So I am bored right now between a multitude of assignments and approaching exams and I want to write something. The exams always terrify me.

It happened once in childhood that I prepared for my exams well and was sure that I would perform great. I was wrong. People who had prepared less than me out-performed me.
I began questioning my hard work and formed a belief that success is dependent on luck and my hard work does not matter.
I became cynical and stopped working hard. I just got by.
I unconsciously studied just enough to not fail but didn’t put in all the required efforts. I stopped caring.
I created a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I didn’t succeed because I said to myself that I wouldn’t succeed.

Years later when I am a student again , I see old vestiges of the self-fulfilling prophecy returning.
But this time I am mature.

The following quotations by Woody Allen shall be my guide post.

“Talent is luck. The important thing in life is courage.”

“Hard work is mandatory.”

 
I pride myself on being open to challenging old beliefs and traditions. I feel nice to be an iconoclast.
Would I be able to challenge my own self-formed beliefs and ideas now that I have new information with me?

I hope so. Let’s see.