In 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 crash-landed in the Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both engines. All 155 people survived. The world hailed Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger as a hero. He became a household name overnight. But what no one ever reported was the number of flights that landed safely that same day over 87,000 commercial flights worldwide.
No cameras. No headlines. No claps.
Just pilots doing their job with diligence and excellence
And that’s the quiet truth about life. Most “safe landings” don’t make the news.
When Excellence is Invisible
In today’s world, many people are addicted to acknowledgment. Social media has conditioned us to crave likes, claps, shares, awards. If no one sees it, posts it, or celebrates it, we question its worth. But excellence isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s the person who shows up, day after day, without recognition, who is doing the holiest work of all.
Real impact doesn’t always trend.
Here’s something staggering: According to a study published in Psychology Today, only about 0.1% of people reach true mastery in any field. That’s 1 in 1,000.
Why? Because mastery is expensive.
It requires:
- 10,000+ hours of deliberate practice (Anders Ericsson’s research)
- Repeated failure
- Daily discipline
- Long seasons of obscurity
- A brutal rejection of ease and claps
Many start. Few stay. Mastery is not talent it’s tenacity.
The problem with getting claps and applause is that it’s inconsistent. It fades. It can’t be your fuel. If you live for affirmation, you’ll die by its absence. But if you live for purpose, you can endure the silence.
Even Jesus didn’t live for crowds. In fact, the same people who shouted “Hosanna” later screamed “Crucify Him.” He didn’t just preach a good message—He became the message.
“He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.”
Philippians 2:8-9 NIV
Jesus gave up:
- Comfort
- Reputation
- Safety
- His very life
He didn’t come to be celebrated—He came to save. His reward wasn’t on earth. It was purpose fulfilled and position secured—seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 12:2).
You may not trend, but you can transform. You may not be seen, but you’re shaping something eternal.
Keep landing the plane. Quietly. Faithfully. Masterfully.
Because one day, the reward won’t be a like, a plaque, or a standing ovation—but the words:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Matthew 25:21 NIV
In a culture of performance, become a person of purpose.
It’s okay if no one claps. What matters is that you don’t stop flying.
Read Purpose is Not About You – It’s About Who You Serve
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