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Learning from others can be as rewarding, if not more beneficial. Hence, memoirs are becoming a primary source of unexpected life lessons readers can vicariously learn from.
Memoirs are a window to someone’s life, offering wisdom and inspiration. These become a massive source of unexpected life lessons depending on what the author has chosen to write about in life.
However, in between fiction and memoirs or autobiographies, readers would veer toward the former. Fictional stories are more enjoyable and exciting compared to reading about another person’s triumphs and losses. But between the two, memoirs provide confounded and heartfelt lessons because they came from another’s experiences.
While fiction can also be relatable, memoirs capture the authenticity of reality and the intricacies of humanity. Others may not even label them as literature, given their nature. In fact, scholars have labeled it as a lower form of writing because of how simplistic and, often, straight to the point it can be. Although a source of unexpected life lessons, most memoirs are devoid of the typical literary magic. They’re personal and intimate, a glimpse into another’s life and deepest agonies.
Memoirs allow people to translate their lives into paper, seeing all of it unfold and allowing them to reflect on all its aspects and possibilities. This is why it provides such a perspective on life – a valuable knowledge anyone can learn from.
A Doctor’s Life As A Source Of Unexpected Life Lessons
Dr. Theresa Y. Wee is a testament to how strong memoirs can provide valuable lessons.
Although she walks a different path in life, she gets how it can be wearying. Regardless of which walk of life one is living, life can be a similar weight on anyone’s shoulder. Dr. Theresa understands this. And with this understanding, she has decided to write memoirs designed to uplift and inspire others.
Her memoir life lessons from a doctor wife and mother offer numerous outlook and insights about life which everyone can benefit from. It doesn’t matter if readers won’t resonate with a doctor’s lifestyle or if they aren’t wives and mothers themselves. So long as they advocate and desire a healthy and meaningful life, they can learn a thing or two from Dr. Theresa’s life and books.
My COVID-19 Diary and The Happy, Healthy Revolution offer more than a glimpse into the author’s remarkable and empowering life as a doctor. They also serve as eye-openers to the harsh reality people face, especially regarding health. Her books help them navigate these complexities, touching on resiliency, empowerment, and self-development concepts.
As a source of unexpected life lessons, her books underline multiple takeaways. To break them down into more consumable and comprehensible pieces, here’s a list of what Dr. Theresa wishes to convey.
People Can Hunker Down
Dr. Theresa’s life story is one of strength and resiliency. But it also encourages people to take a step back, put everything down, and prioritize themselves. In her My Covid-19 Diary, she mentions how she hopes everyone chooses to hunker down.
To “hunker down” means to make oneself comfortable in a place or situation. It heartens people to stay in a single place for long durations to achieve a goal or for protection. In life, to make oneself accustomed and comfortable in a single position usually entails a negative connotation.
After all, this can also mean stagnation or the inability to move forward and grow. However, as a source of unexpected life lessons, Dr. Theresa’s book looks at this from a different perspective.
What she means by comfort in a single place is for people to not always seek the hustle and bustle. They shouldn’t desire to be constantly occupied and instead seek rest and pauses. This can also mean developing resiliency by staying in one circumstance regardless of how taxing it can be. People are taught to stand strong in life and fight through their situations.
Everyone Is Struggling
While it’s not as evident, especially with the prevalence of social media in people’s lives, everyone is struggling. They may not show it, but everyone has downsides, and they choose not to broadcast for others to see. Dr. Theresa highlights in her book that regardless of the situations people are in, they’re all carrying a burden. This load is what the doctor aims to address and ease in her books.
As a universal self-help book and a source of unexpected lessons, her memoirs don’t only focus on specific hardships she had to endure. Instead, she created a more generalized guide everyone can tap into and learn from. Her books are perfect for readers, regardless of age, who are going through trouble and uncertainties in life. She has written steps and beliefs to change people’s perspectives and build them better routines to practice.
Indeed, experience is the best experience.
People learn a lot from life through its ups and downs, gaining an impactful and profound understanding of what life truly is. When people act instead of simply observing, they utilize multiple cognitive processes by practicing trial and error and learning from the feedback. This allows them to form solid insights and beliefs about their circumstances.
However, experience doesn’t have to be personal to be valuable.