Most Likely to Be Voted..."Proud of Yourself"
Dec 05, 2025
Written By Bart Berkey | Most People Don't
Last week, I attended my 40-year high school reunion, and it brought back many memories.
In preparation for my welcome message, I did research to deliver the most meaningful words that would resonate with my classmates.
I reviewed the yearbook and the "Senior Superlatives" in which many reunion participants had been nominated by their peers.
“Most Likely to Succeed"
“Most Athletic”
“Class Clown”
It was exciting, it was also "sticky" as it set the bar for expectations.
But here’s the truth no one told us at 18:
The superlatives were only snapshots of who you were at 18, not necessarily who you would become at 28, 38, 48, or 58.
At 18 you were actually your parents' reflections. Your demographics were the result of their work ethic and life standards.
These guesses do become labels ("on brand" for you) long before any of you actually had your own work or life experiences and lessons.
Still, many of us carried this label to heart for years.
Some felt encouraged.
Some felt pressure.
Some wondered whether they lived up to what others saw in them.
I was wondering if I hadn't lived up to my "Most Likely to Succeed" nomination coming into this event.
But once at the 40th reunion, I noticed something quickly, that seemed much more important:
No one wins life because of any label
Carrying old predictions or superlatives (“most likely to succeed,” “never good enough,” etc.) can shape your outlook.
But sometimes these become heavy, you can choose which weights to drop, and which ones to use as fuel.
Know that you “succeed” because you keep showing up.
Real Growth & Resetting Goals
Expectations, like superlatives are personal, are not always your destiny.
It's critical to recognize that & make corrections, or pivot as you mature in years and in your career.
Set goals based on who you are today, not who others predicted what you would be so long ago.
Since it's the end of the year, it's a great time to reflect on what matters to you most now.
At my reunion, it was interesting, it was different than the 10 year, the only other reunion I attended. During the first gathering, I sensed more people were posturing...I'm "This Title", "I live in this neighborhood", "I have this car, boat...etc".
This time was very different. People weren’t comparing résumés or trophies; they were genuinely happy to be connected to each other...
They asked:
- How are you doing, really?
- What have you been through?
- What did life teach you?
- Do you remember when…?
No one seemed to care who had climbed the highest.
They cared who had stayed kind.
They cared about who overcame something difficult.
They cared about who helped along the way.
And something else happened:
I realized that what makes people special has nothing to do with titles, job descriptions, promotions, or public recognition. It’s the humanity we keep. It's basic and simple, but are you a good friend, classmate, relative, co-worker, or leader?
Succeeding looks different to me at 58 than it did at 18.
Back then, success was about:
- ambition
- potential
- flashing forward into the unknown
Now, success looks like:
- raising good humans
- loving people well
- being resilient
- reconnecting
- forgiving
- staying curious
- showing up, even when life is heavy
- choosing kindness when it’s easier not to
I'm still fueled by my motto - Most People Don't...but I Do.
But the things I mentioned above are not trivial, they are monumental in the way I value life as a whole.
This incorporates, work, family, & friends and the legacy I choose to build daily.
And here’s your challenge for this week:
Give Yourself Permission to Redefine Success
Many business people feel boxed in by past labels or self-induced pressure.
Remind yourself that success is personal, and that you have permission to rewrite the rules.
Aim for daily progress, not only the biggest title.
Focus on "What You Can Do" and get your "Should Do's Done".
Realize that you don’t need a title, a trophy, or a superlative to matter.
“Success isn’t just found in titles, it’s in the moments you choose to look up instead of down, ask a real question (not just ‘how are you?’), check in on someone who matters, and include others in your journey. Real success is overdelivering, giving more than expected and reaching out when you could stay silent, trying again when most people would quit, and caring, truly caring.
These actions don’t just build careers, they build lives. And that’s the kind of success that lasts a lifetime.
So maybe we were all... “Most Likely to Succeed"?
Just not in the way the yearbook committee meant it.
If you’re showing up for your life today, emotionally, mentally, or physically, you’re succeeding.
If you’re doing your best (even imperfectly), you’re succeeding.
If you’re caring about people, you’re succeeding.
This week, I also encourage you to identify one “weight” that you could carry into the new year (old goals, predictions, others’ expectations) and replace it with a fresh, self-authored intention.
Here’s to looking up, reconnecting, letting go of old labels,
and being proud of who you’ve become…
…because most people don’t
but you do.
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