One might think that the heroic story of Marcus Luttrell (the inspiration behind the widely-acclaimed “Lone Survivor” movie) and the incredible ending to the Auburn/Alabama 2013 Iron Bowl game are two events with nothing in common. While you are correct in that one deals with the perils of war and the other in a result of an American past-time, there is one message that is abundantly clear in both: “It’s not over until it’s over.” 

Every day, in business and in life, we have opportunities for greatness.  However, we often seal our own fate to settle for failure or second best because we feel we’ve encountered some kind of wall of impossibility.  If anyone was to guess the chances of Marcus Luttrell’s survival in an ambush from Taliban forces that took the lives of his 3 Navy Seal comrades or the likelihood that Auburn would beat Alabama with 1 second left, most would shake their head and say, “No way! That’s impossible.”  The truth ended up being that it was possible.  We all have to remember that “improbable” does not mean “impossible” and often it is a difference of one’s willingness and determination to succeed.  It is also a lot of faith and trust in knowing what you are capable of.

In business, one can set their own limits by never pushing the envelope or quitting before you even try.  An excuse can hinge on a variety of things from precedence, company culture, bureaucracy, or even doubt in your own talent and abilities. I was always raised to never take a ‘no’ from someone who doesn’t have the power to say ‘yes,’ and have found that any success that I have garnered in my career had more to do with my ability to get back up from others trying to push me down versus having a ‘path most likely’ laid out for me.  The main message from all of this is to never prepare yourself for failure or you will get exactly what you prepared for.  Fight the good fight.  Believe that anything is possible. Trust in yourself and, when others are surprised in disbelief, you can say that you knew it all along.