not if, but when
the world we are living in is pretty fast-paced one. you often hear people say "if you don't keep up with the world, you're gonna be left behind." but what exactly is the race are we running? is it against the clock, against our peers, or against some invisible finish line that keeps moving further away?
sometimes, the deeper truths are not found in the frantic rush, but in the quiet, persistent rhythm of life. its not about showing up everyday just to keep up with the world, its about understanding what you truely want, your unique pace and the steady power of your consistency. i say this because when you embrace these factors, you move closer to your deepest aspiration and then achieving that isn't a matter of 'if', but 'when'.
we have all been at a stage where at a very random time in a day, we are hit by the thought that we aren't doing enough, we aren't moving fast, we haven't accomplished anything while our peers are getting what they want and so on and so forth. it the age of these highlighted short reels on social media, where you tend to seek answers in a very short time, these thoughts are not obscene. however, the real problem begins when you let them dominate your thought process. you don't act any more, you react. you react to thoughts. you refrain from taking further steps reacting to the thought, "what if i was never meant for this?", "what if it never happens?". these 'ifs' tend to mislead us from taking the right steps needed to go down the path.
but here's the quiet truth, your consistent efforts are never wasted. every step taken, every second spent, every lesson from failures aren't just things that happen, these are investments. these shape you into what you desired of one day. these are the architects that bridge your dreams from 'if' to 'when'.
when OpenAI released ChatGPT back in 2022, people weren't ready to accept is as a tool which would make life a lot easier. they regarded it as a waste of compute, time and labour, that would never be the "AI" we want. however, by every passing day, every passing year, chatgpt is growing upwards. there's no wall to it. why?-you may ask. its because of failing and yet trying to improve on every iteration, every minor update. the team never gave up and in 2025, its become a matter of "when" it would lead to AGI and not "if".
the "when" might not align with your initial timeline. it might involve unexpected detours, moments of significant learning, or even necessary pauses. but this doesn't negate the certainty of its arrival. it simply means the journey is unfolding as it needs to. the most successful individuals aren't necessarily the fastest, but the ones who embrace the "when" and embracing this perseverance is the ultimate currency of success.
so, all we need to do is release the pressure of the "if." letting go of the need for instant results. instead, embrace the time it takes to answer "when". trust that our efforts, however small, are accumulating (just like the gradients). they will shape us into what we desire, only condition being that the efforts must align with our desires. the question isn't whether you will reach your destination, but simply when you will arrive there.