan to come out of this a better version of myself, one that has at least made peace with the idea of her being in another realm, connecting with her in a different way. It’s a bit rough, but I always end up okay.

And as mentioned earlier on this blog, I might have met someone new. They remind me of my dear friend/mentor in that they have a caring heart. And are very community-focused. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them had crossed paths without knowing it. Still, when I interact with them, it feels like we were meant to connect. Not sure what it is, but it’s nice.

And if it turns out to be something, I get the feeling it could turn into one of those greatest life stories where love transcends all, as we both have a lot of similarities in how we approach life.

It’s funny because just over a year ago, my mentor/dear friend and I were at the zoo, and she told me she didn’t want my focus to be what keeps me away from finding love or being open to it, and it’s like a silent promise to her that I am willing to keep as I venture out on this journey.

Next Steps: Becoming a Certified Financial Planner

I’m on the path of becoming a Certified Financial Planner, as I’ve found that I just have a natural calling and ability to help people with their financial matters, no matter their background. People feel comfortable telling me their most vulnerable financial secrets, and I am honored and fortunate to be that kind of person they can trust.

I’ve been looking forward to enrolling in the Boston University CFP program after graduating from the University of Washington, which should happen at the end of next year or at the end of fall quarter if all goes well and according to plan.

It feels a bit weird giving up all other paths, like medical school and PhD tracks, the former being a very serious focus of mine. So much so that it’s the reason I was so hell-bent on keeping good grades. I even have a huge file on Notion with everything and all things for medical school, as if I were already studying for the MCAT and accepted to a program.

Anyway, that is the update for now. It’s been a while, and I wanted to write/document this time in my life, as I get the feeling it’s only going to get better from here on out, and I wanted to share it with someone.

Thanks for reading. Until next time, take care.