Going Against The Flow

People have good intentions, that's something I try to acknowledge all the time. 'Good intentions' aren't always the best things for you though. Sometimes, to get what you want or to do the right thing for you, you have to go against people's intentions and wants of you as much as you, and they, may dislike it. This small revelation comes to me today after...well, I can't call it an argument because it wasn't, but it was an exchange of words between me and my Mother that made me realise this.
For a while now my career ambition has been Medicine and I've been very enthusiastic and determined about it. It's not the easiest of careers to get into though. Putting aside the AAB grades required at A level to do it, you also need do as much work experience, GP shadowing, weekend courses, volunteer work etc. as you can to show, basically, that you've made an informed decision and that you're in it for more than just money. That's important because when you've got people's lives in your hands you need to be motivated by selflessness and not money.
So I've been trying to organise volunteer work at a local hospital and, to do that, I had to name two referees that they would contact for references. The first reference was sent without a problem but the second took longer for a reason that I cannot fathom. After a while my second referee was contacted for a reference and he sent one off...but a month later I heard nothing from them and, after emailing, was informed that they had not received the reference. Putting aside my arguments of etiquette and common courtesy (because this blog isn't about that) I mentioned this situation to my Mother and she stated that 'If they didn't bother telling you they didn't have the reference, they're clearly not bothered'. It's a fair point to say, I admit, but the hospital scheme holds the power in this situation because of one simple thing: I need the experience, they don't need me. That's exactly what I said to my Mother and she replied that what I needed was money and a job that would get me it.
This moment was the realisation I had.
I'm not investing time into this volunteer place because I want to or because I like the way they're handling the situation, I'm doing it because I need the experience. It would be much nicer for me, I admit, to get a paying job at the weekend so I could have more money, I'd like that very much, but it's not going to get me any closer to realising my career dream.
So I've got to go against the flow. Go against the flow of my Mother, who wants me to get a paying job, and against the flow of my own desires to have more money. One day the tide will change and things will flow my way because I'll have the money that I need and I'll have a paying job that I love. Getting to that point will be the hard part and this is unlikely to be the first time that I'll need to go against the flow...but it's the first hurdle along the way at least.
Deeper thinking on this has, like with my other posts, led me to apply it to life in general and I've come to this conclusion:
Going with the flow can appease people and it can often be the easy way through life, but going against it can sometimes get you what you need even though it will be more difficult. In my opinion, putting in hard work to reap good benefits later is always the better option, which is why I'm happy to go against the flow for as long as it takes.

- Aiden