“How does one become a butterfly?" she asked. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar”

Crazy week, especially last two days. I had this user research study I was working on. Knew it the moment I heard about it that it was designed to fail. What do you do when you know things are to go wrong? Do you sulk? Complain. Blame others. Maybe even magically try to feel optimistic about things turning around. For this one, that’s what I did, fake optimism. Well guess what, sometimes it works. All you need to do is tell yourself during the worst time that next turn is good to be the end of this bumpy ride. We closed the study today, it wasn’t a 100% success but it dint fail either. In the end, noone was jubilant but none were upset either.

As I sit at my desk and look at the stats of this study, it reminds me of the class Robotics. My curiosity got me to take up the class. I wanted to know why no girl ever enrolled for that class. Robotics was pretty famous as the elective for brightest. It was a scoring subject as long as you understood it. I wondered what it would take for me to understand it. It was the final semester and no one would want to risk their grades. Only a fool wants below a first class or worst a KT in the final sem. Last semester is a weird time I tell ya. Time, when you are curious to step in the outside world. Time when you are glad those classes, those grades and assignments are over and yet the time when you know you would miss it all. So well, I could choose to not take up the class and wonder all my life what it would be like if I did. Or I could take up the class and either regret it all my life or tough it out. I did just what I did for this study. I choose the risk. I wasn't one of the brightest. I wasn’t sure I could make it through. All I thought then and now was – if I don’t try this now, I would never know what it’s like. And I sailed through. As much as I would hate to take up a class in robotics now, I am glad I know how a robot moves its arms and does all the magic he can. It sure was a stressful time but worth it I bet. So was this study, designed to fail and yet didn’t. Sometimes all it takes is a little faith and ambition to try.

I haven’t experienced as much life to comment. But there’s one thing I learnt from my dad, he never says so much in words but always makes this clear. If you give up something it’s going to bother you more than anyone else, for a long, very long time.

So now on to the next adventure, wonder how back country camping is like? Guess I'll just find out over the next weekend.

P.S A sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living up to my full potential?