Everything good eventually comes to a close, and runs of good luck don't last forever.

But here's the pattern I've noticed: most people don't wait for good things to end. They end them early, because they're afraid they won't last. Said differently;

Take Si Woo Kim during the second round of the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson when something special started happening. He birdied 5 of his first 7 holes. That's the moment most people ruin it. The mind starts doing math. It starts protecting instead of playing more aggressively. A voice creeps in that says, “Don't blow this.”

Si Woo didn't listen. He kept attacking. He birdied 7 of his next 10 holes, putting himself at 12 under par with one hole remaining on a par 71 course. One par on 18 and he'd shoot 59, one of the rarest scores in professional golf.

His approach went long, his chip came up short, and he missed the par putt, resulting in a final score of 60. Still an amazing round, but his mind was a major reason he got all the way there. What’s wild is that he ended up finishing 2nd in the tournament, ultimately losing to Wyndham Clark, who shot 60 on Sunday to clip him by two.

You probably won't find yourself on a 59 watch anytime soon, like Si Woo or Wyndham. But you might find yourself in a relationship going really well, a job stretch where everything is clicking, a craps run at the casino on a heater, or a conversation that's deeper than you expected. And right in the middle of it, your mind will whisper that it can't last.

Don't listen. Refuse to ruin it. Let it get all the way to 18.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.