Nothing in sports is as magical as a Game Seven.  Preseason, Regular Season, Playoffs, Championship Series…  it all comes down to one final game.  Two equally matched competitors.  Two warriors who have traveled so far.  All over after one last battle.

In life, the closest I ever came to a Game Seven was a job search.  Many, many years ago, I desperately needed a new job.  Political chaos surrounded me.  The invisible clock of upcoming elections was ticking.  I needed a new job.

As I interviewed all around the metro area, one thing seemed to be a constant, my colleague Jeff.  Turns out that Jeff was also looking for a new job and new challenges.  Jeff and I could not have had different personalities.  He was quiet, I was bombastic.  He was reasoned, I was tangled ball of Christmas tree lights.  He was calming, I was a fireworks show.  Turns out, we were equally matched.  Opposites that seemed to knock each other out in the interview process.  Each and every time.  Sometimes he did better, sometimes the victor was me, but the jobs and the winner never seemed to align.  Then came our moment, our Game Seven.  The job we both wanted.  The job we would both accept.

Turns out, Jeff won by a whisker.  More experience or some such tiebreaker.  He got the job offer.  I was left to keep looking, the loser of Game Seven.

As I looked, Jeff’s old job opened up.  I applied and you know what?  It was the perfect match.  I got Jeff’s old job.  The right job for me.

Life can seem so certain.  You either win or lose.  Game Seven seems like the end, but it turns out that sometimes it is just the beginning.  If you wait long enough, sometimes the loser will end up with a win.