How I Reprogrammed My Mind

And I am still doing it

Photo by Saffu on Unsplash

I recently wrote an article about how I went from a working class neighborhood in Queens to MIT. One reason I was able to do this — I became mentally tough.

And I learned how to reprogram my mind.

Because I faced so many challenges growing up, I had to learn to be tough if I wanted to survive and accomplish the goals that were important to me.

This was often difficult, because I was a naturally compassionate and sweet natured child. I was open to others and couldn’t understand why they weren’t kind to me back.

Here is the article I wrote about my childhood:

From Poor Immigrant to MIT Graduate

For me, doing well in school wasn’t about beating other people into the ground, it was about excelling for myself. I didn’t want to win by cheating, and since I wouldn’t let other kids cheat off me, I was not always popular. One time someone cursed me out when I wouldn’t let him cheat off my paper. It really hurt my feelings.