Stand Tall.

Today’s Marketing Cookie is a reminder that even in challenging times, the right mindset can lead to improbable victory.

When COVID hit, I traded nights out with friends and live music for evenings on the couch, diving into history and nature documentaries. I’ve always preferred educational shows when watching alone, so Ken Burns and David Attenborough became my go-to companions. But after running out of documentaries, I reluctantly gave in to the hype and watched Tiger King. To my surprise, I loved it.

After that, I started watching shows people always talked about, but I had never seen. I finally got around to Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos. Although I wasn't a fan of the Seinfeld finale, I’ve enjoyed them all. I also discovered Alone, where survivalists tough it out in the wilderness. I never expected to be drawn to reality TV, but I secretly feel like I’m learning survival skills that might come in handy if I ever find myself stranded in the Arctic.

The show that has captured my attention lately is called Survivor. The social dynamics, the lying, manipulation, and secret alliances people form in the name of self-preservation to win a million dollars are incredibly fascinating. I laugh and cry with the contestants. I root for the underdog, and last week, I even caught myself crossing my fingers, hoping my favorite player wouldn’t get voted off the island.

I told you all of that stuff, to tell you this. 

In the season of Survivor that I’m watching now, I saw a physically weaker tribe be badly defeated by the other in a tough immunity challenge. It was a lop-sided slaughter. As the bigger, stronger, winning tribe celebrated their victory, a woman on the losing tribe encouraged her tribemates by saying, “Keep your heads up. Stand tall.” And that’s exactly what they did. They picked themselves up and carried themselves back to their camp with a posture of pride. Then they showed up, day after day, and that tribe of weaklings kept finding a way to beat Goliath in the next 5 or 6 challenges in a row. 

The power of those words, “Keep your heads up. Stand tall.” have been echoing in my head all week. On paper, they should have lost every challenge, but the simple encouragement of one woman somehow sparked some untapped resilience and determination within them, fueling an incredible comeback. They showed that belief and perseverance can turn the tide, even when the odds are stacked against you. So when you’ve been defeated, I urge you to listen to the encouragement found in today’s fortune as it says, “Keep your head held high; you are capable of greatness.”