Write Your Story

Back in November 2011 I received yet another rejection. It was a unique time in my life where I received an unusual number of employment inquiries. I wasn’t actively seeking other employment, but I received many calls in a short amount of time. Some I had no interest in but a few got my attention - and one much more than the others. 

While browsing Facebook one day I came across a link that said the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) was looking for trainers. I am a huge fan of the PCA. PCA is an organization with the mission of transforming the culture of youth sports, to ensure kids are having a positive, character-building experience. I felt I was a perfect fit as I had been fully invested in youth sports for several years.  I had also been a member of Toastmasters for a few years, so I felt comfortable speaking to crowds. 

I sent my resume and anxiously awaited their response. That response came one Wednesday evening as I was leaving church. When I heard my phone make that email tone I quickly pulled it out to see if it was the email I had been waiting for. It was, however, the answer was not the one I wanted. In the moment I became oblivious to everything else going on around me. There was a car behind me that ended up driving around me and hopping the curb because I was sitting in the driveway reading my email, unaware of everything else.    

I was terribly disappointed yet after a few moments I pulled off to the side, opened a blank email draft, and started typing an email to myself. I wanted to capture the emotion of the moment. Though I was extremely disappointed, my thought was, this makes my story even better. In the midst of that disappointment I knew the story was not over and I wanted to remember that moment as vividly as possible. 

I tell you all this to make a simple point. Contest season is filled with a few winners and many others who came up short. While we are all chasing the win, whether it’s a job or a contest, the true value is in the journey. Enjoy it. Take the losses with the wins. To borrow the lyrics of a Matthew West song, “this is the story of your life and you decide how the rest is going to read.” 

Let me conclude with a quote from John C. Maxwell. “The difference between average and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”

Marshall Lehr


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