Professor Brown
If you’re reading this, don’t say no to yourself.
Too often we decide against ourselves before the world even has a chance to weigh in. We don’t submit our work to a competitive internship because we assume the spot will go to someone else. We don’t try out for a team because we convince ourselves we’re not good enough. We don’t apply, don’t audition, don’t ask, don’t step forward—because we assume the answer will be “no.”
On the surface, it feels protective. If we never try, we never risk the sting of being told no. But here is the truth: in sparing ourselves from that sting, we cut ourselves off from the possibility of a “yes.” Each time we hold back, we erase the possibility of a yes. We close the door before even testing whether it might have opened.
I wish I had heeded this advice sooner in my own life. There have been countless times when I didn’t take a chance on myself because I was certain it wouldn’t work out. I knew the answer would be “no.” And who knows what opportunities slipped away because I counted myself out? I’ll never know.
You’re going to hear plenty of “nos” in your life. You probably won’t get every job, every promotion, or every chance that you deserve. But don’t stop yourself from applying, asking, auditioning, or trying. Sure, they might say “no.” But if you don’t ask, you’ll never know if the answer would have been “yes.”
Professor Brown, Syracuse University
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