Challenges are valuable opportunities

This has been the most straightforward principle, yet also the hardest principle to internalize while experiencing a true challenge. 

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Buyer Behavior with Patti Derbyshire has been the most influential course I have taken towards my undergrad so far. My experiences in this class has helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses as a future marketing professional. The final project in this course was called a "design sprint" and it was just that. Prior to the in-class project, students were not notified of the company/organization that needed a marketing design for. In a nutshell, Patti literally threw pages of our assignment (with different organizations) up into the air and our designs were then chosen randomly. After 80 minutes, my end result was this:

(iPhone photo of finished Design Sprint assignment)

I will admit, this project was THE most nerve-racking experience I have ever had in a classroom. The value that this challenge brought to me was that I finally understood how well I was able to manage my time, ideas and concepts and how this will help me in my future career. The biggest challenge to me during this experience was the unknown, and that in itself brought out the most creativity within me. 

I believe many will agree that "the unknown" makes for the biggest challenges in many individuals. However, sometimes full disclosures can also create assumptions that prevent us from taking on a challenge. I am also a victim to this. For example, if I plan to take on a new rigorous work-out routine, I envision my failure and then therefore prevent myself from pushing beyond my "limits".

I need to understand that, until I push myself beyond my pre-conceived limits,
I will never know where my true self lies.