Do you ever find yourself stuck in the āwhat ifsā when it comes to your health or career?
Like, what if Iād taken that opportunity to study biology in Canada?
Or what if I had passed that med school entrance exam?
And then thereās the big oneāwhat if COVID hadnāt completely changed my plans and future?
These moments of wondering about roads not taken arenāt just about lifeāthey can relate to our health journeys too.
Sometimes I think about those alternate pathsāwhat if Iād chosen a different specialization, or taken more time for self-care before burnout hit?
What if some setbacks hadnāt happened?
Would I be the therapist I am today?
Would I have developed the same understanding and empathy I bring to my patients?
These questions remind me how a single momentāa decision, an event, or even a health crisisācan redirect our entire path.
But hereās the thing: none of those āwhat ifā scenarios built my current life or my practice.
Iāve built this through hard work, setbacks, and lessons learned the hard way.
Iāve seen patients lose hope and rebuild their strength, and Iāve learned that recovery isnāt perfect, but itās real and meaningful.
The knowledge Iāve gained from my experiencesāand from my patientsā storiesāshapes how I treat today.
In physiotherapy, just like in life, we often see people comparing their progress to othersā highlight reelsāperfect posture, flawless movement, speedy recoveries.
But behind every success are hours of struggle, frustration, and persistence.
What you see isnāt the full picture, and it never is.
Real healing is messy, imperfect, and deeply personal.
Itās easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others or replaying the āwhat ifsā in our headsābut that mindset only drags us down and steals our peace.
Instead, letās shift focus to appreciating the whole story of who we are right now, scars and all.
š§Ŗ Letās Experiment
Stop dwelling on āwhat ifsā and embrace your unique journeyā
flaws, struggles, and all.
Donāt waste time being jealous of other peopleās lives or stuck on your “what ifs.” It only makes you unhappy and poisons your mind.
You canāt just cherry-pick the parts you like. You have to take the whole packageāflaws, experiences (both good and bad), how you see yourself, your family, your achievements, and your lossesāor nothing at all.
šÆ Try This:
Next time you catch yourself comparing or wondering āwhat if,ā pause and ask:
Would I truly want to trade lives with that personāchallenges, doubts, and all?
If the answer is no, let it go.
Redirect that energy toward your own path instead.
š§ Final Thought:
Comparison fades when you see your life for what it truly isāuniquely yours, with strengths no one else can replicate. Own your story. Thatās where real confidence begins.
Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learningāyouāve got this.
Take care,
Carina š¦
