Making a dent in the Universe

“Others have tried this before and it hasn’t worked”, she said. And that’s why she was quite hesitant to start her journey.

I’m glad that she has found the courage to go for it. Because there’s actually one thing that was missing from any previous attempt: her.

It may sound cheesy but it’s true. For almost everyone who made a dent in the Universe: Others have tried it before. And yet, it was them who actually made the dent.

The Wright Brothers weren’t the first to try to fly. Rafael Nadal wasn’t the first to try to win the French Open 13 times. Gandhi wasn’t the first to step up for the Indian independence movement.

For all of them, it would have been perfectly reasonable to assume that their mission was doomed. Others had tried it before and it hadn’t worked. They still went for it.

So, here’s a word of encouragement if you feel like you’re trying to achieve something that others have tried before and failed. You know what was missing before? You have been missing!

Check out my new book
The PATH to Strategic Impact

Get This Moment Counts in your inbox.
My weekly briefing for leaders who want to give their best talk exactly when it matters

    I value your privacy. No spam. Just “Great stuff, brilliantly articulated” (to use the words of longtime reader David).

    Read More

    Why crime stories work

    The human brain is basically a prediction machine. At any given time, it tries to figure out what happens next. Tension comes from the uncertainty

    Read »

    How it started

    Ideas don’t speak for themselves.If no one makes them heard, they die—no matter how brilliant they are. My journey into the world of communication began

    Read »