That time when there's much to gain and much to lose

I was talking to an old friend who's in a different country and is in a crunch situation to crack an interview which is coming up soon. This reminded me of some of the trying times that I have had and those that I had the opportunity to be a witness to.

There's luck and effort both involved here. If you pick a tough question from the lot, you have a slight disadvantage, but then you should think of how far you've come in this journey of life. You've had your fair share of professional experience on the topic at hand. You're human and you've seen your fair share of human behaviour.

Some people say stay positive. For me, I need to stay negative too. I spend a bit of time visualising how things can go wrong, the myriad ways in which they could go bad. I don't feel so bad about it after I do it for a little bit of time. Most of these scenarios would never happen and if by chance one did, I am ok to deal with it. The ancient samurai used to meditate on their deaths every day. That made them resolute in their lives for that day. I reckon it was Gandhi who exhorted to learn like you will live forever and to live like there's no tomorrow.

We all have one thing in common on the earth. We all have just 24 hours in a day. During preparation, judiciously allot time for focused activities and keep plowing ahead in the time alloted for the mundane topics. There will be distractions. Keep moving ahead. Remember why you are doing this. Prepare. Keep preparing and revising.

When the actual event comes, steel yourself and become mercury. Randomness determines the question that you get for the exam. Your mindset determines how you deal with that question, be it an easy one or a tough one. It's important to listen and be empathetic with your interviewers. They are human too. Hungry, happy, angry, sleepy, anything. Mould and adapt. Don't be too aggressive, don't be too passive. Be patient. Don't be condescending. Listen and proceed. You have the groundwork done. This is doable, all it takes is effort and determination.