Rocky Descisions

Everyone once in a while, I come across a rock in the road while driving, a norm for my Caribbean life.  From a distance, it is sometimes difficult for me to determine the size of the rock. As I near the rock I have two choices, to go around it or head straight for it, praying it is small enough, that it doesn’t hit my car.

Well, there was this one time, I misjudged the size of a rock and it hit underneath my car. Immediately, I pulled over, checked under my car.  Nothing seemed damaged so I jumped back in my car and continued on my way feeling a bit unsure and nervous. Eventually (after a day or two), with the car showing no apparent signs of a problem, I was able to breathe easy.
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The other day, I came across another rock, and again I chose to go over it and hoped for the best. Nothing happened.  But it made me think about that last “rock” incident and the way we learn. Many of us approach learning as though it is a rock, we have two choices, to either learn what our heart truly desires or convince ourselves out of learning, typically because of fear. Fear that we may “misjudge” our potential to acquire the skills. 

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But what I have come to realize it is not just about the choice, but what happens after.  Yeah, I can go around the rock but sometime I’m left wondering if I could have made it, when I see other cars driving right over it. And when I do make it, it is actually a feeling of satisfaction and the voice in my head saying “I have no idea what you were worried about”. And if I do misjudge, I recognize it is ok to make a mistake, misjudge or fail, it is not the end of the world. Life is not a smooth road, each rock is just a mini lesson.
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Maybe for you, your rock is starting a new business, going back to school, changing your career, sharpening your technology skills, remember it’s just a rock, not a boulder.

Hi, I'm Tamara Pradel. I am the Technology Innovation Educationist.