Tag: personal growth

Trying Vs. Hustling

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When my son was an infant, he was a good eater and he gained weight quickly. One day, Deirdre, my meditation teacher, overhead one of my family members calling him “chunky.” She objected saying that words matter – even if it was said affectionately long before he was verbal.

My son who is now seven-years-old recently won the “Hustle award” at baseball camp. It reminded me of Deirdre’s comment that words matter. What separates healthy ambition from hustling for your worth?

In this episode of the Life of Try podcast, I explore how effort driven by curiosity and courage feels different from striving for approval. Through insights inspired by Brené Brown and Dr. Vicki Atkinson, I dig in to how to recognize fear-driven productivity, step away from the pressure to prove ourselves, and choose a more wholehearted path to personal growth.

Key Takeaways:

  • How can we recognize when achievement is tied to self-worth?
  • What distinguishes purposeful effort from approval-seeking
  • How can we replace perfectionism with curiosity and courage
  • Use two simple questions (from the incredible Vicki Atkinson) to reconnect with gratitude and meaning

Links for this episode:

Stop Hustling For Your Worth: A Better Way to Grow transcript

In You Must Go: Harnessing the Force of Owning Our Stories by Brene Brown

Victoria Ponders – Dr. Vicki Atkinson’s blog

Related Episode

How to Finally Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Vicki Atkinson

Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Quaker Wisdom – Way Will Open

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I have so many examples of times I’ve tried to force life to go faster. But out of all of them, I have one clear favorite.

I was trekking to Everest Base Camp with my friends in 2001. We’d flown into Lukla at 10,000 feet elevation and then started the 30 mile trek to base camp. After a couple of days on the trail, we’d reached the charming town of Namche Bazaar and set up camp outside of a tea house to stay for two nights. My friend, Phil, told us this was the first point on the trail that we’d get to see glimpses of Everest.

The next morning I woke before everyone else. I was impatient to see Everest so I set off roaming by myself. After going up and down roads and trails for about an hour, I found a beautiful view and saw the sun rise gleaming off the top of Everest. After enjoying a few minutes of the first light, I headed back down to our camp.

By the time I returned about 90 minutes after I set out, everyone else was awake and starting to get ready for the day. My friend, Phil asked if anyone wanted to see a view of Everest. I joined the group as they walked 5 minutes in the other direction from where I’d gone and got a beautiful view. Doh!!

In this episode of The Life of Try, I dig in to the Quaker wisdom that “way will open”—and the surprising truth that closed doors, delays, and seasons of waiting may be guiding us just as powerfully as forward motion.

Through personal stories about illness, an ending that created space for motherhood, and Parker J. Palmer’s lesson that “a lot of way has closed behind me,” this episode offers a compassionate perspective on how to move forward when life does not go according to plan. I explore how to stop forcing growth before its time, and how to recognize the next honest step when the path ahead is unclear.

Key takeaways:
• How to trust the process when you feel stuck in life
• Why closed doors can provide clarity and direction
• How to practice patience without giving up
• How to keep trying without forcing the outcome


If you’re navigating change, waiting for clarity, recovering from a setback, or searching for motivation to move forward, this reflective episode will help you loosen your grip, trust your timing, and stay open to where life may be leading.

Links for this episode:

Way Will Open: How to Trust Life’s Timing transcript

Quaker Jane’s Glossary of Words and Phrases

Parker J. Palmer’s essay On Way Closes posted at OnBeing.org

Related Episode

How to Get Unstuck in Life and Getting Moving Forward Again with Michael Yang

Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.

(featured photo is mine of first light in the Himalaya)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Just Start

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What’s your worst earworm? I’m not going to mention mine lest I pass it to you. Mum’s the word for that UB40 song. But I recently learned something fascinating about earworms – they can be chalked up to the Zeigarnik effect. Named after a Russian psychologist who first published about this almost 100 years ago — “Uncompleted tasks and unmet goals tend to pop into one’s mind.”

In their book, Willpower, psychologist Roy Baumeister and science writer John Tierney explain the Zeigarnik effect and why songs we don’t like tend to pop up as earworms. “We’re more likely to turn off the bad one in midsong, so it’s the one that returns to haunt us.”

I don’t play any ear worms in this week’s Life of Try episode, but I do explore how the Zeigarnik effect can amplify the power of taking one small, imperfect step. I offer a simple 10-minute strategy can help you overcome resistance, build momentum, and move forward and dig in to why starting before you feel confident can give your mind something useful to work on.

If a goal feels overwhelming, the blank page feels intimidating, or uncertainty keeps you stuck, this episode offers a practical way to begin without pressuring yourself to finish.

In this episode, I cover:
• How the 10-minute rule can reduce procrastination
• Why imperfect action builds confidence and momentum
• How unfinished tasks can keep ideas active in your mind
• Why your own rough first attempt still matters in the age of AI
• How to take the first step when a goal feels overwhelming


Don’t ask yourself to finish it today. Ask yourself to begin it. Set a timer, make one imperfect move, and leave yourself a clear next step.

Links for this episode:

How to Stop Procrastinating and Start: The 10-Minute Rule for Taking Action transcript

Related Episodes

Why Fun is the Secret to Building Better Habits with Mike Rucker, PhD – a Life of Try short

Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

The Art of the Conversation

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I got a message in my email inbox this week from a stranger:

“Hey there, I went ahead and made a whole month’s calendar of social media content.

Can I shoot them your way?”

What? We haven’t even had a conversation?

I’m all for technology – in fact, I’m a computer consultant so my business is technology. But too often we get spun around and start working to fit technology into our lives, personally, professionally and at the corporate level – when it’s supposed to be the other way around — technology working for us.

It feels like technology keeps trying to tell us to speed up. It started long before AI but I feel it more intensely with the pitches that are reaching my inbox like the one above. It makes me so grateful for all that hosting and producing 200 podcasts episodes (135 on Sharing the Heart of the Matter and the rest on the Life of Try channel) has taught me about having deep conversations, slowing down, and making real connections.

In this milestone episode of The Life of Try, Dr. Vicki Atkinson turns the tables and interviews host me about nearly four years of podcasting—and what it takes to keep going.

I share what I’ve learned from 200 podcast conversations. Lessons like:

  • Why authentic conversations require both preparation and presence
  • Why you can’t host and produce at the same time (and it applies to writing and editing as well)
  • Why serving your audience matters more than simply publishing content
  • Creating meaningful work in the age of AI,
  • Finding the right collaborators

Not surprisingly, the best things I’ve learned in 200 episodes relate to conversation and connection, not technology. I appreciate each and every one of you that have listened to an episode. I know how valuable time is and if you’ve spent any time listening to me, and/or Vicki and me, I am so grateful.

If you feel stuck, uncertain, or impatient with your progress, this encouraging conversation is a reminder that growth does not have to happen quickly. One thoughtful conversation, one genuine connection, and one brave try can move you forward.

Links for this episode:

The Art of the Conversation transcript

Victoria Ponders – Dr. Vicki Atkinson’s blog

Vicki’s incredible memoir: Surviving Sue: An inspirational survivor’s story about a daughter and her life with a mother who was riddled with alcoholism, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, depression, and Munchausen’s. – print and eBook

Vicki’s gripping novel: Slivers on Eckhartz Press

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy

How to Finally Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Dr. Vicki Atkinson

How to Get Unstuck in Life and Start Moving Forward Again with Michael Yang

How to Celebrate Small Wins | Tiny Habits, Resilience & Personal Growth

Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

When Trying Isn’t Enough

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“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

There was a moment when I knew my marriage was over. It was about ten months after my business partner told me about my husband’s infidelities. We had been trying to put our marriage back together. And then one day I walked into the kitchen. My ex had cooked an egg, broken the yolk, dribbled it all across the stove and counter on the way to the plate (I assume), eaten breakfast (again, I assume – didn’t see that part), and then left the house without cleaning it up.

I took a picture of it with the remark, “Really?” and texted it to him while he was golfing. [Granted that might not have been the best way to deal with it on my part.]

He texted back a rant which I can’t remember verbatim. But it ended, “because I’m married to a bitch who can’t communicate.”

I sat on the living room couch with my elbows leaning on my knees and looked at that message for a long time. I felt so tired. I knew I was done trying.

I’m a little slow to realize when it’s time to stop trying. But every time I accept that whatever I’m trying to do is not going to work, I get the same feeling. Maybe you know what I mean – it’s a sensation that lands the moment I know that I’m not going to succeed. It’s a cross between a gut punch and a groan.

And I have a visual that usually comes to mind at the same time. It’s from a climb I did on Mt. Whitney in 2005 – I’m lying on my back in the snow balanced on a giant pack, tired, and hungry, knowing I’m not going to make the summit. The marriage is a very dramatic example, but I flash to that even at smaller moments like when I’ve accepted that I overreached on the menu for a dinner party plan and need to stop.

In this episode of The Life of Try podcast, I tell the story about that winter climb on Whitney and the three things I’ve learned about working through that gut punch.

  • Pause before reacting to disappointment. Urgency is often just fear trying to get us to move before we’re ready.
  • Take the learning and leave the shame.
  • Widen the definition of success. A try can still matter even when the original outcome changes. Courage, honesty, effort, and accepting help all count.

If you are navigating disappointment, burnout, uncertainty, or a dream that feels too heavy to carry, this episode offers encouragement to pause, learn, accept help, and keep becoming the kind of person who tries.

Here are more ways to listen and subscribe:

Links for this episode:

When You Know You Aren’t Going to Make It transcript

📘 Amazon: ⁠Enough: Climbing Toward a True Self on Mount Everest ⁠by Melissa Arnot Reid

📘 Amazon: The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

🔗 Connect with Dr. Kristin Neff

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy

➡️ ⁠Letting Go Of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving⁠

➡️ ⁠Why Second Place Isn’t Failure | The Hidden Power of Persistence & Resilience⁠

➡️ ⁠When Your Plans Fall Apart | How to Stay Resilient, Adapt & Keep Moving Forward⁠

Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.

How Badly Do You Want It?

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“A child can teach an adult three things:
To be happy for no reason,
To always be busy with something, and
To know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” – Paulo Coehlo

I think we are born with a great capacity for persistence. It’s not just the quote that makes me think so.

The other day I was out beach combing with my kids. After we spent about 45 minutes tickling the clams so they’d squirt, picking up the jagged sea glass (that sounds so much better than broken bottles) so it wouldn’t cut any paws, and hunting for moon snail shells, my seven-year-old son, Mr. D discovered a wide tide pool.

There were tiny fish in the pool. He declared he wanted to catch one. I wandered nearby looking at the rocks and shells and watching his efforts out of the corner of my eye. All the while thinking, “He’s never going to catch a fish with his hands.”

So I emptied out our little beach bucket that I’d collected the broken glass and shells in and handed it to him.  The sand was too wet to sit so I kept circling as I daydreamed about sitting down with another cup of tea.

Finally, I took off my shoes and socks and waded in to the tide pool with him. It was warm and about the size a swimming pool with plenty of seaweed for the fish to hide under. I thought I could scare the fish towards him and hopefully speed up the process.

We spotted a flat fish that was almost an inch wide and the color of the sand. He was bigger than the other fish Mr. D had been chasing so he named him, “The King.” Every time Mr. D would get close, the fish would embed himself in the sand. The King’s camouflage was so good that he was nearly impossible to spot.

But Mr. D stayed at it and within minutes, we’d spot him again. As much as I wanted Mr. D to have success, I also was tiring of what seemed like a fruitless process. Isn’t this where we give up and call it a lesson in resilience?

I stepped out of the tide pool and started walking towards my shoes. I called over to Mr. D that we were heading back in five minutes. He responded with a verbal groan but kept working at catching The King.

And about five minutes later, he bent down with his hands together and scooped up some sand. He shouted, “I caught The King!!”

Indeed he did – with his bare hands. I took in his glowing grin as I brought him the bucket to put The King in. Then we happily headed back to where we were staying so Mr. D could show his sister the fish.

Then, after taking a couple of photos and telling the story, he walked The King down to the water and returned him to the bay.

That’s when I realized that persistence was something purer than I often see it these days: it’s keeping with our goals, finding the people that will wade in and help, ignoring anyone that tells us we can’t do it. And that staying with it doesn’t have to preclude being kind and accepting – because we can still tell the story and then let the fish swim away.

So… how badly do you want it?

(featured photo is mine of Mr. D returning The King to the water, second picture is of Mr. D with The King)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

Self-Limiting Beliefs

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“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mahatma Gandhi

When I was 22-years-old, a cute boy that I had just started dating invited me on a backpacking trip on the Olympic Peninsula to visit some natural hot springs. The group that was going included another couple that I liked hanging out with because they their conversational patter was a perfect mix of smart, fun, and cool.

I hesitated because I didn’t think I was outdoorsy. Outside of organized groups, I hadn’t really camped or hiked much in my life so far. But the prospect of spending time with my date and other interesting people outweighed my reluctance. And I was rewarded with a great weekend fording streams, soaking in hot springs, and having interesting conversations by the campfire. It was enough to plant a seed that maybe I was outdoorsy. It was an important identity shift that made way for my thought seven years later when I saw Mt. Rainier in the morning sun, “I should climb that.”

And… that opened the door for me to climb not only the Pacific NW volcanoes, but also peaks in Mexico, Russia, Nepal, Italy and Peru. Thank goodness for that cute guy! Even though the relationship wasn’t a significant one in my life, the change in mentality was.

So in this episode of The Life of Try, I talk with Kevin Yoder, creator of Infinite U, about identity-first transformation and why lasting personal growth begins with who we believe we are becoming. What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t a lack of discipline, strategy, or ambition—but an outdated identity you’ve outgrown?

Kevin brings more than two decades of experience in real estate, leadership, coaching, and personal development to a powerful conversation about self-image, paradigms, confidence ceilings, income ceilings, and the invisible patterns that keep capable people from reaching their next level.

Together, Kevin and I explore the question he learned from Bob Proctor—“How are your results?”—and how honest awareness can open the door to meaningful change.

Key Takeaways

  • Lasting change begins with identity: the way we see ourselves often shapes what we believe is possible, more than strategy alone.
  • Invisible ceilings—around confidence, income, consistency, or growth—can point to outdated self-image patterns that are ready to be examined.
  • The question “How are your results?” offers a simple but powerful way to practice honesty, awareness, and intentional transformation.
  • Attitude becomes the bridge between belief and behavior when our thoughts, words, feelings, and actions become more aligned with who we are trying to become.

If you’ve ever started strong and stalled out, felt like you had “weights around your ankles,” or wondered why the next version of your life still feels just out of reach, this episode offers a hopeful, practical look at how to begin again from the inside out. Listen for insights on identity transformation, personal growth, self-concept, mindset, attitude, and building a life that reflects who you are ready to become.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

Identity Before Strategy: How To Break Through Invisible Glass Ceilings With Kevin Yoder transcript

Infinite U

Infinite U Self-Assessment: https://infiniteuassessment.com

 Other episodes you might enjoy

⁠The Power of Looking At Your Life Through a New Lens⁠

⁠How to Create Opportunities In Life | Motive + Means = Success Mindset⁠

⁠How to Tell Relatable Stories⁠

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

The Tides of Life

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“The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.” – Vincent van Gogh

Previously, my favorite metaphor for the ups and downs of life was the carousel. You could see the rhythm, it was predictable, which appeals to my engineering brain, and it went full circle.

But my new favorite is the tide. I think it’s more apt. At the beach where we are staying, right now the tide is extremely low in the morning, followed by a very high tide in the afternoon, a barely noticeable low tide and then another high. Like this:

  • Low tide: -1.54 ft at 8:19am
  • High tide: 9.68 ft at 4:26pm
  • Low tide: 7.58 ft at 8:52 pm
  • High tide: 9.55 ft at 1:23am

And then as it moves through the month, it changes to be not so drastic. The low tide/high tide mark only shifts by about 5-6 feet. Like this:

  • Low tide: 1.48 ft at 3.35am
  • High tide: 7.45 ft at 10:08am
  • Low tide: 4.92 ft at 3.05pm
  • High tide: 9.61 ft at 9:04pm

There are several things that I like about the tide metaphor for life.

When it’s really low, it uncovers a lot of things that you can choose to comb through if you’re willing to get your feet wet.

At the times when the swing is drastic, the highs feel almost overwhelming like they’ll flood you. Also, there’s very little room to walk on the beach.

Life feels calmer when it evens out and the highs and lows aren’t very noticeable. But there isn’t a big impetus to get out onto the beach at any specific moment because they’re roughly the same. If you want to find treasures, it’s going to take a deep dive to get to them.

When the tide is very low, it’s going to be hard to float. You’ll have to work pretty hard to just get out there.

And maybe that’s the point: whenever possible, don’t fight the tides. It will change. Let the water come to you.

(featured photo is mine of the bay at a -1.54ft low tide)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Please check out the The Life of Try podcast Where trying becomes the spark for personal growth, discovery, and re-invention!

The Stories We Inherit

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“No legacy is as rich as honesty.” – William Shakespeare

My ex-husband used to describe me as independent, especially when we were arguing. But he’d say it in a way that would fill out all four syllables with disdain…in-de-PEN-dent! The first time he said it that way, I was shocked that something I thought was a core value could be interpreted so negatively.

So when my mom came to stay with us for four nights recently, I asked her why being independent was so important to her, especially growing up. She told me that it came from her father. He was the oldest of eight kids. They were farmers in north eastern Washington and had very little money.

By the time my grandfather was seven years old, he was responsible for many things on the farm including spending days and nights in the wild chasing down their high-spirited mare when she’d get loose and run with the wild horses.

As she told the story, I felt like I’d gotten a new piece to the puzzle of what shaped my upbringing and legacy. It was a fascinating conversation to have with my mom on the heels of the podcast I recorded with author, Jennifer Griffith. She inspires the question: How do the stories we inherit from our families shape who we become—and how can we rewrite those stories with more compassion, courage, and purpose?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I talk with Jennifer Griffith, author of Both Sides of Then and host of the podcast About Your Mother, about inherited family stories, hidden shame, resilience, motherhood, memoir writing, and the healing power of bringing secrets into the light.

Jennifer shares how learning her mother’s story changed the way she understood her own identity, why family history can influence the way we parent and see ourselves, and how her LENS framework helps people revisit old narratives, look at them from a new perspective, and use those stories for good.

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

  • We all inherit stories—and they shape how we see ourselves.
    Jennifer reminds us that family history, secrets, wounds, and even everyday phrases from our parents can quietly influence our identity, choices, and relationships.
  • Seeing our parents as people can create compassion and clarity.
    When we understand the experiences, pain, and resilience that shaped our parents, we can better understand ourselves—and begin to loosen the grip of old assumptions.
  • Shame loses power when it is brought into the light.
    Family secrets can create distance, but honest storytelling—shared with care and appropriate boundaries—can create healing, connection, and freedom.
  • A new lens can help us rewrite old narratives.
    Jennifer’s LENS framework encourages us to listen to the stories we repeat, engage with them, narrate them from multiple perspectives, and step out of them so we can use them for good.
  • Trying again often means slowing down and letting the work become ready.
    Jennifer’s story about being told “you’re not ready” became a powerful lesson in patience, humility, and the creative courage required to keep going.

This eye-opening conversation explores family secrets, legacy, forgiveness, generational stories, personal growth, writing a memoir, and what it means to keep trying when a story is still unfolding.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

The Power of Looking at Your Life Through a New Lens transcript

Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment by Jennifer Griffith on Amazon

Jennifer Griffith’s website: Jennifer Griffith – Author of Both Sides of Then – Podcast Host and Author

About Your Mother on Apple podcasts

 Other episodes you might enjoy

How to Tell Relatable Stories

The Quiet Mindset Shifts that Changes Everything | Mindfulness & Personal Growth with Joseph Schmidt

How to Embrace What Makes You Different | Finding Your Purpose with Kym Gordon Moore

(featured photo from Pexels)

If my work has encouraged, inspired, or helped you try something new, consider supporting it with a small “cup of coffee” donation. Your support helps me keep creating conversations, stories, and resources that cheer people on as they do brave, meaningful work.

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon

Effort Keeps You Eligible for Opportunity

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“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

Golf is the sport that proves that I love my family. That is to say, it’s not my favorite sport but I’ll play if my people want to. So the other day I was playing with my almost seven-year-old son.

We were at a local city-run pitch and putt course where we can play nine par three holes for $12. I stepped up to the tee on the eighth hole, swung hard, and…completely and embarrassingly missed the ball. After a moment to regain my balance and composure, I swung again. It was my best hit of the round. The ball landed two feet from the hole and I got a birdie.

It made me laugh, and it also brought me back to a question I’ve been sitting with. What if coming in second, or a getting a second chance, is not failure but preparation?

In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore the hidden power of effort, persistence, and staying ready when life does not put you out front.

Through a business lesson about losing a big opportunity, Nathan Martin’s dramatic 2026 LA Marathon finish (thanks to Brian from Writing From the Heart with Brian), and the long-build success story of Dutch Bros Coffee, this episode is a reminder that effort keeps you eligible for the opening when it appears.

Key Takeaways:

  • Second place is not always failure; sometimes it is the place where patience, preparation, and readiness are built.
  • Effort keeps you eligible for opportunity, even when you are not out front or visible to everyone else.
  • Staying in the race matters because the opening often appears after most people have already slowed down or stopped trying.
  • A disappointing loss can still position you for a future win if you keep showing up with humility and persistence.
  • Nathan Martin’s dramatic LA Marathon finish is a reminder that you do not have to be in the picture early to have a meaningful finish.
  • Long-term success, like the Dutch Bros story, is often built through years of unseen work, reinvention, and consistent effort.

If you are learning how to keep going, build resilience, try again after disappointment, or trust the unseen work behind personal growth, this episode will encourage you to stay in position, keep showing up, and keep trying.

Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:

Links for this episode:

Why Second Place Might be Preparation, Not Failure transcript

➡️Brian Hannon’s post ⁠It’s a Sprint to the Finish and the Winner Is… ⁠

🎥  Other episodes you might enjoy

➡️ ⁠Encourage Effort, Not Results | How to Build Resilience and Confidence⁠

➡️ ⁠The Courage to Try Something New with Lindsey Goldstein⁠

➡️ ⁠How to Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Dr. Vicki Atkinson

(featured photo from Pexels)