There's a quote from Naval Ravakant.

He says, the closer you are to the truth, the more silent you become inside.

Found that interesting.

I got an email recently from someone asking for my thoughts about their being overlooked for a promotion at their work.

They say that they're dedicated, they work hard, they show up and execute.

So what is the act of being overlooked mean?

Well, like so many things, it's contextual, but let's play with it.

What does feedback ever really mean?

It means what you decide it does.

Here's how I see the act of being overlooked as this person expresses.

Let's look at it as an iceberg,

that rejection as a floating block of ice in the Atlantic, and the top, the piece that's exposed and above water, the smaller piece, is your chance to look around and self-reflect,

to ask why? Where are the places I could strengthen myself?

The gaps I could close and the spaces I could occupy.

You know, disappointment, it causes us to self-reflect, and that can be a valuable thing.

There are often tangible, quantifiable reasons we didn't hit the mark,

and I think that top of the iceberg is our recognition that we have things to do,

places to go, and what better a time than now, to start moving in that direction.

Now the part of the iceberg underneath the water, supporting all that,

there has to be a foundation of self-belief, of self-trust.

Not only a hardness and understanding that you are not defined by rejection, but also a certainty that things will work out, that you might have to stumble,

fall, even aimlessly wander for a set period of time.

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