1. to move, climb, or go upward; mount; rise:The airplane ascended into the clouds.
2. to slant upward.
3. to rise to a higher point, rank, or degree; proceed from an inferior to a superior degree or level:to ascend to the presidency.

Death and taxes may be the two absolutes in life, but I’m going add a third: learning. Every day we spend on this Earth is another day of life experience. Some of it in the form of the international news, some of it a horrible emotional or physical trauma, and lots of it intentional self-improvement.

As I age, this body of mine doesn’t always seem to rebound as I remember. Mentally? Well some would tell me my brain also does not rebound as it should. In some ways that is true, but it makes for a rich experience and a good story. There have been personal interactions, both loving and in conflict, and professional situations that have played out in the hundreds. There has been travel to take in culture abroad, and DIY projects of which I could be proud (through trial and error and lots of YouTube videos). I do feel that I’ve grown an enormous amount, and happy to share what I’ve learned with anyone who seeks advice. I also crave advice from my own mentors.

In fact, one of my favourite parts of reaching middle age is enjoying the confidence and credibility to mentor others, but also recognizing how much I don’t have figured out. I find being both a mentor and mentee very rewarding. Every situation, every piece of knowledge, every resulting emotional reaction pushes me further up the mountain and is potentially useful to someone else.

A feeling of pride to discover a high-risk drug-related problem and potentially save a catastrophic health event? That lesson may be helpful for a colleague. Up we both go.

Warning signs that go unheeded in a broken relationship? That lesson may be helpful to a close friend or family member. Up we both go.

The anxiety of preparing for PEBCs and the expectations of your first day as a newly licensed pharmacist or technician? That lesson is certainly helpful for those experiencing for the first time. Once again, an opportunity for us both to improve ourselves.

Speaking of first times, those will continue to happen whether you like it or not.

As professionals, we experience many firsts in the course of our careers. Things like our first counsel, the first time a patient asks for us specifically to address their concerns, our first medication incident and how destroyed we all felt at the time.

Even after nearly 20 years in the profession, firsts are still happening every week. Recently, an individual arrived at the counter to request a naloxone kit. I was not dispensing, but was onsite for an unrelated administrative matter. I was asked to perform the counsel. Having undergone the training, I had not yet had the opportunity to put that knowledge in practice. A younger me may have hesitated, but the whole time I had Laura, PharmAspire editor, on my shoulder. She is very passionate about mental health issues and the ongoing opioid crisis. She would NOT let me have this individual walk away without a naloxone kit, so I needed to step up. I reviewed the material once more, took my time to slow a slightly elevated heart-rate, and proceeded to have a positive patient interaction. It brightened my day and boosted me just a little bit higher.

At the risk of sounding smarmy, every day can offer a gift if we choose to accept it. A good friend of mine close to retirement told me the other day that even after 41 years, he still loves pharmacy and is amazed at the constant change. Every day, he wakes up and finds some way to add on to the amazing career he has built. It may be a clinical nugget about NOACs, or a new way to phrase a difficult conversation about a cancer diagnosis. He will miss the chance to use those pearls in a structured setting, and the smiles of all of the people he has helped through the years. Many have become life-long friends.

That is a career I can only hope to emulate. As for now, I can’t quite see his current plateau just yet, but I’m making decent progress of my own.

Another foothold on the mountain.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.