Brandolon Barnett on Winning "No-Win" Scenarios

I also don't believe in the no-win scenario because a lot of the time you can win. If you perhaps change your objective or change it, it could be a positive change of objective or change of timeline or change of expectations. Um, and I, I just don't believe, and I, I guess that's what got me through 

I didn't know this until like a month before she passed, but she had been told by doctors that she was going to die five years before and not told anyone. And I think you might.say for her, you know, that's a no win scenario, but she didn't tell anyone. I struggled with this for years, but if she had, she, I think knew that I would stop going to school, that I would give everything to try to protect her. That was her victory, that she was able to be strong in that way and produce some positive objective out of that, which was supporting me, who she loved. And I'm really grateful for that. But I think that's an example of kind of how I think I, maybe I inherited that either directly or indirectly from, you know, being around her is I just don't believe in a no-win scenario. 

instead of just saying, Hey, I can't get this job. I lose. Um, what I instead said was why, why do I want this job? And I really always try to do an exercise whenever I encounter a difficult challenge or problem. I just say why what's at the core of what I'm unhappy about, or what's at the core of what I want. And in this case, it was that's when I realized a lot of these things about why I want the things I want around, you know, where the influence of science fiction had on me and the kinds of better worlds that I believe that we can create. It was at this time because I said, I want to do NGO work because it helps people to reach that potential. And it helps to create a foundation for this better world. 

I think a lot of us get caught up in this vision, this very narrow vision that we might have for good reason, because we've worked hard to get there, but that's not it. If we just let ourselves, let our minds open, um, there's always a way to be successful. There's always a way to win.