"I Never Had to Choose my Subject - My Subject Rather Chose Me" - Weiran Liu

Fears: losing my family and friends, losing my way, not being able to be there for someone, never being able to run/swim again

Annoyances: hypocrites, people who don't put forth even the minimal effort, when one tries to argue with a closed mind, people who look down upon others, false statements of empathy, nerve damage in my shoulders/back

Accomplishments: good grades, track and swimming PR's, disciplining myself to recover from injuries, still keeping my sanity

Confusions: why people sacrifice who they are in order to "fit in", why do people with lots of talent and potential just throw it away

Sorrows: thinking of the hardships of parenthood and all the struggles they go through (my mom is one of the strongest people I know), 10 yr anniversary of my dad's passing, the current health of my uncle

Dreams: to be able to do what I love (actuarial work, physical therapy, etc.) and to support my family and spend time with them. To be living on the coast where I can run in the morning and paddle board in the afternoon.

Idiosyncrasies: messily organized, if its written down it must be done, quoting random events/things

Risks: a day of saying yes, deep sea diving, betting, surgery

Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: stuffed animals (then), car, ear buds, free runs (now)

Problems: an outsider on the inside, cross-cultures, never getting enough sleep

Expanding on Annoyances: Yeah, I totally understand what you're going through. How many of us have heard this? Probably all of us. Its appreciated since the person is trying to offer comfort, but personally I find it a little insulting at times, especially if that phrase is said initially in a conversation. Only the surface has been revealed, and not nearly the whole span of the situation has been covered. Surely many people go through similar experiences, but everyone experiences things in different ways. On top of that, many times we don't really know what is truly going on in the personal lives of many. I feel like that statement (one example of what I consider "false empathy") can be appropriate at times, but when said by a person who has not attempted to find out why or what is going on - its just stupid. I really think that we need to be more careful before we just throw out things like that before attempting to find out more or seeing the situation from the others' perspective.