Doubt, as odd as this may sound, can actually be essential to our living.  We all make decisions and later have questions on whether we made the right choice or not so doubt will help influence our next decision when it comes to the same question or choice.  While doubt is a natural part of the human conflict in all of us, discouragement in itself is a different story.  Intentional discouragement can be uncalled for at times.  I get upset when I hear someone tell another person “oh, you’ll never be able to do that.”  Such pessimistic statements like that one end up destroying a person and their self esteem.
 
                    When I was in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to study in college.  I was thinking of going into engineering because I grew up with the mentality that “all Asian males should become engineers or doctors.”  I had a strong interest in the social sciences but I geared myself towards the math and science that I very well knew I would be pushed towards.  After I graduated from high school, I registered as a Physics major.  It had its advantages.  I could grow my hair long and people wouldn’t question it!  At registration, I signed up for Introductory Calculus with some question as to whether I was adequately prepared for it.  Well, if I wasn’t prepared, I would prepare before classes start.  I immediately went home, gathered a few of my Calculus textbooks, and began to immediately grind away at some basic concepts.
 
                    I met this guy in my Calculus class who was a complete jerk.  This guy seemed to know everything under the sun and anything I said, he would immediately argue with and many times I just wanted to punch him really hard across his face.  Anything he said was derogatory towards me.  Just to preserve my peace, I sat far away from him as possible.  Anyway, I did so-so on the first two tests, but I was determined to do well on the third test.  The only problem was that I also had a US History exam and an English exam on the same day so I had to learn how to manage my time…