All of us face ups and downs in our everyday life. However, when we have not done anything wrong from our side and something unfortunate happens, you wonder -“What wrong did I do ?

It could be ,that you had a great run all through the year and you were expecting a promotion and a leadership role ,but at the end of the year, you are denied the same. You wonder – What wrong did I do ?

I surpassed all my targets, I got positive feedback from my manager and he has assured me that I was grooming well, for the next level role. But, when promotions were announced, my name was missing.

You keep wondering and questioning, your own work. However, the reality is that, you have not got recognised or promoted. You may sometimes wonder ,if it is worth working so hard and exceeding all your targets and displaying your true potential.

The truth is that you feel very hurt. It may take a few weeks or even months to recover from this shock. I have experienced this in my career and hence I understand the impact it has ,on the individual.

However, when you recover and sit back and reflect, you realise that you did your best and deserved the promotion. However, if the leadership team including your manager ,did not see that in the same light – it could mean two things. Either, there was not an appropriate opportunity to accommodate you or you did not project yourself enough to be recognised or somebody more deserving than you may have been promoted.

Again, it becomes challenging ,to accept this reality. But, if you are able to get over this initial disappointment, you realise that it is your duty to do your best and present yourself ,to the best of your ability ,to your seniors. If you do not get recognised, it is more their failure , than yours.

It is like ,a cricketer has the highest average amongst all batters in a team ,but she is not selected in the playing level, for the next match. This cricketer will feel highly disappointed ,for not being selected. But, she has to realise ,that her statistics speak ,for her performance. It is more the failure of the selectors ,than the skills of the cricketer.

Life is no different. We may feel disappointed when we put in hard work and do not get the recognition we deserve. But, we need to realise that ,efforts is always in our hand ,but recognition is beyond our control. The best will never rest. They continue to excel and I can assure you ,that they can never be ignored for long.

We need to work hard and put our best foot forward ,in life or work, and leave the rest ,to the people responsible to recognise us. We know for ourselves ,that we have done our best. Let us leave the rest, to the judges of our destiny. Yes, sometimes, they may err in judgement. But, they are also human and so are we. We could feel bad and they may also realise their mistakes ,before it is too late.

Let us continue to strive for the best, without worrying – “What wrong did I do in life ?

S Ramesh Shankar

2nd Jan 2025