Adversity is a Privilege

Hey everyone! It's my first time blogging in a bit since I have been caught up with school. After a presentation milestone for 2.007 (MIT's Intro to Design and Manufacturing Class), I have decided that I need to get a blog done. So, here are a couple thoughts I've been ruminating on the past few weeks.

UFC 314

This past weekend, I was watching UFC 314 where Alexander Volkanovski fought vs Diego Lopes for the featherweight title. Alexander Volkanovski was the featherweight champion for a few years, up until a recent knockout. Going into this fight, he was seen as the favorite, with heavy concern. While he's definitely a skilled fighter, he's now 36 (old for a featherweight). He also had 2 knockout losses back-to-back before a year-long break.

Volkanovski had a pretty clear victory, resulting in a unanimous decision. The last few minutes all I could do was pray he would not get knocked out. It was a great fight. Anyways, the cool part was after he won. In his post-fight interview, he reflected on his previous losses, his age, and more. The sticking point though - "adversity is a privilege." 

Life at MIT

Sometimes my life is pretty hard. I'm taking 3 pretty difficult mechanical engineering classes: 2.004 (Dynamics and Controls II), 2.007 (Intro to Design and Manufacturing I), and 2.12 (Intro to Robotics). Adding this onto other things I throw into my life: AccessPoint, Kesem counselor, MIT Admissions Ambassador, etc, I feel pretty overwhelmed sometimes.

For 2.12 and 2.007 recently, I have ended up staying up several times up until 1~2:30. I would be working on robots or CADing potential designs for a robotic gripper. When I'd wake up at 7, I could feel tired. My eyes would be fatigued and I would not want to get out of bed and deal with a day that might not have a solid break until 9.

When that happens, I tend to be in the perfect place for inspiration, either through Coach Carter (awesome movie btw), or something like Volk's speech. Maybe I'm just trying to motivate myself, but there's something beautiful there, that we're privileged to experience adversity.

Without adversity - without struggle, there is no growth. Without growth, we are resigned to a life where no week is more exciting than the one before. A life of consistent grays.

In essence, today I'm glad. I'm grateful. My life is pretty hard. But it's okay. It's a privilege.