We often look for inspiration in those around us, and my mum, Mary Perry, was my biggest role model when I was growing up in the early 80’s.
She suffered from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and was quickly deteriorating whilst I was continuing to develop during childhood; by the time I was 7 she became wheelchair bound.
My mum was so happy, fantastic fun and lit up a room with her laughter, hysterically so until she cried and both my dad and I did the same.
Whilst I was in the midst of studying my A Levels, my mum experienced a series of seizures that left her in a comatose state and within a matter of weeks she lost her mobility, sight and the infectious laugh that we all knew to associate with her.
Following an intense 6 weeks in hospital, she managed to return home and was looked after by myself and my dad, but her perseverance and determination to keep going only reinforced my belief that my mother was my inspiration.
I was fortunate enough to complete my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Accounting and become a Chartered Accountant whilst she was still with us, although in 2008 the dreaded day arrived and Mary Perry passed away after 12 years in a comatose state.
My mum’s story isn’t one of sadness, rather of unwavering strength and hope, something I had the honour to witness growing up and can proudly state has had an unbelievably positive impact on my outlook on life.
Alongside the usual life lessons a mother can teach her child, I learnt 3 major teachings that I implemented directly into my education.
1. Determination
Despite all of the pain, discomfort and suffering that she experienced, I never once heard my mum complain.
Through adversity, she used her steely determination and courage to push through, she had a hugely positive can-do attitude, even when things appeared to be lost.
My mum fought and battled constantly and her strength is something I’ve carried with me since the day she left us.
2. Motivation
I used my mum’s situation as my ultimate driving force and motivation, knowing I was going to achieve something and that I was going to do it for her.
Through my A Levels, University exams and professional Chartered Accountant exams I always thought of my ultimate goal of making her proud, whether she knew of my achievements or not.
This was an especially poignant reinforcement for me when I was bored of studying, stuck in a rut or stressed, because my desire to make her as proud of me as I was of her was always in the back of my mind.
3. Positivity
Even through the hard times, I only house positive memories of my mum, including the laughs and the fantastic privilege of being able to care for her, with these memories triggering positive emotions that I still use to this day in times of difficulty and stress.
If you find yourself hitting a wall in terms of your accountancy exams, regardless of if it’s your mindset, motivation, stress or study techniques, use the positive memories you have of a loved one to help you persevere and remind you where you got the fighting spirit from.
The more positive the emotion you associate with your learning and the more emotion you can bring to exam preparation, the more likely you are to retain and recall the information.