Falling Victim to Your Own Ambition
Have you ever fallen victim to your own ambition?
I started a master's degree in psychology in September 2022, which has not been easy when trying to balance a full workload and life outside my office! However, your avid ambition positions you for growth because we simply don't grow from the easy things in life.
The last month has been far from easy. My workload peaked around March 23rd, on a night I spoke to over 3,000 people at a large event. I poured all my available effort into preparation, only to miss the mark for my audience—a harsh lesson learned.
In the aftermath, the three takeaways I'd like to share with you are:
Setbacks = Steps Forward.
Fail Forward
Walk The Talk
I misjudged my audience's needs and told a detailed account of the events that unfolded for me on December 16th, 2013, when I broke my neck. My talk, Never Part of The Plan, is a heart-wrenching account of a life-changing accident and the posttraumatic transformation that ensued. It integrates a perspective of gratitude with understanding failure and becoming more resilient—ultimately cultivating an athlete mindset.
Failing forward is essential for progress in life. There will inevitably be setbacks, but we must not lose heart. A step backwards is still a step forwards if you never stop working towards your goals—because you never stop moving towards your goals! It's just the next step you need to take, an opportunity to learn and grow, and a sentiment I must remember now more than ever.
Some audience members met my message with malcontent for the first time in my career. For some, I transformed celebratory energy by evoking fear rather than conveying a message of hope, gratitude, and growth. I believe that awareness is powerful, but creating fear is undoubtedly never part of my plan—especially considering we all face an uncertain future!
To my March 23rd audience, I apologize and recognize my mistake. Unfortunately, my being emotionally invested in the talk made my error more profound. The nature of my injury and subsequent recovery involves much luck and relentless hard work. That said, I appreciate that I am living my bonus round, and I intend to make the most of this life by helping as many people as possible. I must now walk the talk and learn from the experience.
Fast forward one week from March 23rd. I found myself in front of my next audience at a celebratory event for a large commercial real estate firm in Toronto. To say I went into the event without my usual resounding confidence would be an understatement. However, trusting my process, I filled skill gaps. I took extra steps to understand the audience's needs, crafting a resonant message. As a result, the event and my talk were a huge hit!
Carrying lessons from failure forward is an essential element of progress.
We unavoidably live through highs and lows; it's part of the magic of life. We simply can't appreciate joys without contrast. I luckily rebounded quickly in this case. It might be the most significant swing I've experienced since the highs and lows of my traumatic spinal cord injury almost ten years ago. A great quote I heard recently from Tim Tebow, "adversity is either here, it just left, or it's coming." Valid words and a vital message. We must all cultivate a resilient perspective and employ gratitude to help reframe our lows. If you are going through one of your lows, trust that you have it within yourself to push through.
Don't lose heart.
I hope you continue to navigate the curve balls life throws at you—the things that are never part of your plan. The gloomy valley bottom feels disproportionately low sometimes, but our deepest valleys increase our emotional capacity to appreciate our high mountain peaks. This contrast is one of life's gifts. From the darkness, we learn to recover and reach our fullest potential.
Let your ambition fuel your fire, and don’t be afraid to lose on your way to a win. If you falter, it’s ok—just keep going on your path.
With gratitude,
Mike Shaw
