Early today at work, I was able to talk to a colleague. We were not necessarily friends, but his warm and cordial disposition made me want to strike up a conversation with him and boy did I have fun."How was your weekend," he asked. "Oh, I just stayed home. It was too cold to go out. I had my afternoon walk but that was it," I shared. "Do you still have classes after work," I inquired out of curiosity. "Just French classes," he answered back. "Do you mean you're done with school," I asked some more. "Yeah, I'm about to start my PhD come May under the wing of Caroline," he said, matter of factly. At this point, surprise was clearly visible on my face. He looked so young (and also unassuming, if I may add) he could pass for a twenty year old guy. He went on to share he finished his Master's in Spain and he wanted to try working in Canada for a change in environment. He decided to pursue his PhD, focusing on optical laser. He was optimistic it could help detect and cure cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. It could revolutionize health care. He then plans to go back to work in Europe and eventually settle in his hometown, Mexico, and apply all his learning to help his countrymen. Patriotic at its finest.
And then it dawned on me, this guy was willing to go through great lengths for his dreams. Nothing in life ever comes easy and that's why he's putting in so much of his time and brain cells to get what he wants. He was truly invested and it was humbling hearing his story. Now, I am truly inspired by it. Some day, somehow, I hope my dreams will come to realization. No matter how long it takes, I hope to persevere.
Go on and take that first step to reach out to a coworker or colleague. Who knows where a small talk would lead to? :)
