Episode #4: Try Everything
Transcript:
Hello, my name is Misha Ahmed, and I am your host of this podcast series called ROBOMIND. I know you may be wondering, what does ROBOMIND mean? For those of you who haven't been here for the last three episodes go check those out, but to get back on track ROBOMIND is a combination of two things: robotics and mind. I love robotics, and I believe that it shapes how you think, and it shapes your mind. That is why I called my podcast ROBOMIND.
A small tidbit about me is that I am 12 years old. I am absolutely head over heels for robotics. And I can't wait to let you know a little bit more about it.
This episode is called "Try Everything" named after the Zootopia song "Try Everything" sung by Shakira. It is called this because the song talks about failure and how you just have to get right back up again. This relates to robotics since I know that many teams didn't make it to states nor worlds, and I want them to know that it is quite alright; and I want you guys that are interested in robotics to know that once you start you don't just automatically have to be the best at robotics. Because that rarely happens, and it's always important to make sure that you get better, and if you're the best then there's no way for improvement. And nobody's ever the best.
Before we get to that, it is time for what has got you all on the edge of your seats: the answer to last time's riddle. If you don't remember, the riddle went a little bit like this:
There were two men Jeff and Bob. Bob bet Jeff that he would be able to hang his hat and then after walking 500 yards then turn and shoot a hole straight through the top of it, all while keeping his eyes closed (or being blindfolded). Despite knowing him to be an excellent shot, Jeff deemed it nearly impossible and readily accepted Bob’s bet and yet Bob easily won. How?
Here let me give you a second to think about it. Okay, pause. If you weren't here last time this is your time to pause and make sure you know.
Okay, time for the answer! The answer is Bob hung his hat on the barrel of his gun so that it was impossible to miss. If you guys don't know barrel means the edge where the bullet shoots out. I did not get this one. Hopefully, I'll have better luck next time.
Now that you guys are good to go let me tell you three reasons out of the many why it is all going to be okay.
Number one: only very few teams make it to the state championship and the world championship. So, if you didn't make it don't say that you are the worst and that your stuff is trash because you are not the only team that didn't make it, and who knows why you didn't make it. Maybe you were literally so close that you could taste the victory. Who knows! Maybe you were so far, maybe you were just a block away, maybe you were just one point. Nobody knows! It could've been close. Maybe your notebook just needed to be 1% better. There's no way we can control that because it's not our opinion on how to judge our notebook or judge our interview. It's really just up to the judges, and we can't change their opinion. So, it's not your fault.
Two: It doesn't matter how far you went; it only matters if you grew and learned. If you gained knowledge, friends, and experiences that you will never forget from this journey then personally, I would say that is just as good as going to the world championship for robotics. Because although the world championship is memorable and super fun to go to, if you had an amazing year with you and your team and you enjoyed and you learned and it was a great time then who cares if you didn't make it! Maybe you had a better time than some of the people who went to worlds because just having that fun, family, and community is something just so amazing.
Number three: As long as you don't give up, you can always try again next year. Don't let one bad year make you think that you should stop doing something you love and put so much time and effort into. If you keep on trying and have persistence who knows! In the next year you could do something extraordinary, maybe win a million competitions and a million awards and have an even better year. Maybe because you learned so much this year you will have gotten better and made yourself a better robotics participant and engineer. The next year you come back stronger and better than ever.
I know that it may seem like the end of the world right now, but just remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
New riddle: You find me in the past, and I can be created in the present, but the future is never mine. What am I?
That's it for the riddle! Keep your gears turning. I love you guys so so much.
Thank you to all of you guys who kept making comments. You guys are so amazing. I loved seeing your thoughts and ideas. Thank you so much! This is your host Misha Ahmed of ROBOMIND signing off!
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