The Starting Line
Fool me once.
Fool me twice.
Shame on me,
but let’s be real—shame is a waste of energy.
I say I live the “Who knows if this is good or bad?”
(새옹지마)way—no attachments, no labeling things as good or bad. Just events happening.
But deep down?
I still feel the pull.
That flicker of disappointment.
That whisper of “this isn’t how it was supposed to go.”
I tell myself not to trust a job until the contract is signed, until the work actually starts. No expectations.
But a verbal commitment still gets me soft.
It makes me pause, relax, even celebrate a little too soon.
That’s the real danger—getting comfortable.
The Path
Then the test comes. The real test. The one that shows you what you’re made of.
What do you do when the job falls through?
When the promise breaks?
When the thing you were counting on slips through your fingers?
People talk.
People lie.
And sometimes, things just change.
It’s easy to be positive when life’s patting you on the back.
But when it throws a punch?
That’s when you find out who you really are.
The Finish Line
In business, in life—nobody owes you anything.
Your leverage is in your adaptability.
Your resilience.
Your ability to pivot when the plan fails.
So, what’s the lesson?
- Never let one opportunity become your only opportunity.
- Stay sharp. Keep your leverage. Keep moving.
- Build multiple paths so one setback doesn’t take you out.
앞으로 집중하자.
Focus forward.
Stay flexible.
Keep moving.
Peace be the journey,
— Ace
One Way Grit 