Cabrera, Andrina G.

Module A: Assignment
PT-1B September 16, 2023

VIDEO

“Once we let go of our massively intuitive but massively false assumption about the nature of reality, it opens up
new ways to think about life's greatest mystery. I bet that reality will end up turning out to be more fascinating and
unexpected than we've ever imagined.” – David Hoffman

This specific statement caught my attention because I was shaken by the idea of not just being enclosed to one
single thought, that though we are taught of the similar concepts in life – for instance, rules, these too are bound to
change based on how we perceive them in life. To me, I see this as a statement of saying we should learn to let go of
“false assumptions” as Hoffman stated and allow ourselves to see more than what meets the eye. Go beyond the box
that society traps us in. Allow one’s self to discover and go further to discover endless possibilities.

Now, this statement may be of use to me especially in my field of work. In the healthcare field you cannot just go
by the books and follow what these authors have written. You have to be versatile, quick to think, and are able to adapt
to situations which may require more than what was taught in class. One must not be entrapped with what has only
been told. One has to apply to each specific situation what was once discussed in class to unique experiences that may
be given to me as I encounter patients in the future. No one patient is similar to the other, which is why I shall
continuously learn from these experiences every single day. Same goes with my personal life. No single day is same as
the other. And while they may seem routinary from time to time, I am unaware that these things constantly change
because I let go of the idea that they are in fact routinary. That even when I run on the same schedule, there are lots of
things happening to me that are actually different from the days that have passed.

ARTICLE

Stanford University physicist Andrei Linde on his concept regarding the fairy tale about two frogs in a can of sour
cream. How one of the frogs just gave up and drowned in sour cream, while the other frog just kept kicking and kicking.
Then suddenly the sour cream was churned into butter and he was able to leap. Specifically, Linde’s statement: “ So you
look at the sour cream and you think, 'There is no way I can do anything with that.' But sometimes, unexpected things
happen.”

Simple. Life is such an unpredictable concept that you can never tell what happens to you. It’s such a beautiful
thing to think of, yet also jarring. It makes you think so deep that it drowns you into several conclusions. You think of the
past but at the same time think of the future. You’re unsure whether you take that leap or just give up. Most of the time
you choose to take the risk and somehow, you are surprised that these decisions lead you to situations you never
thought you would be able to handle. And while there are times when you do “drown” like the first frog, there are just
those days when you smile to yourself and find yourself fighting and winning. It’s as if you consider it a miracle, when in
fact you just chose to take that leap of faith. It was all on you all along.

With life being such an unpredictable and sometimes funny thing that happens to all of us, I think the best way
this statement could be of use for me is whenever the universe decides that I experience the most gut-wrenching and
draining moments in life – that I end up almost giving up, crying all night long, but still choosing to fight anyway. Then,
just as I think there is no hope left, I find a light within the tunnel and realize that I can do it anyway. That living for the
hope of it all was in fact worth it. It’s painful, yet unexpectedly I did survive it. This statement is best applied both in my
profession and personal life as a powerful motivation. That despite it being tiring, sometimes dreadful, demanding, and
draining, there is after all that glimpse of certainty that it shall pass too.