You'll Win Some; You'll Lose Some.

No one wins all the time. You'll win some and you'll lose some. And just as all wins are not the same, so also all loses are not the same.

Today I woke up to an email from School of Data, it had a familiar beginning: "Thank you so much for your application, and your interest in the programme; we’re sorry to say that your application was unsuccessful this time. We had an exceptionally high number of applicants this year, and the final decision included several parameters, from expertise on the data to geographical location."

I am already used to such emails. I have gotten a couple already this year. But this one stood way out. Two weeks ago I had gotten a congratulatory email from them: "I’m writing on behalf of the selection panel for the School of Data Fellowships - thank you for your application. As per our recent announcement, we received over 730 applications. The team and our partners have spent the past two weeks rigorously reviewing all candidates. The next steps include interviewing shortlist candidates followed by our final selection announcements. We are very pleased to announce that you have been shortlisted for a fellowship - congratulations!"

So I went from neutral expectation (as I don't put high hopes in applications I make) to great expectation and then to burst expectation. Sort of wished the previous congratulatory message hadn't come at all. I guess I'm not used to being shortlisted for anything, I usually get a "Sorry" email or a "Congratulations" email. No in between email.

The good part is it solved my dilemma for what great post to make today. Gave me a good topic to write about today. 

So whenever you get a "sorry" email please know you are not alone. And maybe yours is better -- you didn't get a hope raising congratulatory email before the sorry email. Not like you were put on a high pedestal and the wooden legs chopped off from under you. And like me, you can turn it into a good thing. Joke about it. Mint the silver lining around it because in life you are bound to win some and lose some. 

Have a great day ahead!