If you’ve achieved something big, trust me, it’s not because you grinded.

You see, growing up my parents always urged me to work hard.

As immigrants, they believed in the power of hard work, and they made sure I did too.

They worked long hours, never complained, and pushed me to do the same. So, I followed their example.

I studied late into the night, signed up for every extracurricular, and always put in the extra effort

But something wasn’t adding up.

Even though I was giving 110% all the time, I was barely passing my engineering class.

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:

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Ready for some real talk?

Every week, I would stare at a new question set for hours on end and couldn’t even figure out what it was asking. Embarrassing, I know.

Some of my friends, who didn’t seem to work half as hard as I did, were excelling in ways I wasn’t.

I couldn’t figure it out.

I was doing everything right—working harder than anyone, sacrificing my free time, yet my results didn’t reflect my effort.

Fast forward a couple of months, everyone in my program was recruiting for summer internships.

I applied for a summer internship at a brand consulting firm in Asia.

It was extremely competitive, and most of my classmates didn’t make the cut.

But to my surprise, I did.

I couldn’t figure out why. Some of my classmates had better grades, more analytical, better at math and most of us worked equally hard.

One afternoon during the internship, I sat down with one of the directors. I asked him what made me stand out in the selection process.

His response floored me.

“You showed something different,” he said.

“We weren’t just looking for someone who is analytical. We wanted someone who could also think creatively, solve problems strategically, understand Chinese and work well with different stakeholders. You’ve got those skills, and that’s what made the difference.”

That’s when it hit me.

It wasn’t just the hours I’d put in or how hard I worked.

I got that internship because I had leaned into what I was naturally good at—problem-solving, creativity, and communication.

While I’d been trying to work on my weaknesses—math and analytical skills, it was my strengths that got me noticed.

Don’t rely on your hard work alone.

Here’s the truth: Hard work alone won’t open doors for you. If you’ve achieved something big, trust me, it’s not because you grinded—it’s because you activated your gift, the thing that makes you stand out.

Smart people know this. They don’t waste their time working on weaknesses. They focus on their strength.

That’s where the magic happens.

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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.

Lena

https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/