My intent is to not ruffle anyone’s feathers, but with what I’ve seen and read on social media in the one week since the election, I can hear those feathers ruffling already.
I am not downplaying the importance of the election, but the reaction to the outcome is bizarre, with some of the cruelest and saddest comments I’ve ever seen. People are so upset that they are taking days off work, college campuses are closing, and support groups are being offered across the country. They are writing, “I’ll never friend some of you again,” and “Purging all my friends list to know who my friends are.”
People have gotten so uptight and so full of themselves, that they let something this small – in the grand scheme of life – overwhelm them in anticipation of unknown future outcomes. One lesson we should have learned these past weeks: will you ever again trust a pollster predicting events yet to come?
The ability to take a loss can be one of life’s greatest lessons, it has been in mine. Call it the ‘step-back’ moment. When you lose something, you lose for some reason, either your ability, your plan, your execution, your strategy, or your resources. You must face the loss, and figure out how you are going to come back better.
What is one of the most gratifying moments in the agency business? The answer is when you do not win a pitch – but six months later the same client calls you back in, you close the deal, and build a great relationship. I am thankful for who I am and blessed for the people around me who taught me how to take a loss and move on.
On one hand, it makes me sad to think about what has caused America as a society to get so soft. You will not learn how to lose by cowering or shrinking in a corner, nobody can cower with pride. Heard this quote a year ago, but I don’t remember who said it: “If I could teach my kids one thing in their lives, it would be to have true grit.”
Everyone should know who said this:
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career.
I’ve lost almost 300 games.
26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.
And that is why I succeed.”
– Michael Jordan
Thanksgiving is almost here, the only ones with ruffled feathers should be the turkeys.