With Allah's Help, Success Against the Odds

As-salamu alaykum. Success is refusing to accept your current situation. Who I am: I'm a 23-year-old male. What I faced: * Diagnosed with severe learning disabilities (was in special needs classes as a kid) * Nearly held back in elementary school * Parents divorced when I was young * Bullied all through childhood (almost no friends, rarely invited to birthdays) * My father, who I was very close to, died by suicide days before my 13th birthday and our family broke apart * In college I was falsely accused of stealing (wrong place, wrong time) and had to go to court to clear my name * Had to break up after 2 years with the woman I intended to marry because I couldn't see a future together even though I loved her deeply Growing up I lived with constant depression and anger at my circumstances, but I kept telling myself I wouldn't be a victim and, with Allah's help, I would succeed even if no one believed me. I worked my tail off to catch up to classmates. I earned a near-perfect GPA in college, took the medical entrance exam twice, and now I'm in medical school (MD) and doing well. I'm fit, I'm making progress, and Alhamdulillah I am proud of myself. I'm not saying this to brag - I say it to remind others that you have control over your future. Things don't just happen to you; you act to make them happen. Work as hard as you can until you can't do more, and then keep going. I went from a life that felt hopeless to a future full of promise and people who genuinely want the best for me. I intend to become a psychiatrist to help those who lacked mental health access like my father did, Insha'Allah. If I could tell my younger self or any young Muslim brother out there, this is what I'd say: 1. Exercise - take care of the body Allah gave you. 2. Don't spend time with people you don't want to become like. 3. Do it scared, do it tired, do it sad - keep moving. 4. Find something you want with all your heart, make a plan, and follow it. 5. If your goals don't scare you, they're not big enough. I hope this gives someone a bit of hope. I just had a moment sitting here studying forearm muscles and thought, SubhanAllah, I've made it this far! Alright, I'm going back to studying. JazakAllahu khairan for reading.