Losing a Sure Thing

We’ve seen it happen before. Something looks like a sure thing—it just can’t lose, no way no how, it’s in the bag, a slam-dunk. And then suddenly it’s gone—it’s lost. The worst nightmare realized in full living truth. What was supposed to be an almost forgone conclusion ends in shocking disbelief. How can that be?

How could a magnificent “unsinkable” ship like the Titanic actually sink? As unbelievable as it may seem, it did. We all know the story and the reasons. Let me give you my take on this: arrogance and incompetence, not to mention stupidity. When you put those three bunglers together, you’ve probably got the worst combination you could come up with to get anything done effectively. But it happened. Human beings did it, and people died.

Just when something seemed like a lock—a sure thing—disaster struck. It often does to those who are “asleep at the wheel”. What quickly follows then is the embarrassment and humiliation of failure and, in some cases, a legacy of shame and guilt. Sometimes even time does not forgive or forget: a century later, the saga of the Titanic is eternally sentenced to retell its sobering story over and over.

Although the Titanic was the most magnificent engineering and design feat of its time, the grandeur of this ocean liner is ironically but a footnote in its history. It will always be remembered for what was lost, not what was achieved. There were no winners. You’ll never read anything praising the great iceberg that took down the Titanic!

There are some who would say that it was just bad luck that this happened. Only a complete fool would think that. But they’re out there. First of all, I don’t believe in luck, as you know. As I’ve said before, “Luck is for losers.” I believe in controlling the outcome by paying attention and never taking your eye off the ball.

Pay Attention Now!

HERE’S THE LESSON: You can never assume anything about how locked up your opportunities are in life, whether it’s personal or professional. You have to work at a marriage with the same intensity as you do trying to land that big account. Only death is certain. Everything else is up for grabs and goes to those who use their heads and learn to anticipate, to “look around the corner” with a plan to deal with the unexpected. Very few people actually do this. We all have our bad moments and bad days it’s a part of life. If you learn to look ahead and anticipate things, you will have discovered what the real edge in winning looks like.

When you reach that point, there will be no doubt in your mind that you have arrived. Your confidence will soar. Losing a sure thing will not happen to you because you know nothing is certain, and you will take the necessary precautions to insure it doesn’t. Get yourself into the most favorable position to achieve any goal you set as an objective by making sure all the basics are covered. Congratulations, you’ve separated yourself from the pack!