Few phrases are as overdone as Beating the odds.
It seems as if this phrase comes out anytime someone overcomes a significant challenge. There’s seemingly always some mention of how the odds were stacked against that person, yet they overcame them anyway.
The parlance is used so frequently, in fact, that there’s never even a need to dust it off.
The implications of this statement are clear. Someone has done something unlikely and significant, and should be lauded for it.
Yet, the dramatic nature of the phrase Beating the odds belies one important fact.
The person was likely to overcome the challenge they faced. They were just more likely to succumb to it.
This might sound like a small detail, but hear me out.
We live in a world of polarization. It’s acceptable to accentuate differences in lifestyle choices, sports allegiances or politics. And words such as never and always are part of our everyday vocabulary.
We capitalize on extremes because it garners attention. And the debates we have with those with opposing viewpoints get the blood flowing and make us feel alive.
But extending this behavior to the narratives we tell — of ourselves or those we admire — is a fallacy.
You see, as long as our hearts are beating, we have a chance of doing something extraordinary, regardless how slim that chance might be.
Where there is a will, there is a way. So, every day provides us an opportunity to overcome an adverse situation or perform a notable feat.
It’s not always easy, but it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.
All too often, we forget this simple mathematical fact, and act as if the improbable feat we witnessed took the world off its axis.
And that’s just plain wrong.
Let us not forget why odds are out there in the first place. They’re designed so that others can handicap our future, and determine our destiny.
These people benefit by having these odds in place. But we’re no better off.
Why let them determine our fate? Our lives are our own, after all. What’s plausible should have no impact on what’s possible.
So, let’s change the conversation.
Let’s consider each day as a stepping stone as we work on achieving our hopes and dreams. Let’s focus on what’s in our realm of possibility and ignore any outside noise telling us how unlikely it might be.
Above all, let’s focus on our accomplishments. Both those behind us and those yet to come.
Odds are, that’s a better outlook to take.