INTERVIEW WITH THE NORA

Ruba Ajlouni

Chief Editor

Dear Readers,

Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, famously said: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."

It may seem that wise, strong people typically have gone through a few hard times in their lives. By comparison, those who have led a very sheltered and privileged life often appear to crack more easily under pressure. But is it true that some degree of pain and trauma can make us stronger? And if so, at what point does it destroy us?

Pain, depression, fear, stress, and emotional distress, are great obstacles to our happiness. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have suffered from these obstacles in different ways; we have lost in-person interactions; the simple pleasure of chatting over coffee in the office to the more difficult reality of not being able to see family and friends for long stretches of time; the adrenaline rush of trying something new or traveling around the world; we have suffered from COVID-19's symptoms that vary from one person to other; have lost one or more of our family members or friends, have lost our jobs and careers, and have lost the joy of going to our school/university/workplace, etc.

I know that you all have been facing hard times lately, but I believe that each one of you will be able to overcome these obstacles. I know it's not that easy and it's much easier saying it instead of doing any action, but I would recommend you to firstly, believe that time will heal everything, you should be patient and never give up. Secondly, stop and take a step back, let your emotions calm down, then observe the obstacle as you would if it were someone else facing it, so what would you tell someone else to do? Thirdly, accept reality and your emotions. Fourthly, be willing to consider different ways to overcome any obstacle. And for sure you should believe in yourself before going through the previous four steps.

Ruba Ajlouni

Chief Editor

I think we can all benefit from this way of thinking. Life should be a learning experience. Keep learning, and you’ll keep growing and winning. Decide you won’t learn – withdraw from the game, get mad, be defeated – and you are the loser.

Which do you want to be? You choose how you respond. Every time I make the choice to be a learner and not be defeated, new things suddenly become possible.

How about you?

Finally, on behalf of our editorial team, I would like to offer a word of thanks to our readers, contributors, authors, editors, and anonymous reviewers, all of whom have volunteered to contribute to the success of this edition of IFMSAJo magazine. We are publishing our journal twice a year with a particular emphasis on quality, creativity, and better outcomes.