By your hand, not by anyone else's...

In many tournaments, you find the coach standing and speaking about his team’s stance on winning the championship, or even when the team is threatened with relegation. The coach begins by explaining the setbacks the team has endured, clarifying that the team’s chance of winning the championship now depends directly on the results of other teams.

The victory of his team in the championship is no longer dependent on its own results, due to the points squandered during the tournament and because of losses from easy points that were within reach. He talks extensively, explaining the events, fully aware that his fate and that of his team now hinge on the performance of other teams.

This is life in all its aspects. Wherever you are, the worst and most difficult moments are those when your success or escape from your current situation depends on the performance and results of others, and your own performance and efforts are no longer sufficient to achieve your goal.

At that point, you clearly remember that things were once in your hands, that reaching the goal was possible and seemed easy. But your squandering of easy opportunities, your neglect of minor details, and your reliance on people lacking the appropriate expertise—or whatever else—have brought you to your current situation, where your success or survival now depends directly on the results of others.

When you reach this critical stage, all you can do is exert maximum effort, increase your focus on your work, and exploit every possible opportunity. Even near-misses must be worked on and converted into real opportunities that you can leverage to your advantage.