Where the Competition Disappears
Mar 20, 2026
I saw something the other day that stopped me in my tracks.
I was on a local paved walking path when I noticed a crack in the concrete.
And what was peeking out of the far end?
A solitary, green, blade of grass.
Maybe I’m weird, or maybe I need to pay more attention on where I’m going… but immediately I stopped and crouched on the ground.
In this sea of concrete, how did this little plant get there?
Why weren’t there others growing nearby?
How was it still alive?
So many unanswered questions. But what I find remarkable is that this little plant was truly in a league of its own.
Yes, just feet away were clumps of other plants…
But nothing was even remotely close to this one.
By itself.
In a crack.
Surrounded by concrete.
And that’s when the idea hit me…
This plant is uniquely thriving because it found a way to grow in difficult circumstances.
Circumstances that others avoided entirely.
I then wondered…just like this plant… could the very difficulties that repel others be the secrets to our success?
I’ve previously shared the following story from my Dad when he was a teenager. But it’s worth repeating.
One day he saw a very large and impressive house perched on top of a hill in his neighborhood.
“What does THAT man do for a job?” he asked his parents.
My grandparents said the man painted oil refineries.
…In Canada.
…Way up in the Arctic Circle.
“Refineries need to be painted to protect against corrosion and harsh winters,” my grandfather explained, “But nobody likes doing it. And so he adapted his business to make it work. And since no one else likes to paint oil refineries in the Arctic Circle, he’s done very well for himself.”
That moment taught a powerful lesson: Just like the small plant in the concrete, successful people don’t let difficulties deter them from their destination.
In fact, success is often hidden inside problems other people avoid.
So often I hear people say:
“I’m going to wait until things get better till I start.”
“I’m going to hold off on taking the first step. The situation isn’t ideal.”
“I think a more convenient opportunity will come along.”
And so they spend their valuable energy searching for easier, convenient, and simpler… when the real secret is doing, trying, and adapting.
So what challenges are you facing?
As difficult as they may be… could they be the hidden secrets to your success?
How can you find a unique way to continue to push through and make it work against the odds?
Because if anyone can turn a difficult situation into a successful one, why not you?
If anyone can figure out a way to make something work, why not you?
You can’t always choose where you are planted. But you can choose how you grow.
Because barriers to entry are also barriers that keep everyone else out too.
The very difficulties that deter others, may be the perfect conditions that allow you to flourish in places others don’t dare to go.
Just ask the blade of grass…
That had no competition.
Christian
CHRISTIAN HANSEN has gone behind the scenes in some of the biggest organizations in the world to find out the reasons why some people get chosen and why others don’t. As the #1 bestselling and LinkedIn Top Ten ranked author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” Christian helps teams and organizations who want to stand out and be the obvious choice. With degrees from Brigham Young University and The London School of Economics, he’s helped thousands of individuals position and sell themselves. A fan of international communication, history, and choral music, he currently lives in Utah with his wife. Reach him at: TheChristianHansen.com
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