Taking Irrational Chances on Me
Life is crazy. There are bad days. Great days. Learning experiences. Whatever you want to call it; I think if you live it right — it’s a wild ride.
I think it is good to reflect on all aspects of life. I try, however, not to dwell to long on the downward spirals. You can learn a lot from mistakes, but you can also learn a ton by pressing forward. Drive and determination are two of the most powerful forces in the world. Before I get too romantic in this essay, let me refocus back to what I want to write about.
And that is the moments where you are about to take-off. These are the times right before something really good happens. These are the leaps of faith. These are the inflection points.
Of course, in the moment, you do not know for certain what these moments will become. In hindsight, just like a movie, you can see these moments shine.
You can see just how naive you were. How little you really knew about the future.
If I look for a constant in life, during these crazy moments, one thing sticks out: people. I would be nowhere I am today without other people. I am eternally grateful for people in my life. The people who have helped me tremendously. The people who have hated me tremendously. Everyone has made a difference.
The people I am most reflective over, and still think about, are the people who took and continue to take irrational chances on me. They said yes to me interning at a venture capital firm, they said yes to getting me into college…the list goes on and on.
Life is a game of luck. You need people to bet on you, even when the “no” option is on the table. But I believe you should optimize and bet on getting those yes-es. Make it really easy for people to say yes. Make it really easy for people to take an irrational chance on you.
And then make sure they are happy with their decision.
That is how a rocket takes off.
Originally published at gonen.blog.