There is no shortage of messages telling us that hard work pays off.
And often, it does.
But here’s the lesson we don’t talk about enough:
Sometimes you can do everything right…and still lose.
I was reminded of that this week.
Years ago, I applied to an MBA program without finishing high school or college. I eventually earned my GED, but on paper, I obviously wasn’t the kind of candidate they were looking for.
Before they would even consider me, they laid out a long list of requirements. A high score on the GMAT. Strong recommendations. Support from my employer.
None of it guaranteed I’d be accepted.
I had to decide whether I was willing to do the work without knowing the outcome.
The answer was a definitely yes.
Fortunately, I got in.
But life doesn’t always end that way.
This week I watched a friend give everything he had to a campaign that meant the world to him.
This photo has stayed with me.
Here is Pete Smith, cutting lumber to build his own campaign signs.
After more than a year of campaigning, working from morning until midnight, and pouring everything he had into the race…
He lost.
I’ve rarely seen someone work harder for a goal.
And that’s the hard part.
Sometimes there isn’t a lesson wrapped neatly in a bow.
Sometimes it just hurts.
But I’ve also learned this:
The people who accomplish meaningful things aren’t the people who know they’re going to win.
They’re the people who decide the goal is worth pursuing even when they might lose.
That’s the part we control.
We don’t control admissions committees.
We don’t control elections.
We don’t control investors, hiring managers, customers, or voters.
We control whether we’re willing to pursue something that matters without any guarantee of success.
Every meaningful thing I’ve done in my life came with the possibility of failure.
Some worked.
Some didn’t.
But every opportunity I have today exists because I was willing to say “yes” to the possibility of hearing “no.”
The biggest dreams don’t come with guarantees.
They come with a decision.
America Turns 250
America turns 250 today. Fifty years ago, when our country celebrated its Bicentennial, I was 11 years old. I had
