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Most people will never be successful.

That’s not an opinion—it’s reality.

#1 NYT best-selling author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss put it bluntly:

“It’s lonely at the top. 99% of people are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for mediocrity. The level of competition is thus fiercest for ‘realistic’ goals, paradoxically making them the most competitive.”

In other words: playing it safe is actually the riskiest thing you can do.

Why? Because mediocrity is a trap. It’s a rat race, a never-ending cycle of just getting by, checking the boxes, living a life of lukewarm comfort—but never really living.

And most people won’t escape it. Not because they can’t—but because they’re unwilling to fail.

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But FIRST

If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:

📈 Forget Goal-Setting, Here’s What Actually Works ​Read More →​

🎨 Best tools for building your passion project ​ ​Read More​ →​

📘 Ready for some real talk? ​ ​Read More​ →​

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The Truth About Failure (That Most People Never Learn)

Dale Carnegie once said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

But here’s the catch: most people hate failure. They avoid it like the plague. They fear embarrassment, rejection, and pain. So, they never take the leap. They never risk looking foolish. They never bet on themselves.

And so, they stay stuck. Stuck in jobs they hate. Stuck in a cycle of procrastination. Stuck in almost chasing their dreams—but never quite making it happen.

But what if you flipped the script? What if failure wasn’t something to be feared, but embraced? What if the fastest path to success was actually through as many failures as possible?

How to Break Free (and Actually Start Living)

If you’re reading this, I bet you want more. More adventure. More meaning. More impact. More than just a “fine” life.

And I’m telling you—it’s possible. The life you dream of—charting your own path, traveling the world, creating something truly meaningful—it’s all available to you. But only if you’re willing to break away from the herd.

Are you willing to wake up and choose differently?

Because the worst thing that can happen to you isn’t failure.

It’s never trying at all.

So go big. Do the damn thing. Fail hard, fail fast, and build something incredible from the lessons along the way.

The world doesn’t need more people playing background music.

It needs headliners willing to take the stage.

See you at the top,

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Like what you read? Share with friends!

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PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions (such as your own community) where it is needed the most. Want in? We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders. ​ OCE Summer Cohort ​ You can also explore purposeful opportunities through our Impact Internship Opportunities Database. ​ Get Curious.

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Lena

​https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/​