"Quote It"

Approaching the last few weeks of my education calls for a time of reflection. As I look back over the last couple of years, I reflect on my journey to become a speech language pathologist.  The following quotes describe the feelings and emotions that accompany my adventure. 

All your hard work will soon pay off
                       ~Fortune Cookie

When you stop learning, stop listening, stop looking and stop asking questions, always new questions, then it is time to die.
                     ~Lillian Smith

All things are difficult before they are easy.
                   ~Thomas Fuller

Be prepared.
                  ~Boy Scout Motto

I chose these quotes which seem to describe my experience in the journey of becoming a speech pathologist.  The first quote received from a fortune cookie was perhaps the main reason I was able to keep going each week. Knowing that I would soon be rewarded for all of my hard work helped me to understand the importance of pushing forward.  Appreciating yourself and all of your hard work is the only thing that helped me to be successful in graduate school while tackling a full-time job, full-time graduate school, and running a household. As I approach the last few weeks of my education I can see how everything is coming together. 

The second quote by Lillian Smith describes the continuos learning cycle that we must pursue throughout the course of our lives. A speech pathologist must realize that their education is never finished. An important part of this occupation is continuing to learn and gather new information.  Staying on top of the latest practices and trends will help me to provide my patients with the highest level of care that will be beneficial.
The third quote, "All things are difficult before they are easy"describes the experiences that I have endured through my schooling.  Some of the practices and procedures used to intimidate me and seemed very difficult until I learned how to do them and was able to achieve competency in areas. Believing in yourself and gaining confidence is very important in this line of work for the purpose of serving your clients in an accurate way.
The final quote represents the Boy Scout Motto. This motto is so important for every aspect of life and I feel that it sums up how speech pathologist should feel each time they walk into a room. Being prepared physically and mentally provided a stable foundation for the SLP to build from. Physical preparation can include the use of materials, test protocols, and supplies while mental preparation is important for understanding what you will do with the client and how it will be effective in the role of treatment.