I had one week left to prepare for a major event where I’d be presenting critical information about a business deal to some very important people. Every time I thought about it, a knot would tighten in my stomach. Still, I kept reminding myself to breathe deeply, to stay calm, and to trust that the best outcome would unfold—if I could just maintain a peaceful mindset.

The night before the presentation, I knew I wasn’t fully prepared. Not because I hadn’t tried, but because there simply hadn’t been enough time. I stayed up most of the night pulling together the final pieces of my research, trying to shape everything into a cohesive, logical argument that would persuade the decision-makers in the room. The stakes were high—how well I presented could mean the difference between losing thousands of dollars or setting us up to gain more than $100,000 within just two months.

Then, right before I was set to speak, I learned that several unexpected attendees would be in the room—people I hadn’t prepared for. The pressure mounted. On top of that, I was stressing over the details—What should I wear? Would my equipment even work?—and there was no time left for a trial run.

As the meeting began, I reminded myself that I had done all I could. I had to trust that my best would be good enough—and that whatever I lacked, God would make up for. He had to. I had nothing more to give.

And while I intellectually believed God would carry me through, I couldn’t quiet my frantic heart. I felt flustered. I lost my train of thought. I stumbled. I pushed through just trying to finish, but I knew I had missed the mark. The opportunity to secure that $100,000 slipped through my fingers.

I felt sick. I had given everything I had. I knew the principles. I even knew that “when something is really, really horrible, it is in actuality really, really phenomenal.” But no matter how hard I tried to think right, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the whole thing had been a total disaster.

I tried calling my mentor—desperate for someone to help me reset my thinking—because I knew that getting my head right was critical if I hoped to turn anything good out of this mess. But my calls went unanswered. My messages weren’t returned.

Finally, I thought of an old friend who would get it. Why I hadn’t thought of her sooner, I don’t know. I gave her a call, and after I told her the whole sorry tale—complete with laughter at how pathetic it had felt—she said something that changed everything:

“Leslie, the meeting was perfect. You did your best, and everything that needed to be said was said in just the right way. Those people heard exactly what they needed to hear. And anyway, who do you think you are to decide what should or shouldn’t have been said?”

She was right.

I had done my best. I had turned it over to God. So who was I to judge the outcome? What if my stumbles were exactly what God had foreseen and allowed, because He was working out something higher—for me, or for someone else?

Who am I to say how the deal should have gone? One thing I’ve learned is that when something doesn’t go the way I think it should, it’s usually because God is preparing something even better. And often, He’s using those experiences to knock off some rough edges and shape me for what’s coming next.

I choose to believe that.

I may never know all the ripple effects that meeting set into motion. But I do know some—and they were important. If nothing else, I gained a new tool for navigating future disappointments. When I’m struggling to feel better about something that didn’t go the way I hoped, I tell myself: “It’s perfect.” Even if I don’t understand how.

Even the hardest, most painful experiences in life are for our good. They teach us, refine us, and prepare us to reach our highest potential—if we let them.

So yeah, I botched a presentation. But in the grand scheme? I’ve been through worse. And now, on the other side of it, I’m a little tougher. A little more compassionate. A little more trusting in God.

No matter how painful or embarrassing your moment may be, it’s part of your perfect path. Trust that. Choose to believe that this is exactly what you need for your growth right now. And when you calm down and truly believe it, you’ll be amazed at how things begin to shift. From that moment on, life takes on a whole new trajectory.

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