“You’ll be the best in this field”, Toke’s father would always say. Toke’s father is a cardiologist, who has a daughter, Toke, with the ambition of becoming a medical doctor. Besides, her mother, a devout Christian, had a different focus/point. She wanted her to be a virtuous woman, active in church, balancing spiritual growth with her studies. With the pressure of her parents’ expectation and her own ambitions, she gained admission into medical school filled with determination.
Toke was committed to her goal of becoming the best graduating student, but she soon realized that it won’t be easy. Her first two years felt like being thrown into a whirlwind. The courses were demanding with endless hours of lectures, dissection labs and study groups. Her mates were equally talented so the atmosphere was highly competitive.
Toke soon became aware of the pressures around her. “Med school would swallow you whole if you let it”, one of her senior, Femi, told her. He was someone excelling in extracurriculars, student politics, entrepreneurship and the likes of it. He advised her to build connections outside the classroom, warning that being book-smart alone wasn’t enough to make her stand out. However, Her friends were on the opposing side of this. “Come on we can’t let our parents down, No distractions”, her best friend, Lola would always remind her.
Then came the pressures from church. “Medical school is tough but don’t let it make you forget your relationship with God. He’ll see you through if you stay devoted.” Her pastor encouraged her to join the outreach team and choir , urging her to stay connected to with the body of Christ. “This is right!” Toke thought, “but can I handle it all?”.
As time went on she noticed the expense. Her energy drained, her social life non-existent, and the academic rigours ceaseless. She was so traumatized.
One evening Toke sat in a library. “But how? How would I become the obedient and successful daughter my parents want, the best student I dream of, the perfect role model Femi and my friends imagine, the very spiritual and devout Christian my pastor expects? How?”, Toke thought deeply. The pressure was suffocating. She sighed out loud, being ignorant of the Janet, who had been staring at her for a while.
Janet, a top student known for her calm presence observed her worried look. “Looks like you’ve got the whole world on you shoulders”, Janet said, sitting beside her. “You know we all have different weights to carry”, Janet said. “But the key isn’t carrying it all at once. You have to lay some things down, irrespective of the pressure.” she continued. Toke looking confused said “But if I lay something down. I’ll never be the best if I stop”. Janet smiled and said softly, “you don’t have to stop though, you just need to learn what’s worth running after. You won’t find that in everyone else’s advice except in your own heart”. Janet ended the conversation here due to her bulky target for the day’s reading hour. Toke left the Library that day pondering on these words
Even though it took time, Toke began to change the way she approached her days. She chose her activities wisely. She stopped allowing the quest to be the best consume her. Rather, she continued to push on with these words, and was able to acquire her desired grades and became the woman of her dreams.
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